Citadines Apart’hotel

A Citadines apart’hotel is one of my favourite ways to stay when in London. I’ve written about their Trafalgar Square & Covent Garden residences before as faithful readers will know. They have worldwide locations but I’ve yet to try them out.

I hadn’t sampled the delights of their North London abode before, so when they reached out and asked me if I’d like to road test that location, I was super keen.

North London is not an area that I frequent very much to be honest, for no particular reason other than it’s just not where I have needed to be for very often. I annually go to the Big Christmas Press Show at the London Design centre which is awesome & a cheeky visit to the ultra cool Skinny Kitchen next door but other than that I had this preconceived idea that it was a bit far from much of the action and a fair old trek to the tube.

Every day is a school day right? After a fantastically relaxing two night stint at Citadines apart’hotel Islington, those preconceptions were shattered. I felt I was back home in my native London living younger days, which were quite frankly, exhilarating.

Location Location Location

A mere 9 minutes walk from the pivotal Angel tube station or a stone’s throw from Highbury & Islington, this apart’hotel is a perfectly located spot to enjoy the Capital.

Everything you could possibly need is on your doorstep, from nature to nurture, nightlife to new adventures. A heartbeat around the corner from a leisure lined avenue – the location is hard to rival.

Islington is a vibrant fun area, bustling with an agglomeration of restaurants, boutiques, a street market and a shopping centre to mention but a few highlights.

Eateries of every origin stand shoulder to shoulder, pubs, shops and cinemas abound with laughter and warmth spilling out onto the city streets as the Islington inhabitants make their memories.

The main benefit of a Citadines apart’hotel is having your own home from home space within the amenity loaded hotel infrastructure. This trip, I had a typically pristine one bedroomed apartment with a bed so spacious I couldn’t even reach the sides when I starfished! Two bedrooms are also available and they are fab, read all about my stay in a duplex in the Trafalgar Square branch here.

Home From Home

The apartment reminded me so much of my first flat in London, chic and central and felt so welcoming. Allowing the guest to have total independence but with friendly attentive staff only a phone call or a quick pop to reception away.

With a fully equipped kitchen dining area, you can cook up a storm or enjoy a takeaway from the endless local options. It’s the ideal place to utilise Too Good To Go, the free app which is garnering a cult following by the day.

Food Rescue

Their mission is to stop the abhorrent amount of wasted food leftover daily in the countless restaurants and outlets across the UK.  Rather than allowing produce to squander, they have initiated a ‘first dibs’ lucky bag lotto for a nominal fee which puts the fun into foraging for the future. Read the stats and savings here – prepare to be amazed that by swapping one meal a day for their sustainable alternative, city dwellers could save over £100 a week – after all it’s not usually a cheap eat in town.

It goes beyond the Big Smoke though – even in rural areas outlets are signing up rapidly, feeling the repercussions of our current cost of living crisis and the effect it is having on the buying habits of their clientele.  My local Co-op, Starbucks, Budgens and many more in Bedfordshire are in on the secret and have plenty of surplus food to be rescued. It’s location centric UK wide so don’t miss out!

I chose Yo! Sushi and Brother Marcus for my TGTG London living experience and ended up with a delicious Japanese evening meal and Eastern Mediterranean artisan bakery goodies to go. Quite the saving when both came to a mere £7.00 using the app.

Real time examples, I’m on the app as I write this and options within a 2 mile radius are:

Breakfast from Starbucks, Lunch from Leon & a dinner courtesy of an independent restaurant called the Grill Hut, all for a total of £11.34 – not bad eh? Sure, these deals are ‘Magic Bags’ so you don’t know what you get beforehand BUT you are guaranteed there is a stated minimum retail value of contents (usually around £10+) so for £2+ that’s pretty good going!

For family and couples or singles alike, I really don’t think you can beat a Citadines apart’hotel stay for the privacy, personal touch and price.

Breakfast is an eclectic mix – one I have come to appreciate and does make me smile.

Smoked salmon alongside boiled eggs or salami and granola paired with freshly squeezed juices, it’s a healthy one, no full English here. The extensive fresh fruit selection is bursting with zesty juicy goodness. Pastries abound though and bottomless coffee and tea keeps the residents languishing lazily. I left satisfied, feeling fresh and invigorated, albeit sad to leave as I closed the sturdy door to my apartment.

I didn’t take my doggy Manny this time, but he too is a seasoned Citadines fan! Next time maybe, it’s a very dog friendly place to be.

Let me know if you have stayed in a Citadines apart’hotel and how you enjoyed it.