|
Current TUG Rating = 8.00
Review last updated : 3rd September 2004
General Resort Information
RCI resort description:
The Allen House Club is a fine example of an Edwardian mansion house situated in the
heart of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London's famous stores, theatres and
specialty restaurants are all close at hand. The apartments are ideal for family or
business use, with a fully staffed reception.
Nearest Airport: London Heathrow 17 miles
(27 kms)
Members Help
Members who are willing to answer questions via email. (Before e-mailing your
questions, please read the reviews and comments in the 'Our members say' section below.)
Pictures of Resort
Below are direct links to other Web Sites with information on this resort. PLEASE NOTE
by clicking on these direct links you will be actually going to these Web Sites. REMEMBER
to hit "BACK" on your browser to return to this TUG page.
Our members say:
Date of visit: July 2004
I am an owner at Allen House. I bought it based upon the TUG Reviews, which
turned out to be quite accurate. The first and best thing about this resort
is its location. It is a block and a half walk from the High Street
Kensington tube stop. A half block off Kensington, it is quiet enough to
leave the windows open at night to sleep (and Kensington St. itself folds in
the sidewalks at about 11:30 pm). There is a Starbucks across the street, and
an Easy Internet Café around the corner. Also a half block from a Safeway,
and a block and a half from a Marks & Spencer food store, so it is easy to
take care of all the essentials from this location.
That’s good, because London is expensive. I’m not talking “tighten the belt”
expensive. I’m talking “mortgage the house, car and kids” expensive. At the
time of my visit, the weak dollar made it worse. If you eat out, an average
breakfast (pub breakfast) was about £10 ($20)/person, lunch was about £17.50
($35)/person and casual dinner was about £30 ($60)/person. You could eat at
McDonald’s, which is also about a block away, for about £7.95 ($15)/person,
but what a waste it is to go to London and eat in McDonald’s. So, eating in
the room a lot makes London a bit more affordable, and you can still eat
English foods, like crumpets, scones, tea and the like.
The rooms at the Allen House are small. About average size for a small flat
in a major city, still this was about the smallest 1-br. timeshare in which I
have ever stayed. The rooms were very well maintained, however, and the
furniture was quality and not more than about a year or two old. They were
decorated in almost a Beatrix-Potter type scheme, and were quite homey. The
living/dining room had a dining table that sat 6, a sofa and chair, and a
television that got an adequate number of stations, thanks to the satellite
reception. The king size bed in the bedroom took up almost the entire room,
with about 2 feet on each side between the bed and the wall, and about 4 feet
at the end between the bed and the dresser. It was quite comfortable. The
sofa bed, however, was not, until you took the mattress off the frame and put
it onto the floor. Then it became acceptable. There were blackout curtains
in all of the rooms, so you could sleep as late as you wanted.
The kitchen was a small, galley-type kitchen with an all-white scheme. It had
a cook top and oven, microwave, dishwasher, refrigerator/freezer, toaster, hot
water maker and coffee maker, and adequate pots, pans, cooking utensils,
dishes and glasses for 4. There was also a small, round dining table in the
kitchen, which we never used. The kitchen also came stocked with coffee, tea,
creamer, sugar and sweetener, and with paper towels, washing powder, dish
soap, sponge and scouring pads. Essentially everything you would need for the
week, but would not want to buy at the nearby Safeway.
There was also a room next to the front door (more like a closet) which was
always extremely hot. I called it the “hot room.” It had a huge
Tupperware-type tub on a high shelf that held the water for the unit, although
I did not really see much other use for it. It also had a broom, dustpan,
ironing board and iron, and a drying rack for clothes. I found this latter
quite useful. I did not get used to the British style washer/dryer units
(there was one in the kitchen) which never seemed to get the clothes all the
way dry. Rather, they would always come out hot and wet. So, they then had
to be hung up for a couple of days to dry (in the humid London air, it took
about 2 days for my clothes to dry after they came out of the dryer). About
3-4 days into my trip, I figured that I could set up the drying rack in the
hot room, hang my clothes on it at night, and they would be completely dry by
the next morning.
