Vancouver Studios

Located just north of Hyde Park, the Vancouver Studios is splurge-worthy two-star sleeper like few others we visited in London, offering gorgeous, dainty studios.

Quick read

Pros: Cute, old-fashioned style. Brilliant location. Excellent, clean facilities. Back garden.

Cons: No elevator. Can be pricey.

Rooms

The Vancouver Studios belt out a love song to the fussy aunts of the world. Bed canopies and window curtains match. There’s a repetition of gingham print as well, and little tables ideal for a spot of tea or the scribbling of postcards. And because every good aunt is a stellar host, rooms are equipped with modern conveniences, including a phone, TV and DVD player and free Wi-Fi.

The arrangement places a kitchenette in every apartment, a nice perk good for independent travelers who want to shop for food at supermarkets. Kitchenettes break with the design motif—instead of the prim color coordination and restrained girliness otherwise on display in rooms, they consist of modern appliances.

Bathrooms

Bathrooms, too, are small yet contemporary, with nice round sinks and rectangular gray raised tile on the walls.

Hotel

The Vancouver Studios is a good pick for the value-hunting “flash-packer” set: people dead-set on finding good value without being ripped off. We know, £140 isn’t cheap, but for a splurge in London—let alone in a splurge in this expensive neighborhood—the hotel is well-priced.

Note that breakfast is not included in the nightly rate, although a continental breakfast can be purchased for an additional charge. Also lovely are the gorgeous back garden and antiques-strewn common spaces, which include a DVD rental area. Wi-Fi is free throughout.