SACO Holborn Apartments, London

The Cranley Report

SACO Holborn Apartments

SACO Holborn Apartments, London

Hotel Address

Spens House
72 - 84 Lamb's Conduit Street
London
WC1N 3LT
England

Cranley Rating

SACO Holborn Apartments

Photo 1 of 29. Click to enlarge

Hotel Summary

Category

Apartments

Hotel Opened

2008

Cranley Summary

The SACO Holborn apartments are conveniently situated in the quiet Lambs Conduit Street in the WC1 district of London. The apartment building - Spens House - was converted and refurbished from nurses accommodation for the Great Ormond Street Hospital, opposite, into short and long stay apartments in 2008. In total there are 32 Studios, One, Two and Three Bedroom Apartments each with their own private telephone entry system and fully equipped modern kitchen in an open plan living area. With the exception of the Studios, each SACO Holborn apartment has separate bedrooms. Two and Three Bedroom Apartments have a separate bath and shower room, while the One Bedroom Apartments have a shower room. The apartments benefit from being serviced once a week and linen and towels are supplied. They also have LCD televisions, wired high speed internet connection which is chargeable and onsite parking facilities. Russell Square Tube Station is just around the corner and High Holborn is not far from the end of Lambs Conduit Street. Directly below the SACO Holborn apartments there is a grocery store and dry cleaners. Further along Lambs Conduit Street there are a good selection of coffee shops, delicatessens, pubs and restaurants.

Hotel Location & Layout

Location Description

The SACO Holborn apartments are located on the quiet Lambs Conduit Street in the WC1 district of London. The apartments are situated in a fine location opposite Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital and within a short distance to the cities financial districts and many of London’s leading universities. Coram’s Field, a children’s park is at the top of Lambs Conduit Street on Guildford Street, and Theobald Road is to the south. Russell Square Tube Station serviced by the Piccadilly Line is just around the corner from the SACO Holborn apartments, and Holborn, on the edge of London’s theatre and shopping districts, is serviced by the Piccadilly and Central Lines and is within a brisk 5 minute walk.

Airports
Distance	14 km
Airport Transfers	Approximately 20 minutes in light traffic. Chargeable taxi service available.

Cities and Sights
Distance	89 km
City/Sight Transfers	Approximately 1 hour 21 minutes in light traffic. Chargeable taxi service available.

Layout Description

SACO Holborn Reception and its central London office are situated to the left of the separate entrance to the apartments in Spens House in Lambs Conduit Street. Guests staying at SACO Holborn reach the apartments above the offices by a separate entrance to Spens House. The small Spens House foyer has a lift and a door leads through to an apartment key safe area for guests who arrive and depart outside of office hours. The internal stairs and lift ascend the five floors of the Spens building and lead down to the apartment’s secured car park. Each guest floor has two external walk ways which lead from the central lift and stair well. The entrance to one of the apartments are found here and generally there are three further apartments to each side on each floor level.

Lobby & Guest Relations

Open Hours	07:00 to 23:00 Monday to Saturday 10:00 to 18:00 on Sundays Guests arriving outside of these times receive automated instructions via email for an express check-in procedure. A Duty Manager is available outside of office hours in case of emergencies. +44 207 269 9930 Office hours +44 782 735 1445 Outside of office hours
Languages Spoken	English, Afrikaans, French, Italian, Latvian, Polish and Spanish.
Payment Methods	All major credit cards, GBP’s and Euros accepted. A charge is made for use of credit cards.
Taxis Arranged	Street taxis may be hailed from the street. Private taxis and limousines can be arranged via Reception.
Tours Arranged	A range of tour pamphlets are available next to the guest lift. Places of nearby interest include: Buckingham Palace Hampton Court Kensington Palace Legoland Luxury River Thames Cruises Madame Tussauds St Paul’s Cathedral The London Dungeon The London Eye Tower of London Windsor Castle

Concierge Services	During office hours Reception is able to assist guests with transport needs etc. Reception will accept deliveries form online supermarkets for guests who are resident in the building. A Duty Manager is available outside of office hours in case of emergencies.
Medical Facilities	Duty Managers are trained to administer first aid for minor incidents. A doctor is available 24 hours a day with a typical response time of within 20 minutes, according to the apartment staff. There is a pharmacy within a very short distance, and a walk-in Clinic within a short walk.
Parking	Chargeable private basement parking is available in Long Yard for 15 cars with an additional 8 spaces above the ground in a private area behind the building. Lift and stair access is available from both locations. Parking should be booked in advance. SACO Holborn apartments are within the London Congestion Charge zone.