I later asked the staff whether they ever got any complaints about the
washer/dryers, and they told me, “Only from the Americans.” There was a
similar washer/dryer unit at the resort where I stayed in Scotland, so it’s
got to be a cultural thing.
The bathrooms were well kept, with a shower/bathtub with high sides
(apparently, this style is common throughout Europe and the U.K. The shower
had the typical sprayer attachment that I found in all of the European and
U.K. resorts, but there was also a traditional, American-style showerhead.
My friend who stayed with me insisted that I note in this review that the
water pressure coming out of the shower was low, but I did not notice
that. There was a heated towel rack that went on when you turned on the
bathroom light. There were a few bars of hand soap, but no shampoo or
conditioner. I later bought a bar of bath soap from the “Lush Life” store
that was about a block and a half away. Towels were thick and plush, and were
changed once during the week at no charge. There was no other maid service
during the week, except for a fee, but the room was spotless when I checked
in.
Like many places in London, my Allen House unit had a heater, but no
a/c. That wasn’t a problem, as temperatures were quite moderate during my
entire stay.
My unit was on the top floor, which meant I had to use the elevator (the
stairs did not go all the way up). While the rooms were only small, the
elevator was positively microscopic. The three of us (two 200-lb. men and one
105-lb. woman) barely fit, and we almost maxed out the 300-kg. maximum weight
capacity. When we got there, we had to send one person up with half the
luggage, unload it, send the elevator back down for the other half of the
luggage, and then send up the remaining two of us on a third trip. The
elevator was also slow.
The front door of the Allen House locks automatically, so you need a key to
get in at all times. I arrived on a Saturday evening, but there is an onsite
bellman (who apparently lives there) who was able to open the door and check
me in. There is underground parking available for a hefty price. But, as
someone who drives on the right side of the road, I decided to spare the
English from the horrors of my trying to drive on the left in a crowded, busy
city. So, I used the tube and did not get a car.
The London Underground is one of the worse (but not the worst) subway systems
in the world. As one of the earliest to be built, often the trains break down
and signs are always up in all of the stations announcing that one or two
lines are under repair and not running for the day. It is also one of the
more expensive systems, costing about $4 a ride or $10 for unlimited rides on
the Underground and buses during the off-hours in a day if you stay just in
the centre of the city. Still, as a tourist, it got me everywhere I wanted to
go in a reasonable amount of time with only a couple of transfers on each
ride.
Near to the Allen House (about 5 blocks) is Kensington Gardens and Kensington
Palace, the home of Princess Diana while she was separated from Charles. The
gardens are spectacular, particularly a hidden garden with fountains near the
palace. Also in the park is The Orangery Restaurant, which is an all-white
building with Greek Columns that is a perfect setting for a traditional tea
(about $20 or so).
One new tourist attraction I visited this trip was the London Eye:
essentially, a 20-story high Ferris Wheel over the Thames where you are in a
Plexiglas bubble with the opportunity to take some fabulous shots of
Parliament, Big Ben, the Thames and its bridges, and London as a whole. It
takes about 40 minutes, and is worth the time (unless you are afraid of
heights).
One night I went to Zaika, which is one of the better (according to some, the
best) Indian restaurants in town. It is just about four blocks from the Allen
House, at 1 Kensington Street. Not cheap, about £50 ($100)/person [ without
wine. But it was probably the best meal I had while I was there.
The staff at Allen House is very nice, and quite accommodating. They offered
suggestions on dining and transportation options, and were quite
friendly. The maids, as well, were extremely friendly and did a good
job. There were no maintenance issues, so I can't comment on efficiency of
addressing problems.
There was a £15 energy fee on checkout, as is now apparently the norm for all
European and U.K. timeshares. However, other than that, there were no
additional fees.
