Hotel: Cheval Group of Service Apartments

Address: Cheval Place, S.W.7.

Website: chevalgroup.com

TraveLife Ranking: Three Plus Star to Five Star (Depending on where you stay)

Rooms: 275 apartments

Room rates: Starting from $200 a night – prices based on a per-week rate

Highlights: The biggest complaint TraveLife hears from readers planning a holiday trip to London is “we just can’t afford to pay that city’s astronomical hotel prices.” There are options, of course – like park benches or youth hostels, neither of which is appealing to family travelers. And then there’s the Cheval Group, a company that takes the sting out of London accommodation with a series of mid-to-high-end apartment complexes spread throughout the British capital. These apartment/hotels are the latest trend in London, a city where $600 a night hotel rooms are the new normal. Cheval offers well appointed apartments starting as low as $200 a night and each is comfortable and well situated near London’s most popular attractions. TraveLife has tested two of the Cheval Group’s inventory – the amazing Gloucester Park apartments in exclusive South Kensington and the charming Phoenix House off ‘hip’ Sloane Street, not far from Harrods and London’s other fine shops. To stay at Gloucester Park is like playing the Palace. This upscale complex is suited for business and diplomatic types and offers the best of everything. And the prices reflect its upscale status – about $2,000 a week and you have to book it for a minimum of 90 days. Like we said, this is suited for the corporate elite. What makes Cheval so appealing to ordinary travelers, though, is its price range. For instance, the groovy Phoenix House rents for just $250 a night, or about $400 less a night than the chic hotels surrounding it. While Gloucester Park is the ultimate in London apartment stays, Phoenix House is the place we found more like home. Its 33 apartments, including eight duplexes, are all individually designed and come packed with every up-to-date gadget known to travelers. These apartments are perfect for families traveling together and some can sleep up to six people. The Cheval Apartments across the street from Harrods in trendy Knightsbridge and Calico House, located in a quite courtyard in the heart of London, are also part of the Cheval stable of fine apartments.

History: Cheval Group is almost 25 years old – its first property, Cheval Apartments, opened in 1982 in Cheval Place and the company’s name was adopted from the first complex. Many of the apartments that now make up the Cheval Group are historic properties themselves – Phoenix House is close to Sloane Square where many of London’s historic characters once hung out.

Interior highlights: Although the price range differs, the quality of Cheval Apartments remains the same. All come with five-star luxury items and one, Phoenix House, was refurbished by Fox Linton Associates, the designers of exclusive One Aldwych Hotel where room rates start around $600 a night. Phoenix House is a grouping of old London town homes that have been combined to make one great apartment/hotel complex. The classic, clean lines of each Phoenix suite compliments the expensive fabrics used to soften the look and feel. Some suites feature the homes’ original octagonal windows and that makes for a nice architectural change of pace. Some suites at Phoenix House are two stories in size. Gloucester Park is first class-plus in every way. The spacious executive apartments come with en-suite bedrooms, study areas, fully-equipped kitchens and a dining area fit to entertain the Queen. Gloucester Park is close to the financial and legal districts, accounting for its popularity with the business crowd. Gloucester Park, which has 100 one, two and three bedroom apartments, is continuously being upgraded. As one guest mentioned the last time TraveLife stayed there, “touching this place up is like touching up a Monet.” Touché! The Cheval Apartments off Knightsbridge and Calico House fall under the “neighborhood” accommodation title. The Cheval Apartments are quaint town homes that are spacious and suited more for families. Being so close to London’s shopping, financial and legal districts, the Cheval Apartments are also well suited to business groups. Calico House offers 45 apartments – 11 of which are brand new – and may be the best value of the lot, with per night prices starting around $200 and weekly rates of around $1,500 – or about one night’s stay at the nearby posh Mandarin Oriental Hotel.

In the next room: Each Cheval Apartment has its own unique clientele. Don’t be surprised if you bump into a titan of industry or well known political figure at Gloucester Park and Phoenix House, because of its close proximity to London’s shopping district, has become a favorite with the fashion crowd, especially during the city’s Fashion Week. Calico House and the Cheval Apartments’ guests are more likely to be families like yours, all enjoying the comforts of home.

The rooms: Depending on where you stay, the rooms are either lavish (Gloucester Park), to funky and modern (Phoenix House), to homey (Calico House and Cheval Apartments). No matter which complex you decide to stay in, though, each apartment stays true to Cheval’s commitment to bathe its guests in top quality linens, decorations and all other creature comforts. Each apartment is spacious and offers plenty of room for families to “chill” out after a day of walking London’s historic streets.

Amenities: Aveda toiletries; Bang & Olufsen televisions; built in DVD and CD players; Bose speakers; wireless Internet connections; Frette satin/cotton sheets; maid service; 24-hour concierge (Gloucester Park); top of the line security systems – hopefully by now you get the idea that Cheval Group supplies the best of amenities for its clients.

Restaurants: Who needs a restaurant when you have fully-equipped kitchens and dining areas where meals can be prepared in comfort? TraveLife readers all agree that after accommodation, meals are the second most expensive item in London. Example: A hotel breakfast can cost up to $50 - each! The Cheval apartments come with a welcome basket of organic foods and drink. That tides guests over until they can get to a neighborhood food store to stock up. One of the great advantages of these apartments is you can visit one of London’s famed markets (Borough Market in the East End was our favorite) where you can purchase local delicacies and cheeses and bring them back to your apartment to enjoy. The Cheval apartments also allow families, who live a hectic lifestyle at home, to come together for meals and share highlights of their trip – a feature kids love, we are told.

Shopping: Suffice to say, whatever you need – clothes, groceries, souvenirs, trinkets, art – is close to each Cheval apartment. The Cheval Apartments and Phoenix House are in easy walking distance of Sloane Square and Knightsbridge. Phoenix House, for example, is right across the street from the Chloe boutique and within easy walking distance of Tiffany & Co.’s new flagship store.

Close By London is a city of history and most of its top attractions are within walking distance of the Cheval Group’s apartments. For those sites that aren’t, a short “tube” (subway) ride will bring you right to their door. As mentioned earlier, London’s shopping districts are within easy reach of each apartment and art galleries, London’s theatre district, fabulous museums and squares are all close by as well.

Tips: London is pricing itself out of business with “regular” travelers but the Cheval Apartments still gives North Americans a chance to see one of the truly great cities in the world. Phoenix House and Cheval Apartments would be our choice if you want to be in the heart of London’s non-stop action. To get a taste of local life, may we suggest the very affordable Calico House. Although the weekly rates appear to be a bit high, when you start inquiring about rates at “3-star hotels” we think you’ll agree Cheval offers the much better value. If you stay at the Phoenix House, make sure you stop by our favorite Indian restaurant in London, Amaya. It’s located in the heart of Knightsbridge in Halkin Arcade, Motcomb St., a short walk from the Phoenix. Call 020 7823 1166 for reservations.