Native Places

Native Aparthotels & Apartments In London

Blog

Where to Cool Down in London

Hamstead Heath Swimming Ponds

A beauty spot for London and a life saver for cooling off. Originally dammed off clay pits, the three pools are open to women, men and mixed groups. Even in the height of summer, the water is still chilly so you’re guaranteed a refreshing dip.

London Fields Lido

Located in the heart of hipster central, Hackney, London Fields can get busy but it’s worth a visit. Unlike the Swimming Ponds, the lido is heated – it might not be as cool but there’ll be no shock to the system and you can enjoy it on cooler days too.

Tooting Bec Lido

This is lido is nothing short of fantastic. It’s over 100 years old and spans 90 metres of water. The beauty of this spot is that even on sunny days, with lots of people poolside, there’s still always plenty of room to swim.

Serpentine Lido – Hyde Park

Perfect for a solo cool off, couples, families, you name it. It’s open from 10am until 6pm, with a sun terrace and sun bathing area for catching rays too. The Serpentine is a natural, no chlorine, no heat spot and the water is checked weekly to ensure quality. There’s also a separate heated, chlorinated kids pool too.

The Berkeley Hotel

If lidos aren’t your thing, The Berkeley is the place for you. Its stunning rooftop pool is available everyday to hotel guests and it’s truly a refreshing gem on a hot summer’s day. The seventh floor pool is what tranquil dreams are made of and it even boasts panoramic views of London too. You can also enjoy the secret garden, where sun loungers are among green leaves and fragrant flowers.

The Best Free Views in London

Here’s our pick of the best London views.

Primrose Hill

Once you see the panoramic views of London from the top of Primrose Hill, you’ll forget about the hustle and bustle of city life. Initially, climbing to the top of a hill might not sound like your idea of fun, or a holiday, but we absolutely back this one and guarantee it’ll be worth it. Afterwards, take a stroll around pretty Primrose Hill and enjoy the surrounding streets.

Sky Garden

The real deal. Enjoy spectacular views of London from the capitals highest garden. It’s free to go up, you must just book a ticket first. There are two destination bars and two restaurants up there, so you can make a good day of it. It could be difficult tearing yourself away from the three stories of 360 degree views though…

The Monument

Built to commemorate the Great Fire of London, this beauty is one of London’s loved attractions and you’ll see why. Climb 311 steps for panoramic views of the city and learn a bit about London’s fascinating history too. Tickets are £4.50 per adult. You can stay in our aparthotel just nearby; Native Cannon Street too.

One Tree Hill – Honor Oak

A hilly, diverse beauty spot with great history and amazing views. Rising to about 300 feet, you’ll see why the views from here are out of this world (or London). It’s home to what was the world’s largest underground reservoir when it was finished in 1909 and is still the largest in Europe today.

Tate Modern

When contemporary art and beautiful views collide. A visit to Tate Modern is well worth a visit anyway but we can assure you it’s way more than just a gallery. Behold breathtaking 360 degree views of the London skyline from high above the River Thames. Access is free and you can enjoy drinks and snacks while you’re up there too.

Alexandra Palace (Ally Pally)

Alexandra Palace is an iconic London spot with some of the best panoramic views of the city. Ally Pally, as it’s lovingly known, has a history of incredible milestones, after first opening in 1863. Alexandra Park is beautiful and boasts even more beautiful views.

Stories of the Anchor Line Building from the locals that worked there

Leading our guests of honour down memory lane wasn’t difficult, since we had kept so many of the original features. Features like the luxury ocean liner décor that has filled the headquarters since it was built, as well as glazed tiles, terrazzo flooring, cruise ship inspired carpets, wood panelled walls and fireplaces.

78-year-old Eva Morgan remembered it well, having started working as a shorthand typist in 1959 at the Donaldson Line offices on the second floor.

“I had many wonderful years,” said Eva. “You would start at 9.30am and work until 5pm. You would get a four-shilling lunching voucher – which was a lot back then – and four weeks’ holiday a year.”