In all, this timeshare gets points for location, condition of the unit,
friendliness of the staff, and all of the amenities. Points off for the small
elevator and the energy charge. I give this one a 9.
STEVE HOCHFELSON
Date of visit: September 2002
I am a new owner at Allen House, purchased through a broker, site unseen.
I couldn't be more pleased with Allen House. I have a 2 Bedroom 2, Bath
flat with was clean, quiet and with a well equipped kitchen which included all
the usual amenities (including a washer/dryer combo). The building was
well maintained, the staff
absolutely wonderful and the area is perfect. The High Street tube station
is an easy two block walk, there are lots of restaurants and 2 grocery stores
within a five minute walk from the building. Check in and check out was
accomplished in less than 5 minutes. I can't wait to return. This is
really a residential apartment building with no
planned activities, but it is so convenient and so comfortable, I give it a 9.
PEGGY DUPONT (Owner)
Date of visit: February 2002
Check-in was a breeze: a gentleman opened the locked entrance door,
requested a £5 key deposit and handed us our keys. We did not see management
until we paid for our electric and checked out. Prior to arriving we contacted
the Allen House and requested a coffee maker and hair dryer and they were in our
unit when we arrived.
Our one bedroom unit entered into a foyer. Off of the foyer are three rooms: the
bathroom, bedroom and living area. The bedroom had a very firm king size bed
(made up of two twin beds), a vanity, end tables and built-in closet/storage.
There was no TV in the bedroom. In the living area was a double size sofa bed,
chair, coffee table, two end tables, small TV, small dining area and kitchen.
The tiny, full kitchen included a washer/dryer. Tupperware and juice containers
are not provided. Hand dishwashing liquid, salt, pepper and some teas are
provided. The entire unit was very clean.
As in other city timeshares, there were no resort activities.
The tube station, supermarket, restaurants, post office, shopping, internet café,
bank/money exchange are all a short walk away.
The one bedroom unit is an average 7 but its location is a 10. We would stay
here again but in a larger unit.
KAREN HARTY
Date of visit: June 2001
As new owners at the Allen House, we were very pleased with our unit.
It was nicely furnished and was a great place to stay in London. We own a
three-bedroom unit. The master bedroom is large with a queen bed, ample
closet space and a private bathroom. The second bedroom has twin beds and
a wardrobe closet. The third bedroom is quite small and contains bunk beds
and a wardrobe closet, and not much room for anything else. Very small,
better suited to children. There is a newly refurbished bathroom to be
shared by
those not in the master bedroom.
The living room/dining area was well furnished with a sleeper sofa (unit will
actually sleep 8), two comfortable chairs, a TV with cable, a dining table and
chairs. The kitchen is large and well stocked with dishes, cookware, etc.
There is a dishwasher, a washer/dryer combo, refrigerator/freezer, microwave,
stove/oven, electric teakettle, kitchen table and chairs. There are some
tea bags, instant coffee, etc. furnished but not enough to last all week.
There is a Sainsbury grocery store close by on High Street Kensington; it was
closed for renovation when we were there, but it has since reopened. There
is also a wonderful food hall at the Marks & Spencer store at the High
Street Kensington underground station.
It carries all the grocery items you will need for the week (wish there was an
M&S in my neighbourhood back home!!) There is a great pub just down
Allen Street called the Britannia; good fish & chips and air-conditioned.
There are several restaurants on High Street Kens., as well as an Easy
Everything internet café.
The Allen House is located on Allen Street, just of High Street Kensington.
It is less than a five-minute walk to the underground station and a ten-minute
walk from Kensington Palace. A very nice location in a nice neighborhood.
We were there in June and they were having a heat wave. While the
underground was unbearably hot, we were comfortable at the Allen House without
air-conditioning. There is a charge for electricity based on the size unit
you have. For the three bedroom unit, I believe it was about £35 for the
week.