Cranley Comment

SACO Holborn Reception and its central London office are situated to the left of the separate entrance to the apartments in Spens House. The office is open between 07:00 to 23:00 Monday to Saturday and 10:00 to 18:00 on Sundays. A Duty Manager is available by phone outside these hours. Guests staying at SACO Holborn access the apartments by a separate entrance. The main door to Spens House is activated by a key swipe card or code and there is also an intercom here for visitors, which connects them to each apartment. In front of the lift in the foyer there are a selection of guides and booklets to various tourist locations. A rear door leads to an apartment key safe area for guest that arrive and depart outside of office hours, and stairs, which ascend the five floors of the Spens building and lead down to the apartments secured car park. Each guest floor has two external walk ways where the apartments are situated.

Shops & Amenities

Cranley Comment

SACO Holborn apartments are situated on Lambs Conduit Street. Directly below the apartments there is a dry cleaners where guests of the apartments receive a discount and a grocery store which is open from 07:00 to 23:00 seven days a week. Further along the street in a pedestrianised area there are several delicatessens, a wine merchant, a pharmacy, a hair dressers and a gentlemen’s tailors. The Brunswick, a modern shopping precinct, is within an easy walk where you will find a larger Waitrose supermarket, and several leading high street stores.

Rooms, Suites & Villas

Number of Floors	5
Total Rooms	32
Elevators	1
Rooms per Elevator	32
Total Staff	10
Staff per Room	0.3

Check-in Time	16:00
Check-out Time	10:00
Late Checkout	Late Check-out is subject to availability and is chargeable in blocks of 2 hours at a time.
Smoking Rooms	SACO Holborn is a smoke free zone
Room Service	Room service is not available. Each apartment has a guest directory with a list of local delivery services. Reception will accept deliveries from online supermarkets during office hours.
Laundry Service	The One, Two and Three Bedroom Apartments have washing machines with tumble dryers. Guests staying at the apartments are offered discounted rates at the dry cleaners who have a laundry service, below the apartment building.

Cranley Comment

Each of the Studio’s, One, Two and Three Bedroom Apartments at SACO Holborn are decorated in a contemporary style. All have fully fitted kitchens with a host of cooking utensils, crockery and glasses. Some of the One and Two Bedroom Apartments have floor to ceiling windows, and all the apartments face the street which is relatively quiet for its central London location. Linen and towels are provided and the apartments are cleaned once a week. The entrance to the apartment building Spens House, is on Lambs Conduit Street, and is entered by using a swipe card. The apartments are spread over the five floors of the building and can be reached by a central lift or stairs. To the rear of the building on each floor level there two external covered walk ways to either side of the internal lift and stairs which leads to the entrances of each individual apartment. Depending on occupancy the Three Bedroom Apartment may divided and sold separately as a Studio and a Two Bedroom Apartment.

Type of Room, Views & Facilities

Type	No.	View	Facilities	Max. Occupancy	Size m2
Studio	-	City	Traditional key locking system Entrance door intercom Viewfinder spy hole DDI line Wired high speed internet access (chargeable) 3 pin square British sockets LCD television International Satellite TV DVD player Radio/alarm Floor to ceiling windows Energy saving light bulbs Dimmer switches Single closet Full length mirror Iron and ironing board Large safe suitable for laptop Fully fitted concealed kitchen with: Fridge/freezer Dishwasher 2 ring ceramic hob Microwave Cooker Filter coffee and tea making facilities Fold down closet bed Duvet Dining table with 2 chairs Lounge chair and foot rest Balcony En-suite Shower room Single vanity basin unit Jet shower Heated towel rail Hairdryer Luxury Molton Brown toiletries Each Studio can be adjoined to one of the two larger Two Bedroom Apartments, thus creating a Three Bedroom Apartment.	2 adults	28

