Best Things Nearby:
The location and condition of the resort is excellent. Just a few short blocks of the Kensington High tube. It's also approximately 6 blocks to Kensington Gardens and Palace. The resort staff is very friendly and helpful. Overall a very nice unit and we were very pleased with our trade. There are 3 restaurants within walking distance that we would highly recommend. The Kensington Tandoori (Indian), The Blue Lagoon (Thai) and Wodka (Polish) - this restaurant was recommended in several travel books - and they were so right. Yes, they also make their own vodka. There is a great pub just down Allen Street called the Britannia; good fish & chips and air-conditioned. There are several restaurants on High Street Kens., as well as an Easy Everything internet café. In addition to the grocery stores, there is a Chemist (Pharmacy) about a block the other way, as well as a news store with magazines. The post office is three or four blocks away, and you can access the Internet in the basement of the local library (for a fee).
Best Things About the Resort:
As timeshare travelers, we were very pleased with resort. The unit was nicely furnished and was a great place to stay in London but don't expect luxury. It's a large townhouse in the Kensington section -- if you take a car in you must take it four or five bocks away to park.
Our apartment was a 1bdrm with a full kitchen including a washer/dryer. The kitchen was stocked with several days' worth of Nescafe and tea. As is common in Europe, there is no outlet for a hair dryer in the bathroom, you must use it in the bedroom or buy a long extension cord in London so you can do your blow dryer and curl iron where the mirror and light is.
Since you need a 220-watt dryer, the resort will loan you one if you do not have one. In addition to the double bed in the bedroom, there was a sofa bed in the living room, and plenty of linens and pillows. There were actually two sofas in the living room, in addition to a dining table and four chairs.
Resort Experience:
The unit was very comfortable. The English bathtubs are wonderful - deep, long and just marvelous for a good soak after a busy day in London. Don't forget your best bubble bath! A pre-paid phone card is a good idea for any international calling you might need to do. By the way, the phone book in the unit even shows seating plans for London theatres, making any telephone bookings quite easy.
The only elevator at the Allen House is about 3' x 3' the smallest I've ever seen. They supply paper towels, dish and laundry detergent. The office is only open from 8:00AM to 6:30PM, and closed on Sundays.
There is a charge for electricity based on the size unit you have. For the one bedroom unit, I believe it was about £20 for the week. The staff is very accommodating, friendly and helpful. There are no planned activities at the Allen House - London has enough to offer on it's own.
- Unit Type: 1 Bedroom
- Activities: Fair
- Amenities: Very Good
- Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
- Family Friendliness: Very Good
- Service: Excellent