The staff is very accommodating, friendly and helpful. There are no
planned activities at the Allen House - London has enough to offer on it's own.
One work of warning; we just received an assessment for painting of the exterior
of the building and the entrance hall so if you plan to visit in 2002, there may
be scaffolding on the building. And the only elevator at the Allen House is
about 3' x 3' the smallest I've ever
Feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions.
KAY BLACK
Date of visit: September 2000
My husband and 2 friends stayed at the Allen House from
23/9/00 - 30/9/00. The location and condition of the resort is excellent.
Just a few short blocks of the Kensington High tube. It's also
approximately 6 blocks to Kensington Gardens and Palace. The resort staff is very
friendly and helpful. Especially, Julie who helped us
book tours and events. We stayed in unit 14 which is a 2 bedroom and 2 bath.
The only drawback was that the second bedroom had bunk beds. The
other 2 bedroom unit has twin beds in the second bedroom but only 1 bath. The
2 baths were a must for us with 4 people. The unit was spacious and modernised.
We had a microwave, dishwasher and washer and dryer. The dryer does not
completely dry the clothes and we were told this beforehand. They supply paper
towels, dish and laundry detergent. We asked for a coffee pot and one was
brought up immediately. We had a few cable TV problems but they were fixed
promptly.
There are 3 restaurants within walking distance that we would highly recommend.
The Kensington Tandoori (Indian), The Blue Lagoon (Thai) and Wodka (Polish) -
this restaurant was recommended in several travel books - and they were so right.
They also make their own vodka. We went to the Strand Theatre to see
"Buddy". This was an excellent musical about Buddy Holly.
You can get half price theatre tickets only at the centre kiosk at Leicester
Square. Don't buy them anywhere else that says half-price tickets because you may
get ripped off.
We flew into Heathrow and took the Heathrow Express to and from Paddington Station.
On your return, you're able to check your luggage in at your respective airline at
Paddington Station. This enables you to avoid the lines at the airport.
We would definitely return to this resort and we give it a rating of 9.
NANCY GIBSON
Date of visit: November 1999
We stayed in a refurbished unit at Allen House during our
most recent visit. Aside from new curtains and paint, the greatest improvements are
to the kitchen. They now include a full-sized refrigerator and freezer which
operates quite nicely. In addition, there is now a compact dishwasher. You
will also find (in a refurbished unit) a washer/dryer -- in one machine! Rather
unique by American standards but it works quite well and allows packing lighter.
The bathroom has been updated as well with nice white tile and good bright lighting.
The old hand-held showers have been replaced with a wall-mounted shower which,
while different from American plumbing, works fine. By the way, the English bathtubs
are wonderful - deep, long and just marvellous for a good soak after a busy day in London.
Don't forget your best bubble bath!
A pre-paid phone card is a good idea for any international calling you might need to do.
I used one from MCI (along with the page of instructions for international access)
and was able to call back to the States for about $.24/minute. By the way, the phone
book in the unit even shows seating plans for London theatres, making any
telephone bookings quite easy.
We own a one-bedroom unit which is quite comfortable for two. When we go with our
two children, we've decided to pay the extra £300 (about $500) to upgrade to a
two-bedroom unit. This needs to be arranged with the resort as far in advance as
possible. (I understand that the sleeper couch is not super comfortable.)
We purchased one-week travel cards, zones 1 & 2, for about $26 each. You'll need
a passport-sized photo for the photocard. The best thing about having a travel card
is not waiting in any lines to purchase individual tickets. You can buy it right at
the High Street Kensington station, around the corner from the Allen House.
Getting from the airport(s) takes some doing. We arrived at Heathrow this time after
a terrific flight on British Airways (highly recommended)! We took the Airbus and
purchased roundtrip tickets. Then from Notting Hill Gate stop, we caught a cab
(because of the suitcases) to the Allen House. With cab fares, it ended up costing
over $65 for two of us to get to the airport and back. If we hadn't purchased return
Airbus tickets, we could have taken advantage of a good taxi fare to the airport, instead
of waiting 40 minutes for the next Airbus. If you fly into Gatwick, there's a train
every 15 minutes to Victoria station, and it's easy to get a cab from there to Allen
House. I wouldn't recommend taking the Tube with luggage of any size - there are a
surprising number of steps and trains can be crowded.
