A few weeks’ ago, I attended the Amara Interior Blog Awards, held in London. I travel to London from Manchester fairly frequently and while I try to do the roundtrip (around 5 hours) when and if I can, there are certain times when an overnight stay is a necessity.
Of course, a crappy hotel is always an option but well, I’m an interiors blogger. I want my surroundings to be inspiring and beautiful. So on my visit, I was lucky enough to be offered a free overnight stay in one of CuckoozΒ design-led serviced apartments, “designed by travellers for travellers”.
The four city fringe locations – Aldgate East, Hoxton, Shoreditch and Kings Cross – each have their own unique look. Leading interior designers including 2 Lovely Gays, Camille Wahala, Natalie Papageorgiadis and Nicola Bianchi have created each location using a whole host of local and independent designers and artists. They come fully equipped with everything you need to ensure a genuine home away from home experience.
Each location has various sized apartments from a one-bedroom flat to the Penthouse which sleeps 6, perfect if you are travelling solo, as a couple, with friends or with the whole crew and each is located within the heart of some of the coolest parts of London so there will always be plenty to do, see and explore right outside your door.
The location I stayed was their Aldgate East location, a few minutes’ walk from the station and designed by the lovely talented guys at 2LG Studio. Their design touches are evident throughout and the apartment itself is light, bright and super comfortable with all the mod-cons you could ever need for your stay including Apple TV, a large television and of course, wi-fi.
Each location has aΒ carefully curated C-ΒβZ Guide, sharing the special local places that the team use themselves, along with aΒ YourWelcome tablet in each apartment which allows guests to book city events, order food delivery and muchΒ more, at the touch of a button. While my stay was a very short one, had it been longer I would have loved to have taken advantage of the local knowledge they provide in the apartments, sharing all the top spots to eat, shop and explore.
The main living area is open-plan which keeps everything so airy and bright. The sofas are incredibly comfy in blue and emerald velvet and that amazing feature wallpaper is just so much fun.
The kitchen is small but perfectly formed and while I would have loved to have seen some tea or coffee facilities (the morning after I was dying for some caffeine!), the kitchen is great for a longer stay so you can cook or prepare anything whilst you are here. Thankfully, there are plenty of local shops nearby to stock up the fridge or pantry for whatever you might need. They also offer a separate breakfast service for an additional Β£40 per day if you don’t fancy leaving the flat (and when they are this pretty, why would you?). It’s also incredibly easy to order food deliveries from the tablet provided.
Head up the spiral staircase in the hallway to reach two good sized double bedrooms along with a small office. The design details continue here with beautiful wallpaper, fluffy pillows, contemporary art and beautiful quality luxury bedding.
The Master Bedroom is stunning in soft minty green with little pink lamps and a large wood wardrobe as well as an ensuite. In fact, both bedrooms have their own ensuite and there’s a 3rd cloakroom downstairs as well, all stocked with gorgeous-smelling Bamford products. It’s little touches like this that make your stay wonderfully luxurious without a luxury price tag!
All in, it was a fantastic stay at a beautiful apartment in the heart of a buzzing city. So if you fancy a trip to London and are in need of some design-led surroundings rather than staying at an impersonal hotel room, then I’d highly recommend Cuckooz as your apartment of choice! You can book your stay here with rooms starting at around Β£150 per night.
Disclaimer: I was not paid for this post but was provided with an overnight stay free for my review. As always, all images, words and opinions are my own and I only work with brands I love and think you’ll like too! Thanks for supporting the companies that support Swoon Worthy!
They look extraordinarily dreary. By the way, you pay ‘through the nose’ in English, not ‘out the nose’.
Will not be following.
Hi Lynn, they really are such lovely flats! I’m sorry but I’m confused by your comment on the expression ‘pay through the nose’ as I didn’t use that term anywhere in the post? Where did you see that? xx
Seriously such a gorgeous apartment. I was actually surprised by how stylish it was for a serviced apartment! I LOVE the gold tinted wallpaper in both the living room and in the bedroom. And the fact that there’s stairs up to another level – I would feel SO fancy going upstairs! Though, spiral stair cases put the fear of god in me (I’m not great with heights).
Such a beautiful space and would make for a great place to spend a weekend away with friends.
p.s. I want that green velvet couch to happen to my life.
