Revolving Accommodations

When we arrived in London we knew that we'd be in a hotel for a bit before our rental was ready.  Our relocation person emailed us on Tuesday right when the movers arrived to let us know the rental would not be ready for Monday, November 18.  Apparently the owner had difficulty getting the gas supply lines inspected as required by some rule.  That pushed our move in date to Friday, November 29 at the earliest.  There was really nothing we could do about it if we wanted this specific property.  The relocation person immediately sent us some rental apartments so we did not have to spend weeks in a hotel.  

Originally Matt made a reservation at the Hilton London Metropole weeks in advance knowing we needed some accommodations before our original move in date.  We stayed in a standard hotel room with two queen beds.  Apparently it was difficult to find a hotel in London that had two double beds.  I suppose many hotels are smaller, boutique variety and can only sustain one bed (a la NYC?).  The Metropole is just down Praed Street from another Hilton we stayed at with Oldest Kiddo last winter break.  The Edgware Road Underground stop was two blocks across the street.  We were thrilled to know Pret A Manger & Starbucks were across the street.  It was a great starting point for our daily touring of London:

Trafalgar (Tra Fall Ger) Square

Buckingham Palace & The Changing of the Guard

Tower of London

Youngest Kiddo marching like the guard

Hardy's Sweetshop - a tiny but cute shop near St. Paul's Cathedral with loads of hard candies in jugs behind the counter & softer sweets under the glass.  If you come to visit and really want a Pop Tart you can pick up a box for £4.99 (approx $8.00).  

By the time Monday rolled around, I was done with staying in a hotel.  It is not ideal trying to put kids to bed when the adults are not ready to sleep.  Sitting in the dark while the kids claim to not be tired, need a tissue, or any other excuse is exhausting.  By the way as soon as Youngest Kiddo wound down and actually put his head on the pillow, he was lights out.

We checked out on Wednesday morning and traversed our way across town to the corporate apartment for the next 10ish days.  One bonus of this apartment is that Matt's office is approximately a 2 minute walk away.  That's great for dinner time, he calls when he knows he's leaving in 30 minutes and then we eat at a kid-friendly time.  When he went to work while we stayed at the Metropole, his commute was over 45 minutes.  Now it's just as fast as his feet can take him.  

This is quite a lovely place inside and out.  Outside, it's right on the thick of the city on High Holborn.  We have immediate access to daily needs outside our door: an Underground station, grocery shops, drug stores, plus many coffee shops & pubs.  


Inside, it will fit our needs much better than a hotel room.  The kitchen is fully stocked with dishes, utensils, and a few small appliances.  We bought a Nespresso machine a few days ago, so that will find a nice spot on the counter.  The dishwasher is just to the left of the oven and the combination washer/dryer is the very far left cabinet in the photo below.

The fridge comes up to my neck and the microwave is on top.  The freezer is separate, and it even came with ice cube trays!

  

The main living area is opposite from where I stood in the pictures above.

We have two bathrooms.  This one is for the kids.

Matt and I were relieved that we have our own bedroom.  After being in the hotel for several days, we could not wait to shut the door!

The kids share the second bedroom.  We will see how long the peace lasts, but for now it is happy days.  

The best part? A patio!  I can't wait to spend time out there with the kiddos so they can run in circles.  There is also a fully-functioning construction crane across the street; that's kid gold in our house. 

We will call this home until we get the signed lease agreement for our new place.