We even uncovered a love story when Eva told us how she met her husband Norman there. He passed her a note, asking to take her out for a drink after work. She said yes, and they married in 1966.

Maureen Reilly brought a collection of precious photographs with her, to show us what the building once looked like. She married her beloved husband here, and had her wedding photos taken in front of the beautiful fireplace that we fully restored and now resides in our premium one bedroom apartment, 103. It was a wonderful moment when she was able to recreate the photo, all these years later.

On the date of her anniversary, we invited Maureen and her sister back to Native a second time, to experience a night’s stay. Having lived in the building while her Father worked as the Head Caretaker there, Maureen recalled the bustling atmosphere that filled their home.

“Mum was always inviting our family and friends over for lunch so it was very busy and social. We loved being up on the rooftop sunbathing or round the kitchen table together. Dad loved his job too, it was a happy time when we lived here.”

John Duffy, 80, told us about his time as a customs clerk, when he would be chauffeured to Yorkhill Dock to collect the captain’s articles and make sure everything was running smoothly.

“It was a great place,” he said. “I thought it was sad that Anchor Line themselves had to move out because it’s such a beautiful building and it was built specifically for Anchor Line, so it’s nice to see it’s being put to good use now.”

We couldn’t agree more, John.

Intrigued? You can find out more about the Anchor Line building from Scottish national treasure and TV historian Neil Oliver.

Neil Oliver visits Native Glasgow from Native on Vimeo.

Stay in one of Glasgow’s most iconic buildings, book here.

Recipe: Make some Bala Baya magic in your Native kitchen

Bala Baya’s Fish with Fennel

Serves 2

Ingredients

  • 1 whole sea bass, sea bream or red snapper (roughly 800g), preferably left whole on the bone or with the back bone removed
  • 2 red chillies (thinly sliced)
  • 4 cloves of garlic (thinly sliced)
  • Vegetable oil
  • 50ml Arak, Ouzo or Pastis
  • 50ml water
  • 50g butter
  • A bunch of chopped parsley, dill and mint
  • 12 cherry tomatoes
  • 3 sprigs of sage
  • 1 fennel bulb (thinly sliced into shavings)
  • 1 teaspoon of sumac
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 lemon

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 2200C.
  2. Fry the fish in some oil on both sides until golden brown. At the same time, burn the sage over an open flame. If you don’t have a gas hob, fry the sage with the fish.
  3. Put the sage into the belly of the fish.
  4. Transfer the fish to a roasting tray and put it in the preheated oven for 5 minutes.
  5. In the same pan you used to fry the fish, throw in the tomatoes, garlic and chilli and fry until golden brown. Add the alcohol and cook for 30 more seconds.
  6. Add the water, then the butter.
  7. Whisk everything in the pan so the tomatoes are crushed and mixed with the other ingredients, and the butter is emulsified.
  8. Take the pan off the heat and season.
  9. Add 1 tablespoon of the chopped herbs and a squeeze of lemon.
  10. In a separate bowl, mix the fennel shavings with the rest of the herbs and the lemon, then add a dash of olive oil and season.

Plate up and serve

  1. When the fish is tender, remove it from the oven. Make sure it’s cooked by checking the belly – the flesh should be white and not transparent.
  2. Put the fish on a serving plate.
  3. Pour all the sauce in the saucepan over the fish.
  4. Pile the fennel salad on the side.
  5. Sprinkle sumac all over the dish.

And dinner is served. Bon appetit!

Head to Bankside for a taste of Bala Baya.

Explore the cityscapes of Glasgow with local street artist Rogue Oner

Bobby’s accustomed to attracting a crowd of awe-inspired fans as he works, so he was happy to talk to Native Glasgow guests while he created Look Up, answering questions about where he finds his inspiration.

“All sorts of things inspire me,” he said. “Music, culture, fashion and life. I love the culture that’s in the city between the music and clubbing. The architecture. Quirky wee things that makes you fall in love with it and enjoy it.”

We told Bobby that we wanted to inspire all our guests to wander the city and take in all its amazing street art. So, once he’d finished working on this fantastic new mural, he kindly agreed to give some Native Glasgow guests a local’s tour of the city.

