Classy Staycation — The Gold Standard of Sustainable Staycations

Classy Staycation — The Gold Standard of Sustainable Staycations

This brand recognized the potential of the staycation 40 years ago. Cheval Collection offers sustainable, premium apartment accommodations in London and Edinburgh in the United Kingdom.

Words Ko Hyeon
Photos courtesy of Cheval Collection

Cheval Collection is a hospitality brand that has run apartment accommodations centered on London since 1981. Setting itself apart from conventional, standardized hotels, it renovates historic residences in central London to create apartments that reflect their neighborhoods. It has recently expanded to Edinburgh, Scotland, bringing its total to 675 apartment units. At first glance it may recall Airbnb and other home-sharing services, but because it operates every unit itself, guests can expect safer, more attentive service.

Cheval Collection is fundamentally a premium apartment brand, and it selects its properties by uncovering local architectural heritage. Its first property, Cheval Knightsbridge in London, was built by acquiring Victorian townhouses and organizing them as a kind of village. A reception in the main building provides concierge services, then directs guests to check in at townhouses scattered around the neighborhood. At Cheval The Edinburgh Grand, housed in the former Royal Bank of Scotland building, the homage to heritage is even more pronounced. The old bank offices have been converted into accommodations, and a cocktail bar built around the vault, preserved in its original form, lets guests experience the local architectural legacy firsthand.

Cheval Collection is also eager to embrace technology. Through its dedicated app, guests can use live chat to check in and access a range of concierge services. They can order in-room breakfast prepared with local restaurants, and even take part in fitness programs remotely. The guide information on local spots around each apartment is equally rich. In 2019, Cheval Collection launched a high-end brand, Cheval Maison, and in 2024 it plans to unveil MY Locanda, a casual brand aimed at Millennials and Gen Z.

London Cheval Knightsbridge
London Cheval Knightsbridge

Surrounded by Hyde Park and Buckingham Palace, Knightsbridge is considered one of the best neighborhoods to live in in London. A pillar of London’s commercial life since the 12th century, it is home today to Harrods, the world’s largest department store, along with a profusion of luxury-brand flagship stores, as well as cultural landmarks such as the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Natural History Museum. Set back from the main road, Cheval Place is lined with whitewashed Victorian townhouses, and it is where Cheval Collection began its apartment service.
Cheval Knightsbridge comprises nine types of apartments, centered on a main building at the entrance and scattered through the surrounding lanes. The reception on the main building’s ground floor offers concierge services such as luggage storage, taxi booking and restaurant reservations. The apartments, which preserve the original character of 19th-century townhouses, range from one bedroom to four, and all have a kitchen and living room, so long-stay guests can settle in comfortably. Parks and gardens such as Hyde Park and Brompton Square dot the neighborhood, making walks here a special pleasure.

Edinburgh Cheval Old Town Chambers
Edinburgh Cheval Old Town Chambers

Edinburgh’s Old Town grew up around the Royal Mile, the route along which kings once processed. Running about 1.6 kilometers, the street was used by royalty and aristocrats, while commoners had to take the ‘closes,’ passages that led underground from the sides of the main road. The most famous of these is The Real Mary King’s Close. The underground alley, used as a quarantine site during the plague, has now become the setting for thrilling ghost tours.
Some of the old tenements around The Real Mary King’s Close have been transformed into stylish accommodations by Cheval Collection. Renovated in the fall of 2021, Cheval Old Town Chambers links three old buildings, with 74 apartments arranged in a maze-like layout. The main building, adjoining the Royal Mile, has a lounge, library, bar and restaurant, making it a pleasant place to spend leisure time. At Luckenbooths restaurant, which has an outdoor terrace, the full Scottish breakfast includes haggis, a traditional Scottish dish (a savory pudding made with sheep offal).