Think Apartment Bermondsey

It was not too long ago (so I tell myself) that I was growing up in London, and fancied I knew the city like the back of my hand. Perhaps, if things had gone differently, I could have become a Hackney Carriage driver. That was not my path, however, and these days I find myself living abroad, further from home than ever. Forever a bit of a home bird, I still yearn to go back for the occasional visit, but sometimes the city I knew so well feels almost unrecognisable. It is amazing how your own home can be so full of surprises. Bermondsey, not too far from where I lived, has certainly changed. Where there stood a ramshackle row of derelict and dilapidated warehouses and wharves just forty years ago, there now stand some of London’s most upmarket properties. The biggest surprise for me was the sight of the Shard, brand new and rising majestically to point to the sky just off the end of Bermondsey Street.

It is in this up-and-coming, lively part of town that you can find the Think Apartments Bermondsey. Reflecting the bubbly, modern, cosmopolitan character of their surroundings, the apartments are contemporary and chic. Airy and spacious, with high-tech home comforts, a leather sofa, elegant wood panelling, crisp whites and eye-catching artwork, our home from home effortlessly blended style and comfort. The location certainly leaves nothing to be desired. Aside from the lively buzz of Bermondsey Street, it is within walking distance of the Thames, and all the famous monuments dotted along London’s skyline. On the same side as the Shard, it is just a short walk across the emblematic Tower Bridge to the Tower of London, which sits directly opposite and houses the legendary crown jewels.

The jewel in the crown of the Think Apartments, however, is not the location but the well-equipped little kitchen in the corner of the living room. This completely changes the dynamic of the stay. Despite the welcoming staff ready to cater for your every need 24 hours a day, you have all the privacy of your own residence. Exhausted from a day of crossing the city and trying to cram in as many of London’s brilliant sights as possible? Or perhaps from a day of wandering in and out of the department stores on Oxford Street, the extravagant designer shops on Bond Street or the chic boutiques in Covent Garden? No problem, just have a lie-in safe in the knowledge that you are not going to miss breakfast. Don’t fancy spending those infamous London prices on a good meal out every night? Again, it could not be easier to stock up on some of the produce available in the nearby Borough Market, London’s most renowned food market, and cook for yourself.

I should point out that the purpose of my visit was to show my partner, who comes from France and had never visited my city, the sights of London. She was certainly sceptical about the advantages of fish and chips and pub grub, but the combination of my English-style home cooking and the excellent restaurants dotted around just about won her over to British cuisine in the end. How I loved being a tourist in my own city once more. I found myself full of renewed enthusiasm and appreciation for the sights that I took for granted. The majestic Buckingham Palace, the breath-taking views from the London Eye, the history of places like the Tower of London, the culture of our many and wide-ranging museums, the beautiful skyline… Suddenly I understood why so many people dream of visiting the rainy, crowded town that I call home.

London is a town with so many different faces and so many different people. Upon hearing the city’s name, whether you instantly picture a lady taking high tea in a fancy palace, a beefeater guarding the Tower, a cockney cab driver rattling on in rhyming slang, or a bohemian wandering the streets of Camden, there is something for everyone. My whistle-stop tour of the city had filled me with pride for my own city and country, and I sat on the plane whistling ‘God Save the Queen’ all the way back home. Our stay at the Think Apartments Bermondsey had certainly allowed us to see the best of all that London has to offer, in outstanding comfort and convenience – my perfect home from home in my own home town!