I'll be visiting my daughter 1/20-1/28 & would like to stay in Central London. I've contacted "London Perfect" to get their rates (I've stayed at Paris Perfect) for a studio or one bedroom apartment, but I've been frustrated with their lack of response. Two emails have gone unanswered. So, I'm now looking for other options. Any suggestions?

Thank you in advance!

Grace

It is the xmas period and many businesses in London have been shut over the last week so give them a bit of a break. If you havent heard from them this week definitely look elsewhere!

Is London Perfect affiliated with Paris Perfect anyways?

I thought they were affiliated because Paris Perfect promotes London Perfect in newsletters and on their website.

I emailed them starting in early November.

Try emailing Paris Perfect, if you haven't already, and ask what's up. In the meantime definitely expand your search. Airbnb is the first place I look, unless you want the assurances of an agency who have thoroughly vetted the listings. I've done well, though, on Airbnb.

Hmm - thats a long time to wait for a reply!

There are lots of threads here on London apartments - start with a search above and I bet you will get lots of ideas!

I personally wouldn't do either London perfect (on the pricey end -- but maybe they fit in your budget) nor airbnb (too iffy for my tastes). Some have had great experiences with airbnb but we've had too many close calls on here where folks have asked about a 'super' airbnb flat looks . . . and it is in some god forsaken corner of the city and not at all convenient to 'things'. Now, of course some agencies also exaggerate their 'lovely' locations, but I've seen more of that on airbnb - at least those posted here.

What is your actual budget?

"...but I've seen more of that on airbnb - at least those posted here."

Those of us perfectly happy with our Airbnb finds wouldn't have a reason to post them here. Like on the news, we hear mostly the bad news, when no doubt the good far outnumbers the bad. With Airbnb, as in life.

I'm sorry you haven't heard from London Perfect because I got an incredible deal from them last winter. A very good discount on a beautiful small apartment in a fabulous building and with a great location. I hope you hear from them.

They had discounts on their website last winter.

GraceCO: are you in the US? They have a toll free number on their website.

>>Those of us perfectly happy with our Airbnb finds wouldn't have a reason to post them here. <<

If you read my post -- it wasn't about good experiences w/ airbnb rentals - or bad ones for that matter. What I was referencing was when newbie London travelers post here asking for advice about some 'great' flat they are considering and what do we think of the neighborhood/safety/convenience. Very often they are not in the central/leafy/convenient area the owner describes.

"Very often they are not in the central/leafy/convenient area the owner describes."

Indeed, they're everywhere, something for everyone. Not everyone, new or otherwise, wants to be in city centers. There are maps with Streetview for each listing so one can see the neighborhoods perfectly well as well as ask here for opinions.

And my intent was to point out that those of us who actually use Airbnb on a regular basis do so because we've had excellent experiences and love the huge number of possibilities. If having an agency narrow the numbers (with consequent inflation of prices), then one might very understandably not want the work of weeding through the hundreds of offerings on the Airbnb site in cities. Again, something for everyone. And the whole point is to offer our personal experiences and give participants here more to think about, not less.

and you know London very well so wouldn't be misled like the average one or few-time London visitor. . . It is the others I worry about.

GraceCO -- we really do need your budget to give useful advice/recommendations.

Thanks everyone for your replies. As for budget, I'd like to stay under $2k for the week. I really love the Paris Perfect apartments--stayed there multiple times--so I'm hoping to connect with them.

tuscanlifeedit--I will call London Perfect if I don't get an email reply. Sent a message earlier today now that my dates are firmed up. May I ask what kind of discount you got?

I try to stay at apartments and they are glitchier in general than hotels, in my experience. Hard to find good ones, and I've tried in London, Paris, Amsterdam and Lyon. But as it happens I have a great one-bedroom flat to recommend in London:

http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/ren...n-zone-1/83393

Under $200 a night, in excellent shape, has washer/dryer, in Fitzrovia (on Fitzroy Street in fact), near plenty of shops and restaurants and a few Tube lines. The pictures on the site are accurate, and everything works. I've stayed there twice now.

OK - you are looking at a bit over £1200 -- it won't be hard to find a flat for that or less.

http://londonconnection.com has a few properties w/i your budget.

or check out these which are well under your budget http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~hamlet_uk/

Danlev--I wasn't quick enough. Your apartment suggestion was snatched up by someone else Appreciate your recommendation.

janisj--thank you for the London Connection link. Beautiful apartments!

I got a lovely reply from London Perfect. Hopeful. I have a few options now. Thank you danlev,janisj,tuscanlifefeedit, mmeperdu and jamikins for your help! It's greatly appreciated.

I'll report back.

Grace, don't know if you are checking today, but I just saw your question to me; sorry to be late in replying.

The discount we got was advertised on the website as a winter discount. I think it was 15% but it was at least a year ago when I made the reservation so I'm not going to swear to it.

Also can recommend London Connection, had great service from them. Nice that they are located in the US for planning/paying, and have staff on the ground in London. If you do wind up going with then, the car service they recommended to us (David Norman) was excellent.

Also had very good luck with www.ivyletings.com