BACKGROUND
The Rosebery is the third property from London serviced apartment company Supercity. It opened in late 2012 (see news, December 2012).
Supercity's two other properties, Templeton Place and Nevern Place, are both in Earl's Court.
WHAT'S IT LIKE?
A smart brick building that sits among, for the most part, Victorian-era surroundings on the tree-lined Rosebery Avenue.
Inside, on the ground floor, is a small reception area and an adjacent wine bar that serves food and is open from 1100 until 2100 on weekdays and between 0930 and 1600 on Saturdays. Reception is manned 24 hours per day.
The 58 air-conditioned apartments are found on floors one to five and are a mixture of studios, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units, with "premier" apartments available in each category.
Modern and sleek in design, they each feature free wifi, a fully-equipped kitchen, king-size bed, flatscreen television, iPhone docks, and a secure entry system.
Some apartments have views out over the City, including of landmarks such as St Paul's, the Shard and the Gherkin.
WHERE IS IT?
In Clerkenwell, on Rosebery Avenue near Royal Mail's Mount Pleasant sorting office.
Rosebery Avenue connects Angel with Holborn and has numerous bus routes running along it. Angel, Farringdon and Chancery Lane tube stations are all within walking distance.
ROOM FACILITIES
I was staying in apartment 506, a private suite on the fifth floor.
On entering, you walk into a spacious hallway with a small three-shelf storage alcove and a large cupboard containing an iron/ironing board and plenty of room for further storage.
The hall leads towards a bedroom on the right, a bathroom ahead, and a living room/kitchen area on the left.
The open-plan living room/kitchen is spacious and bright, with a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows with light brown blinds. These proved ineffective in blocking out the late afternoon sunshine that filled the room on my arrival, so it was hot.
Unfortunately, the air conditioning proved similarly ineffective, although it did cool down the bedroom a touch. The morning after my mid-May stay, I asked reception why it didn't seem to be working and was told that the "system" had yet to be changed to summer and could therefore only lower the temperature to a certain point.
It is likely that if I had spent the whole evening in the apartment (prior to sleeping), I would have phoned reception and this would have been immediately remedied.
This aside, the living room/kitchen was a relaxing place to sit and cook a meal. It offered a good view north over Rosebery Avenue and the buildings opposite.
In front of an exposed brick wall was a comfortable grey sofa and coffee table, while a round kitchen table with four chairs was in one corner. A Philips television, a Bush iPhone dock, a wireless telephone and a lamp were on a table opposite the sofa.
Kitchen facilities included an oven, fridge, hob cooker, crockery and cutlery, a Nespresso machine, toaster, washing machine, dishwasher and kettle. In the (large) fridge, was a pint of milk and two small bottles of water.
The bedroom offered the most spectacular view - over the City, including the aforementioned landmarks.
One bedroom suite
A comfortable double bed with a cushioned dark brown headrest was in the middle. On each side of the bed was a table with a lamp and two plug sockets.
A large wardrobe contained a hairdryer and safe, with a mirror attached to the inside of the left-hand door.
The bathroom had a large square white sink and Gilchrist & Soames products (shower gel, shampoo and conditioner).
The shower was in the bathtub and had a fixed showerhead. It proved difficult to prevent water from the shower from forming a large puddle on the bathroom floor. However, as I only stayed one night, perhaps I didn't get the knack of how best to use it.
At the end of the shower was a heated towelling rail.
An electronic control panel was on the wall at the entrance to the kitchen/living room. It controlled the air conditioning, lights in every room, a concierge button and information on local supermarkets andf takeaways. It also had a video of the building's front door entrance and a buzzer to let guests in.
There is a weekly maid service and a dry cleaning service.
RESTAURANTS AND BARS
A coffee lounge/wine bar called .IT Wine Bar & Café is adjacent to the downstairs reception area.
BUSINESS AND MEETING FACILITIES
None
LEISURE FACILITIES
There is a fitness centre in the basement that is open 24 hours per day and contains Bodymax and Kaiser equipment.
VERDICT
A smart building of self-service apartments located in a (relatively) quiet area of central London. The Rosebery's small, welcoming reception area and the well-equipped and comfortable apartment itself made the stay feel more home-from-home than hotel.
FACT FILE
- HOW MANY ROOMS? 58
- HIGHLIGHTS The quiet, spacious apartment and the spectacular view of the City.
- PRICE The minimum stay is seven nights and rates in mid-August started from £180 per midweek night and £144 per weekend night.
- CONTACT The Rosebery, 20 Rosebery Avenue, London, EC1R 4SX; tel. +44 (0)20 7837 4400; supercityuk.com
Graham Smith