It was such a lovely space and I loved the wallpaper in the bedroom too! Also I totally wanted to take home that gorgeous green velvet sofa, shame it didn’t fit in my luggage ;) xx
In fact you said……(copie-paste) It’s often expensive to visit London and while you can get some crappy impersonal hotel room and pay out the nose for it, there are some great apartments springing up that are not only affordable but gorgeous as well.
Agree with you and your nose and many thanks for the info, Fly over to London frequently and pay through the nose for a crappy hotel room.
Happy Christmas.
I’ve just realised it’s not on the post at all but on the email to subscribers that I said that! Oh my goodness, ya know, I thought I was going bat-shit mad here! Ahh I stand corrected then! LOL! And thank you – they are actually lovely flats and well worth a visit rather than bothering your nose at all ;) Happy Christmas! xxx
… and you were paid – in all organisations ‘payment in kind’ (a free flat) counts.
Why don’t you just fly over to London and pay a reasonable price for a great room? Try Holiday inn Express, Premier Inn (over the Thames from Westminster) etc etc.
I’m really not sure why you are being so critical. Perhaps you’ve just had a bad day. However, if you don’t like the blog or what I write or how I express myself, that’s absolutely fine. There are plenty of others out there you may enjoy more.
Iβm pretty sure Lynn, than Kimberlyβs disclaimer made it very clear that she was referring to not being βpaidβ in cash currency. Have you got nothing better to do than harass her?* I expect youβd be more welcome over at the Daily Mail with the other trolls.
*P.S Rhetorical question, donβt bother replying.
Bianca you don’t have the full story, but you have just proposed breaking the UK law. Payment in kind must be declared to HMRC and for instance Politicians have to list every meal they are ‘given’.
Lynn, this is an interiors blog, not a tax return. Kimberly is well aware how she should be declaring items/services which have been gifted. And Bianca is not advising her how to fill out her tax return.
Declaring sponsored posts on the blog itself, versus declaring such things to HMRC, are entirely different entities.
βBenefits in kindβ is actually the correct term for the issue you are referring to with politicians. This does not apply here as Kimberly is self employed.
In fact, there are another set of rules entirely for how such things should be declared. But I shanβt go into that, because itβs in no way relevant here. Where is that information relevant? Oh yes, a tax return.
Kimberly is simply being totally upfront with her readers to let them know that she was gifted the stay, so that they are aware that it is a sponsored post. Which is in fact, in accordance with the law.
This one has the mark of the 2 LG Studio all over it – gorgeously considered as always. A perfect city get away if you’re someone like me who wants to feel at home with a few bits of their own in the kitchen etc. Definitely going on my list for next time…x
It definitely did feel very much like 2LG! It was such a lovely flat, wish I could have stayed longer :) xx
Kimberly, thanks for this post! I have friends visiting from the US soon and it always helps to have some places to recommend staying other than the usual hotels! Personally I think the flat looks calm, clean and uncluttered which is just the kind of place I’d like to stay in. All to often hotels go for beiges or bright primary colours (once I stayed in a hotel room that had a yellow/orange/red colour scheme that nearly made me scream!). Nice to see this flat furnished in nice colours and textures that are both band on trend and quite timeless. Lucky you for getting invited to stay there, perks of your blog no doubt! I’m sure some are just envious, I’m just very happy for you. Keep rocking (and keep blogging) xx
*bang on trend
Ahh thank you Zaheen for such a sweet comment! It was a lovely place to stay and I was indeed very lucky to be able to enjoy the apartment :) Mwah! xx
How great to have all that space, rather be squashed into the usual tiny generic London hotel room. Very impressed thereβs Apple TV etc, theyβve got the details just right. Fantastic for families with young children, would definitely have a look next time we plan a stay in the capital.
This is a great idea, as a little home away from home! Rob and I would love to stay somewhere like this if we were visiting London – it would be so great for when you get tired out and just want to chill and have more space and facilities – we’d fill that kitchen with unhealthy snacks, I’m sure! And I just love that bedroom wallpaper in green with the gold – beautiful!
xx
Such a calm and stylish place. I too have to stay un London for shoots and so I will definitely check this out. Great pictures and congratulations again on your award!!x
These apartments look fantastic and are definitely on my list of great designy places to stay. There are some really nice touches here that really set them apart from standard hotel rooms.
What a lovely space to stay in, whenever I go to a city now I opt for an apartment or rental, you just have so much more space to spread out and if this has the little luxuries you get at a hotel like Bamford products, it sounds perfect! x
Looks a great place to stay and I love how its been designed. XXX
Very interesting!
Great ideas, as a little home away from home!