Cranley Comment

Each Studio has been designed to create a modern living adaptable environment with a living area which leads out to a balcony. The living room can be transformed into a double bedroom, by concealing the fully fitted kitchen behind sliding doors and pulling out the bed, which is hidden in a closet to one side of the living area. The textures and styles are modern, with a lime green lounge chair and foot rest and small circular glass dining table with two complementing chairs, fixtures and fittings. Between this area and the entrance door there is one door which may adjoin the Studio to a larger apartment. The Studios en-suite shower room has a good sized shower cubical and jet shower, toilet, and single vanity basin unit. Gentlemen should note that there are no shaving points within the bathroom, but a two pin adapter for charging shavers is provided in the bedroom. A small volume of weekly luxury Molton Brown toiletries are provided. Studios can be sold separately or if occupancy allows may be joined to the two larger Two Bedroom Apartments to create Three Bedroom Apartments.

Type	No.	View	Facilities	Max. Occupancy	Size m2
One Bedroom Apartment	20	City	As for the Studio with the added benefit of: Entrance hall Separate open plan living room with fully fitted kitchen 4 ring ceramic hob Washing machine and tumble dryer Additional LCD screen TV Sofa	2 adults	45

Cranley Comment

There are different configurations of the One Bedroom Apartments at the SACO Holborn. Although the layout changes, each apartment has the same facilities and benefits from a separate open plan living area with equipped kitchen. The living area has wood block flooring, a settee and modern Perspex coffee table, dining table, wired internet connection and LCD television. The bedrooms in the One Bedroom Apartments vary in size, some have single closets while others have double closets, and all are carpeted and have a dressing table and additional television. The shower room has a good sized shower cubicle with jet shower, toilet, single vanity basin unit and a large mirrored storage cabinet. Gentleman should note that there are no shaving points within the bathroom, but a two pin adapter for charging shavers is provided in the bedroom. A small volume of weekly luxury Molton Brown toiletries are provided.

Type	No.	View	Facilities	Max. Occupancy	Size m2
Two Bedroom Apartment	10	City	As for the One Bedroom Apartment with the added benefit of: Dining table with 4 chairs En suite bedroom with jet shower Additional bedroom Additional double closet Additional LCD screen television Dressing table Guest bathroom Bath with jet shower over it	4 adults	145

Cranley Comment

Two Bedroom Apartments at the SACO Holborn, have the additional benefit of a larger open plan living area, and larger dining table with four chairs. The Two Bedroom Apartments are decorated in a similar modern style to the Studios and One Bedroom Apartments and have two-tone wood block flooring in the living area, and carpets in the bedrooms. The smaller bedroom has the additional facility of a small en-suite shower room with toilet and single vanity basin unit. The second bedroom is larger and overlooks the rear of the building and has a double closet, and dressing table. The second bathroom, leading from the entrance hall is large enough to accommodate a ‘P’ shaped bath and also has a jet shower over it, toilet, single vanity basin unit and a large mirrored storage cabinet. Gentleman should note that there are no shaving points within the bathroom, but a two pin adapter for charging shavers is provided in the bedroom. A small volume of weekly luxury Molton Brown toiletries are provided.

Type	No.	View	Facilities	Max. Occupancy	Size m2
Three Bedroom Apartment	2	City	As for Two Bedroom Apartment with the added benefit of: Larger open plan living area and fully fitted kitchen iPod docking station Dining table with 6 chairs Additional storage space Large master en-suite shower room Double vanity basin unit Bidet Large balcony Patio table and four chairs 3rd bedroom is the same configuration as a Studio with: Fold down closet bed Concealed kitchen En-suite shower room	6 adults	198m2 as a Three Bedroom Apartment, 170m2 as a Two Bedroom Apartment

Cranley Comment

There are two Three Bedroom Apartments on the 5th floor of the SACO Holborn apartment building. Each has a much larger open plan living area, larger kitchen area and a dining table with six chairs. These apartments also benefit from a large balcony with wooden decking and patio furniture, the balcony has French doors leading from both the living area and master bedroom with large modern en-suite shower room. In keeping with the Two Bedroom Apartment there is a second bedroom and additional bathroom with bath and shower over it. The third bedroom is configured in the same manner as the Studio and can be separated from the Three Bedroom Apartment depending on bookings or as required.

