The Nadler Victoria, London

In the dozen years I’ve lived in London, I suffered from a definite lack of space, especially when it comes to hosting friends and family from France. It was OK to roll out the inflatable mattress when I was 25, but now I wish I could offer something a little more substantial – a guest room would be nice. Unfortunately, adding a room to our 2-bed in Notting Hill isn’t on the cards. Instead, I have started compiling a list of cool and affordable hotels around London that I can recommend to my guests when they don’t fancy waking up on a deflated mattress.

I discovered Nadler hotels just before the Christmas holidays, when they invited me to stay at their newly opened Victoria property. Nadler hotels is a chain of smart luxury, design hotels at an affordable price. Real estate is pretty pricey in London, but Nadler hotels managed to keep the prices fairly low by cutting out the unnecessary expenses (restaurant, bar, spa) and focusing instead on top-notch service, guaranteeing no hidden extras to their guests. Think of it like an AirBnB property where you don’t have to cook, clean or make your bed! If you did want to cook, there is a little kitchenette in each room, so this is a win-win situation, really.

When I checked in, I was instantly taken by the friendly manner of the reception staff and the ease with which everything was handled. We were shown to our room (minimal and elegant) and left alone. I later met Robert Nadler himself who explained the concept further to me. Nadler group counts 4 hotels (3 in London, 1 in Liverpool) and it very much is a family affair. While his wife took charge of the interior concept, their son painted watercolours that are hanging in the rooms. To me this doubles the charm of the hotel!

Rooms from £120 per night – in Central London, it doesn’t really get any better than that.