Out Of A Suitcase

London is one of the greatest cities in the world. Fact. But it's also up there as one of the most expensive. As a tourist there are plenty of great luxury hotels to choose from but these come at a price.

This is one of the reasons why serviced apartments are becoming an increasingly popular and cost-effective accommodation choice throughout Europe.But with no star system to speak of it can be hard to know whether your apartment is going to be Hilton or Hostel.

If you're not inclined to stay anywhere but the best then only five star accommodation will do. We tried out a luxury serviced apartment in London, from The Cheval Group to see how it compared with staying in a five star hotel.

Based in prime areas of London such as Knightsbridge, Kensington, Sloane Square and the City, the properties offer both long and short stays.

Phoenix House is a popular choice with the fashion set, being just off Sloane Street, home to ladies with inflated lips and inflated purses. Phoenix House's modern interior, designed by Fox Linton, the designers of One Aldwych Hotel, focuses on classic clean simple lines.

When I arrived at Phoenix House I was greeted by a welcoming and helpful concierge who gave me the low down on how my new little home worked and then I got settled in. I made myself a cup of tea with an actual kettle (not one of those weird mini things you get in hotels) and nibbled on some of the complementary welcome biscuits they offer. The welcome pack was great actually. There was milk, butter and bacon in the fridge and some pasta, sauce, cooking oil, bread and biscuits in the basket, perfect for a quick home made meal after a long journey I thought.

The one bedroom apartment was spacious but cosy. The bedroom alone was bigger than most hotel rooms and the bathroom, something I'm a little obsessive about, was compact but still had that luxury feel with soft lighting and a huge mirror. The best part though is the state of the art kitchen with every utensil you could possibly need at your disposal.