Allen House is a terrific base for enjoying London. Comfortable, quiet, yet quite
close to everything you'll want to do.
Date of visit: October 1999
We were planning to arrive a day late, so we called Allen
House, and they arranged to have the porter have our keys for us. The office is only
open from 8:00AM to 6:30PM, and closed on Sundays.
Our apartment was a 1bdrm with a full kitchen including a washer/dryer. The kitchen
was stocked with several days' worth of Nescafe and tea. As is common in Europe,
there is no outlet for a hair dryer in the bathroom, you must use it in the bedroom.
Since you need a 220-watt dryer, the resort will loan you one if you do not have
one. In addition to the double bed in the bedroom, there was a sofa bed in the
living room, and plenty of linens and pillows. There were actually two sofas in the
living room, in addition to a dining table and four chairs. The unit was very
comfortable.
What didn't it have that we are used to? Washcloths, dishcloth, Kleenex, dish soap,
laundry soap. We brought washcloths and handiwipes (thanks to a friend).
Everything else was easily obtainable from Safeway, which was two blocks away on
Kensington High. There is also a grocery store in Marks & Spencer near the
underground.
It has many gourmet items, and a lot of prepared foods to "take away." We got
roasted chicken and salad there one night, and cheese.
Allen House is more an apartment building than a hotel, resort, etc. Its location is
very convenient, several doors from Kensington High Street and three short blocks from the
Underground station of the same name.
In addition to the grocery stores, there is a Chemist (Pharmacy) about a block the other
way, as well as a news store with magazines. The post office is three or four blocks
away, and you can access the Internet in the basement of the local library (for a fee).
Its less than a half a mile, and Julie in reception can point you the right
direction on that.
The "hop on, hop off" type bus stops a couple of blocks away, and is the best
way to see everything.
Being an urban timeshare, there were no planned activities, nor were there any children's
programs. The reception staff was available to answer our questions and book tours.
In fact, once Julie even called her mum to ask for advice on something we needed to
know. Now that's really above and beyond, if you ask me!
Would we stay there again? In a minute. I got this exchange from SFX.
FERN MODENA
Date of visit: July 1999
As all the others have said, this very nice building has an excellent location in a safe,
comfortable neighbourhood. I found an excellent grocery store, Marks and
Spencer. It is next to the Kensington High Street Tube stop, and is on the lower
level. On
the upper level is a clothing type store. Two good restaurants with in walking distance
are the Phoenician, a mid-eastern restaurant one block away, and Ffiona's, 51 Kensington
Church Rd., next to the Laundromat. Its small and excellent.
JUDY HARAN
Date of visit :May 1999
OK - You've seen the other reviews - this is a fab place to stay in London. They do
rent these units out by the week also - £910 per week in 1999 for a one bedroom. I am an
owner at Allen House and love it. I'll give you the nitty gritty on the place.
Location: It is exactly one building away from being on the corner of Allen Street
and Kensington High Street on the east side of Allen St. It is 5 stories tall. The grocery
store nearby is a small (by US standards) Safeway located 1 block away exactly on the
northeast corner of K. High St. and Argyll Rd. The bus stop is one-half block away. The
tube stop, High St. Kensington stop is 3 blocks away.
Bring your own washcloths - European resorts do not furnish them. All other linens
are provided. Naturally there is a utility charge. Staff is great, building is secure and
unusually quiet for such an old building. Units are small but efficient.
Unless you plan on doing some odd venturing in London, buy only the travelcard for
zone 1 - otherwise you waste money. It is good for both busses and tube. Take a day trip
to Windsor - its not to be missed.
