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| Go Native Camden |
Over the
weekend I stayed in a really cool apartment just off the Caledonian
Road in North London. Here is my review.
Where did I
book Go Native?
I booked Go
Native through Booking.com and it was an easy and seamless experience. I had no
issues at all, it literally took 30 seconds. The total cost for 2
nights stay was £218. This might seem expensive to some people but I
thought it was a pretty good deal. Considering some other similar
apartments cost £150-£200 per night.
Were there any
extra charges?
Nope! Some
apartments and hotels charge a security deposit. The other apartment
I planned on booking actually charge a security deposit of £300.
They refund this money after 10 working days upon inspection of the
property. There were no hidden charges and I did not have to pay a
security deposit. Obviously, I was very happy about this!
Finding Go
Native Camden
I am really bad
when it comes to directions! I can literally have a map in front of
me and Google maps telling me where to go, and I will still get lost.
However, I found Go Native Camden really easily. The closest
underground station to Go Native is Caledonian Road, which is on the
Piccadilly Line. I actually walked from the Overground station which
is called Caledonian Road and Barnsley. It was actually a really long
walk, but it was straightforward so I have no complaints. You can
actually take a bus from the station all the way to the property. The
bus stop is a minute away from the apartment building. The property is located on the Camden Road at the end of Hillmarton Road.
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| Go Native Bathroom |
Check in
process
I called Go
Native in the morning before I checked in, and they told me that the
property was an unmanned property. Which basically means that staff
do not stay there overnight, there is no reception desk and guests
have to check in on on their own. Initially I was pretty apprehensive
about this because I cannot stand typing in codes etc. In the booking
e mail they sent me, they provided a door code and customer safe
code. The customer safe code gives you access to a small safe where
you will find your room keys. The check in time is supposed to be 3pm
but I requested a 2 pm check in. I arrived at 13:35 and the property
manager was outside waiting for me. We entered the property and he
gave me the keys, it was a seamless process. The manager was friendly
and very helpful.
First
Impressions
As soon as I
walked in to my apartment I noticed how clean the place was.
Everything looked clean and perfectly placed. The decor was simple
and modern, with hard wood flooring and touches of grey, white and
orange. In the apartment description it stated that the studio had a
kitchenette. I assumed that the kitchen would be tiny with no room to
swing a cat. However, I was very surprised to find a full sized hob,
oven, spacious cupboards, microwave, washing machine, fridge and
large storage cupboards next to the fridge. There were cups, plates,
bowls and other utensils in the cupboards and drawers. I was very
impressed!
The bathroom
was modern with a cubical shower and large mirror with toilet and
free toiletries from the White Company. The toiletries included,
shower gel, bar soap, dental kit, shampoo, conditioner, body lotion
and shower cap. There were 2 large towels and 2 small towels. There
was also a small bath mat towel hanging over the shower cubical.
Overall first impressions were good! However, one thing I did notice
when I began walking around the apartment was this strange sound
every time I walked near the wardrobe. I realised that the floor
vibrated every time I went near the wardrobe, it made a really
annoying sound but I got used to it. The wardrobe was pretty big
with plenty of space for your belongings. There was a hair dryer, iron
and ironing board in the wardrobe.
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| Go Native Kitchen |
How comfortable
was the bed?
The bed was
very comfortable and the sheets were soft and very good quality. One
thing I did notice was I became really hot at night, I couldn't find
a thermostat to turn the room temperature down. However, I opened the
window and it was fine.
Noise
On my first
night at the apartment, there was a lot of noise coming from the
apartment above. It was really loud, it sounded like they were having
some kind of party. This kind of thing does not bother me so much
but I think if you had a young child with you, this would not be a
good thing. Because the apartment is unmanned it means you have to
ring an emergency number if you want to make a complaint, or if you
need something urgently. This didn't bother me so much because I
didn't really have any major issues to complain about. One other
thing I would like to add about the noise. The apartment building is
on a main road, The Camden Road which is busy road. I had no problem
with this but if you want a more quiet location then this might not
be for you.
Using the
Bathroom
The bathroom
was clean and very modern, the shower cubicle had two shower heads.
One waterfall shower, and one small handheld shower. The waterfall
shower was a little pointless because the pressure was really
weak. However, the handheld shower was decent enough. The bathroom is
pretty small but I was happy with it, I would say it was a standard
sized hotel bathroom.
Using the
Kitchen
The kitchen had
an electric cooker and electric oven. All the appliances looked brand
new and very clean. I made a cooked breakfast in the morning and I
had no problems with any of the appliances. One of the things that
was missing from the kitchen was the dustpan and brush. Other than
that, the kitchen was fully equipped with all the necessary utensils,
tea and coffee making facilities, and free tea, coffee, sugar and
milk. There were also cleaning products under the sink. Very
impressed with the kitchen facilities.
Final Thoughts
I have no major
complaints, the only thing I did notice was the lack of
housekeeping. I only stayed for 2 nights so it wasn't really too bad.
However, in most hotels they clean your room every day if requested.
However, because this is an unmanned property you have to do the
cleaning yourself. I did read somewhere that if you stay for a week,
they will clean the room once a week. I managed to keep the place
really clean and tidy, so it wasn't really an issue for me. I was
happy with everything including the Wifi, which was free of charge. I
had a comfortable couple of nights at Go Native Camden, and I would
actually stay there again. I would recommend this place for people
who need a place to stay when visiting London for a a few days. It is
cheaper than central London hotels and apartments. It might not be in
central London but the transport links are good. It is only one stop
away from Kings Cross on the Piccadilly Line, and just a few more
stops away from Leicester Square. For the price I think it is steal!
Star rating>>>>>>>>>
Book Go Native by Clicking here >>>> Go Native
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