Lexham Gardens by Cheval Maison

BACKGROUND

The Cheval Collection of serviced apartments includes both the Cheval Residences and Cheval Maison brands. In London, it has nine apartment locations and another three in Edinburgh. Lexham Gardens by Cheval Maison opened in June this year and is situated within two large stucco buildings (spanning numbers 32-38) dating from the 1870s and 1880s.

WHAT’S IT LIKE?

Reception is up a few steps in one of the blocks at the end of Lexham Gardens. It is stylish, in an anonymous sort of way, with large black-and-white photographic prints on the white walls, smart low-slung sofas and the reception with Covid-19 screens in place. Design is cool and elegant with high ceilings and art books on the shelves around the central fireplace. The staff were friendly, and offered to take us to the room

The apartments are very modern, but without seeming impersonal

and then provided a show-around. This is worth accepting since there are numerous appliances that need pointing out, although they were all fairly intuitive to use.

WHERE IS IT?

Lexham Gardens is equidistant to both Earl’s Court and Gloucester Road Underground stations (both on the Piccadilly line). A walk from either takes you away from the busy Cromwell Road into a quiet residential area, helped by the fact that the apartments are at the end of Lexham Gardens and so get very little through-traffic.

ROOMS

There are 30 apartments split between the “A” and “B” blocks, with either one or two bedrooms, spread across six floors. Not all rooms are directly accessed from the lifts because of the mezzanine floor, so there may be steps to negotiate: staff offered to help when we checked in.

The apartments look out either on to Lexham Gardens at the front or the newly constructed garden at the back. The rooms are all of a good size, although because of the nature of the conversion are different dimensions even in the same category. Deluxe one-bedroom apartments on the first floor range from 64 sqm to 76 sqm, while Luxury one-bedroom apartments on the lower ground floor are 51 sqm to 53 sqm. Superior one-bedroom apartments are on the lower ground and ground floors, and range from 49 sqm to 76 sqm. There are also three colour schemes: Racing Green, Luxurious Glamorous Red and Cool Neutral Equestrian. As you’d expect with them being brand new, all the apartments are very modern, but without seeming at all impersonal.

Our two-bedroom apartment was one of the equestrian-themed ones, which meant large black-and-white pictures of horses and a cooler colour scheme than the redand green-themed apartments. The beds were firm and very comfortable, and the soundproofing was excellent. There was a reasonable amount of wardrobe space, an iron/ironing board, a laptop-sized safe and, in the main room, a circular table with four chairs, a sofa bed and a large TV with the ability to stream content from your own device via Google Chromecast. There was a very well-equipped kitchen with a coffee maker, an oven, a washing machine and a dishwasher. For the two rooms there were also two bathrooms, both with good showers (both power- and rainshower), robes and high quality toiletries.

LEISURE

There is a fitness centre on the lower ground floor with equipment from Precor, including a treadmill, elliptical and stationary bike, and a landscaped atrium garden.

VERDICT

This is a super new addition to the Cheval Collection. Tom Otley

BEST FOR

Residential living in a lovely area of London with good transport connections

DON’T MISS

Exploring the cobbled mews streets and grander stucco blocks on the way up to High Street Kensington and Hyde Park

PRICE

Internet rates for a flexible midweek stay in November started from US$340 for a Superior one-bedroom apartment

CONTACT

32 Lexham Gardens; chevalcollection.com