Units are clean and equipment is modern and maintained well. Kitchen includes hob
w/4 burners, microwave, oven, coffee maker, small refrigerator with tiny freezer. Bath:
Tub w/shower, loo and European sink with shaver point. Note: most European resorts do NOT
have electrical outlets in bath other than shaver point. Other appliances will not work in
shaver point. We picked up a long extension cord in London so I can do my blow dryer and
curl iron where the mirror and light is. Have fun!!
Date of visit: March 1999
Location is excellent for those wishing to visit London but don't expect luxury. It's a
large townhouse in the Kensington section -- if you take a car in you must take it four or
five bocks away to park. The apartments are remade and cut-up but if you only spending
time sleeping it is fine. They seem always to have rental units available at a very high
rate (a - bedroom rented for about $300 per night or 172 British pounds).
There are virtually no services. Your key opens the front door and there is a very
very tiny elevator that hardly holds a large suitcase and one person.
I once inquired about buying a unit here but found that it is on a leasehold basis
and it expires within ten years -- didn't verify it.
In balance, we should have stayed in a hotel near Gatwick airport rather than going
into London for a short stay here.
Furnishings obviously needed replacement as they all showed
their age. Would try another London facility next time.
Date of visit: September 1988
The first thing that impressed us about The Allen House was it's location. Which is a
short walk from Kensington/High Street Underground Station. Not knowing anything about
London this is a great area for shopping and dining. Kensington Station is an easy ride to
all the major attractions in London.
THE UNIT: Check-in was more than adequate, we arrived early and they accommodated us
as soon as they could, including providing us with a 220 volt hairdryer knowing we weren't
from Europe. We stayed in a one-bedroom unit (the tower) on the top floor. We were more
than pleased with the apartment, it had plenty of room for 2, was well equipped, and
clean. You have to get used to European bathrooms because the sink has 2 separate faucets
for hot and cold and the shower head is only hand-held. The apartment was very secure
including visual intercom system to open the outside door. There was a TV in the living
room with many viewing choices (although a little confusing to operate). The kitchen was
adequate however only used for morning coffee.
Overall a very nice unit and we were very pleased with our trade. With so much to do
in London we can't begin to give any suggestions, its a great city. It's clean, friendly,
and easy to get around without a car (as long as you know which way to look when crossing
the street!)
Date of visit: August 1997
We stayed at the Allen House during the first week of August, 1997. The location is great!
It's just a short walk from the High Street/Kensington Tube stop. We bought a visitors
travel pass through our travel agent before leaving the US for $53 for the week, and used
the tube and busses to travel all over London. We even used the tube to get from the
airport to our condo
The Allen House is a beautiful, well-maintained, well-furnished old building. The
staff is friendly, efficient, helpful, and stress security. Our suite was a one bedroom
with a pull-out sleeper in the living room. There were four adults and we had plenty of
room. The only problem with four adults was that all of the closets and drawers were in
the bedroom, so those sleeping in the living room had to take out their clothes the night
before so as not to disturb the bedroom sleepers. Also, to get to the kitchen area, you
had to go through the living room which can disturb anyone sleeping there. The other two
adults were our son and his wife, and they did not seem to mind the inconvenience of our
walking through their room to get to the kitchen, or their having their clothes in our
bedroom.
The kitchen had a small table and chairs, and a door so we could enjoy a quiet cup
of coffee in the morning before our son and daughter-in-law woke up. After they woke, we
sat together at the dining table in the living room and had breakfast. The supermarket is
only a block away from the condo so getting breakfast foods and snacks was easy. Lunches
and dinners were eaten out.
The bathroom was in the hallway, so everyone had easy access to it without invading
anyone else's sleeping space. Towels were provided at arrival and changed mid-week. There
was a charge for additional changes of towels or linens. Housekeeping services are not
provided, but can be arranged for a fee.