Restaurants & Cafés

Number of Restaurants

Restaurant Comments

Each Studio and Apartment at the SACO Holborn has a well equipped kitchen with a range of basic cooking utensils, crockery, glasses and oven and microwave wear. To the left of the apartment building there is a pub and a very popular Italian restaurant which normally requires booking and can also provide take aways. To the right of the apartments, in the pedestrianised area of Lambs Conduit Street there is a Thai restaurant , a Spanish tapas restaurant and a number of small privately owned delicatessens and cafés which have seating both inside and out and serve a range of lite bites and hearty meals.

Bars

Bar Comments

Within Lambs Conduit Street itself there are two pubs, one to the left of the SACO Holborn apartments building and one to the right on the corner of Great Ormond Street. There is also a popular wine bar and a wine merchant and several shops selling other alcoholic beverages and spirits. Each Studio and Apartment has its own large fridge freezer to keep purchased drinks cool in. Within walking distance, the Brunswick shopping centre to the north and Theobald Road to the south have a further selection of bars, restaurants and clubs.

Business & Event Facilities

In-Room Services

Wired high speed internet connection is available and is chargeable to the bill on a 24 hour or weekly basis.

Business Centre

Staff are available in the Reception during office hours 07:00 to 23:00 Monday to Saturday and 10:00 to 18:00 on Sundays and can provide printing and faxing services at a minimal charge.

Cranley Comment

Each Studio and Apartment at SACO Holborn has a direct dial telephone and wired high speed internet access, for which charges are billed to guests accounts. Printing and faxing facilities are available at Reception during office hours.

Children’s Facilities & Clubs

Restaurant Facilities

See Restaurants

Babysitting service

Professional babysitters can be recommended, this service should by booked by guests and 24 hour notice should be given.

Cranley Comment

SACO Holborn apartments opposite Great Ormond Street Hospital, has no specific arrangements for children. Cots are available but guests should supply their own bedding for these. Roll-out beds for older children are available upon request and have linen supplied. Reception is able to supply contact details for local professional baby sitting services, this should be booked directly by the guest and can not be charged to the bill. At the top of Lambs Conduit Street on Guilford Street there is a gated park known as Coram’s Fields, “Adults are only allowed here if accompanied by a child”! Here, children will find a small pets and farm animals area with pigs and sheep, there are also jungle gyms, and all weather pitches and a purpose built youth centre, activities are arranged throughout the year for under fives and older youths.

Sports & Gym

Gym & Health Club

Cranley Comment

There are no gym facilities at the SACO Holborn apartments, however there is a gym facility within a short distance of the apartments. LA Fitness is located at the southern end of Lambs Conduit Street this is generally open between 06:30 to 20:00 Monday to Friday, and 09:00 to 16:00 on Saturday and Sunday. Facilities and equipment include: swimming pool, gym, spinning room, aerobic studio, beauty and alternative treatment rooms, sauna and sun beds, a full time table of classes is also given. Slightly further afield SACO guests are able to receive reduced prices at a gym in Covent Garden. Reception is able to provide local jogging routes from the SACO Holborn apartments.

Golf

Brocket Hall

Description

Brocket Hall Golf Club is part of the splendid 543 acre Brocket Hall Estate and was designed from the first to offer some of the best golf in the United Kingdom. The two Championship standard courses, the Melbourne and the Palmerston, are each named after the 19th Century Prime Ministers to whom Brocket Hall was home. Both courses are set within the contours of the Estate and provide a challenging and varied game for golfers of all abilities.

The Par 72 Melbourne Course designed by Peter Allis is set in the picturesque parkland surrounding the Hall and provides a rigorous and challenging test of golf. In contrast, the par 73 Palmerston Course designed by Donald Steel is over 7,000 yards from the back tees. Donald has sculptured many beautiful holes playing through the ancient woodlands with some very undulating fairways.