Join us on our wander with Rogue Oner.

Native Glasgow – Art Wander with Rogueoner from Native on Vimeo.

Rogue Oner’s mural trail

Follow Rogue Oner’s mural trail and keep an eye out for some of our favourite spots to Look Up:

The World’s Most Economical Taxi

Start your tour Mitchell Street adjacent to Buchanan Street, where you’ll find this fantastic floating taxi. Fun fact – Rogue Oner actually painted on the brick wall effect behind the taxi. While you’re there, be sure to look out for Smug’s mural on the same street called Honey, I shrunk the kids.

Billy Connolly

Rogue Oner created the mural of much-loved Glaswegian comedian Billy Connolly to celebrate Billy’s 75th birthday back in 2017. You can find another of Rogue Oner’s Billy Connolly murals in Old Wynd Car park.

Charles Rennie Mackintosh

Rogue Oner, along with Art Pistol, created the mural of Charles Rennie Mackintosh for the 150th anniversary of the artist’s birthday. It looms over the Clutha & Victoria Bar at the end of Stockwell Street.

Crazy Cat Lady

The mural of 3 cats playing beneath the feet of ‘the Crazy Cat Lady’ can be found on Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow city centre. It’s on the site for the former Victoria’s nightclub which burned down in 2018.

 

If street art is your thing, then why not check out People Make Glasgow’s city centre mural trail.

If you’d like to see ‘Look Up’ for yourself, you’ll find it in its current home at Platform at Argyle Street Arches.

Book a stay in the city of street art in our aparthotel on St Vincent Place.

How to Have a Memorable Solo Trip to London

Economise transport costs with an Oyster card

As you’d expect from the UK capital, London benefits from one of the finest public transportation networks in the world. Whether you plan to use the Tube, the overground, the bus or the train, getting your hands on an Oyster card as soon as you can is a must for making the most of the city. Not only will you save on travel expenses, you’ll also make things easier and quicker when navigating its network of public transport. You can pick one up at all Tube stations or online in advance at Transport for London.

Sightsee via cycle

While the Tube is probably the fastest and most efficient way of getting around, you do risk missing out on the lovely scenery, impressive architecture and bustling atmosphere of London’s iconic cityscape. If you have the time, try setting aside at least one day to rent a Boris Bike – so named for the former mayor who implemented them several years ago, Boris Johnson – and take in the sights from the comfort of your saddle. With over 750 docking stations around the city and cycles available for as little as £2 per 24 hours, the city is your cycling oyster (excuse the pun).

Go Native and get insider know-how

Where you stay is just as important as how you get around, since a central location can cut down on travelling times significantly. Rather than cough up for the extortionate costs of London’s hotels, you could try the alternative option of going Native. With an abundance of locations all over the city to suit any budget and taste, our aparthotels offer all the benefits of an apartment with the convenience of a hotel. What’s more, we know the city like the back of our hand, so can offer unbeatable insider info on the local neighbourhood.

Follow your nose and go with the flow

One of the best things about travelling solo is the ability to be flexible in your plans and tailor them to your own preferences, without having to compromise at any time. Fancy spending an entire afternoon in the National History Museum? No problem. Feel like a lazy day wandering around Hyde Park? You’ve got it. Got a sudden urge to take in a West End show? You’re in luck – being flexible with your theatre plans definitely works in your favour with regards to pricing, since you can often lock down last-minute tickets at cut-rate prices. If your schedule allows, do everything you can.

Don’t try and see everything

Having said that, it’s also important not to try and cram too much into your visit. Some people want to try and make the most of their short sojourn in the capital and end up burning themselves out by the end of day one. This is especially relevant if you’re in town for business; sure, you might want to make the most of your evenings by taking in a show, sampling a cocktail or experiencing all the nightlife that London has to offer. By all means, do as many of these as your budget, timeframe and energy levels allow – just don’t exhaust all three in the attempt.

Plan your visit today and book a short stay apartment in London.