The unit we had was on the first floor, and for security reasons, the windows were
only able to be opened about six inches from the bottom. There also was no air
conditioning, screens or fans, and we had unusually hot weather that week for two days. We
managed to survive and would go back again.
Date of visit: March 1996
Just returned from 10 days in London. Spent one week at the Allen House. Location was
excellent for all the touristy things we did all week. The Allen House has approximately
50 units from 1-2-3 bedrooms. We had a one-bedroom on the fourth floor overlooking Allen
Street. Unit consisted of a small kitchen "fully" furnished with every cooking
utensil needed, a living/dining room with cable TV, a rather large bedroom with double
twin beds made into a king. Lots of closet/storage type space in the bedroom. Bathroom
came with towel heater racks. The foyer had a closet complete with ironing boards and
vacuums.
We were approximately 200 feet south of High Street Kensington Road with bus stops
left and right of us. One street over was the general grocery store which made food
shopping easy. Two streets over at the Kensington Close Hotel, was one of the stops for
the all day and out of town tour buses. Also one more block over was the High Street
Kensington tube stop. Very convenient as it was part of the Circle Line Tube. With that
location, all that is needed is the Zone One travel card for the public transportation.
Never needed a cab, we were able to travel everywhere using public buses and the tube.
A good investment was the "London for Less" card. Pretty much the same as
our Entertainment Books are here in the States. We signed up for an extra 4 day card, and
definitely got our money out of it. Went to three of the themed dinner theatre shows,
saved 25% just on the meals and entertainment. Also got good discounts on museums and
attractions and shopping and even meals/drinks in the pubs and even on the tours.
The Allen House is currently undergoing renovation--i.e. getting the interior
painted and probably new carpet after that. Had to keep dodging wet paint, and the
elevator (lift) was down a couple of days. Furniture was a bit worn, but the blankets were
warm and the pillows soft. Didn't spend a whole lot of time in the unit as we were out and
about most of the day. Compared to spending 200 pounds a night at the neighbourhood hotel
(when the exchange rate was $1.64 a pound) we were quite pleased and probably had more
room and amenities to show for it. Location, Location, Location.
Was not able to get lower airfare by using II, but did arrange with Northwest
Airlines a two night B&B package which bought their airfare down to $416 RT from
Detroit.
The Allen House didn't really provide any special services, it acted more like a
hotel set-up. But then again, London is not a place where you travel to just veg out.
Museums, parks, shopping, movies, pubs... were all within easy walking distance.
During the summer, there is also a small court yard that belongs to the Allen House
in the back of the property. A bit of green area with flowers and trees if you want to
just sit outside and read a book. No pool, ho hot tubs, no restaurant on site, but
location, location, location.
Although the Allen House is not part of II, but RCI, we traded half of our II unit
from the Spas in Orlando for it. We worked though a company called CondoNet Inc. It took
about 6 weeks once we had deposited our week with them. We originally kept trying for
Lawrence Wharf out of II, but after finding out where in London it was located, were very
happy that we didn't get it.
Date of visit: February 1995
We stayed at the Allen House (on exchange) a few years back and had a wonderful time.
The location is superb! Right around the corner from High Street (known locally as
"Di Street" cause that's where she shops,) walking distance to Kensington
Gardens, and just a block away from a tube station. We stayed in a two bedroom - although
the "second" bedroom was closet size with barely enough room for bunk beds and a
small wardrobe.
We were extremely lucky to have a week of divine weather which surely heightened our
appreciation of everything - but I particularly recall enjoying breakfast in the kitchen,
with the windows wide open, listening to the birds chirping in the garden below us and
enjoying the view of the garden with its massive trees.
The unit was pleasant and clean. Refrigerators are "bar" size by our
standards and, unless things have changed in the last few years, TV stations are few. But
you'll hear no complaints from me. Our week was terrific. In fact, I'm anxious to go again
and would be thrilled to be lucky enough to get another week at The Allen House.
|
The Allen House Club 