Location	39 km
Holes	36 Melbourne and Palmerston
Length/Par	Melbourne Par 72. 6,616 yards. Palmerston Par 73, 7,080

Facilities

Two 18 hole courses
Nick Faldo Gold School
Practice Facilities
Pro shop
PGA qualified tuition

Wentworth

Description

Wentworth has three courses. The West is world famous and is home each year to the HSBC World Matchplay and the BMW PGA Championship. The other "original" course is the East and finally the most recent addition is the Edinburgh which opened in the 1990’s. Many golfers visit Wentworth for the West course and very few courses can boast a tournament history on a par with the West course. It hosted the 1953 Ryder Cup and then in 1956 the Canada Cup, the forerunner to today’s World Cup of Golf. It has the distinction of hosting two of golf’s most prestigious championships; the World Matchplay and the PGA Championship. In addition the East course is in most golfers' lists of the top fifty courses in the British Isles. It was the setting for the inaugural Curtis Cup in 1932 and hosted a friendly match in 1926 between two teams from the US and Great Britain and Ireland which was the inspiration for the contest we now know as the Ryder Cup. Lastly the Edinburgh course was opened in more recent times and was designed by coach and former Ryder Cup player and captain John Jacobs in consultation with nine-time major champion Gary Player and the Club’s then professional Bernard Gallacher.

Location	43 km
Holes	54, West, East and Edinburgh courses
Length/Par	West Course par 72 (7308 yards). East Course par 68 (6201 yards). Edinburgh Course par 72 (7004 yards).

Facilities

Three courses
Par 3 nine hole course
Practice range and grounds
PGA qualified tuition
Restaurant
Outdoor pool

Special Needs

Communal Areas

Both the front and rear entrances at the SACO Holborn apartments have steps or stairs. Security swipe cards are used to enter the building. The lift in the building has raised numbers and also a voice recognition system for each floor. Each apartment has raised numbers on the entrance door.

Rooms & Bathrooms

There are no specially adapted guest apartments at the SACO Holborn. Guests using wheel chairs will find the entrances to the building difficult as there are at least four steps at both the front and rear entrances, although staff are on hand to give some assistance if required. Although the apartments are larger than most standard London hotel rooms, manoeuvrability may be difficult in some areas of the apartments in particular the bathrooms.

Restaurants & Catering

There are no restaurants or bars within the apartment building. Locally and within Lambs Conduit Street there is a variety of restaurants, cafés and delicatessens, some of which have a selection of vegetarian and organic food.

Visual & Hearing Aids

Staff Assistance

Each Duty Manager is trained in first aid, staff are on hand to give some assistance during office hours if required.

Cranley Comment

We would not recommend that guest using wheelchairs stay at the SACO Holborn apartments, access to the ground floor of the apartment building is via stairs and there is limited space in some corners of the apartments and bathrooms. There are no specially adapted features in any of the apartments although the guest lift numbers and apartment numbers are raised. Assistance Dogs are welcome.

Environment

Measures

Recycling
Community Service
Minimise Cleaning Materials
Environmental Audits
Carbon Emissions Staff Travel Scheme

Cranley Comment

SACO Holborn is acting towards minimising negative impact on the environment. Since 2007 SACO has communicated to customers and staff via their web site their environmental policy. During 2008 SACO as a group signed up to BS8555 Environmental Management System and is aiming to complete Phase 1 this year. They aim to ensure that goods and materials from sustainable sources or fair trade products are used wherever possible and they also take into account product miles. Surplus furniture and fittings are donated to local charities and businesses. They continue to recycle mobile phones, toner cartridges and paper, glass and tin. Guests are encouraged to do this as well with the ‘green’ divider bins which are in the kitchens of each apartment. In 2006 a cycle to work scheme was introduced and a co-ordination programme has been improved for car share opportunities and staff travel. Staff are encouraged to participate in charity events including sponsored runs, and make donations to AfriKids the groups chosen charity.

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