Eight Minutes on Foot to Westminster Abbey, Behind the Original Fire-Engine Doors
Push open the red-brick and Portland-stone facade at 4 Greycoat Place, the original 1906 Edwardian Baroque fire-engine doors still intact, and the next eight minutes on foot take you past the lunch stalls of Strutton Ground market and out onto the lawns in front of Westminster Abbey. Step into an apartment behind those doors and you are standing in a complete London home, not a hotel room: a private kitchen with a real oven, a washer-dryer in the cupboard, oak parquet underfoot, marble in the bathroom, antique brass at the taps, and a porthole window the firefighters once used framed neatly in the wall. Run a bath, put a wash on, and walk to St James's Park or the river before dinner. This is the kind of central London stay where you stop living out of a suitcase from the first afternoon.
The building is Grade II-listed, decommissioned in 2014 and reopened in September 2023 as 17 design-led homes (six inside the original listed station and eleven in a new garden building behind it), operated by London serviced-apartment specialist ALTIDO, part of the Joivy Group. Interiors are by Studio L London and Laura Marino. Guests rate the property superb, with cleanliness and location among the most-praised parts of a stay and the free Wi-Fi the standout. Couples in particular single it out as a favourite.
What makes Greycoat Place worth your stay
Greycoat Place is one of those rare central-London streets that sits one block from a UNESCO World Heritage Site and yet feels like a working London neighbourhood rather than a tourist set-piece. Civil servants from the surrounding Whitehall departments still queue at the lunch stalls on Strutton Ground, the small street market that runs essentially across the road from the building. Five minutes in any direction puts you at Westminster Abbey, the river, St James's Park or Victoria; ten minutes gets you to Pimlico's wine bars, Tate Britain or the Churchill War Rooms.
The closest tube is St James's Park (Circle, District) at four to five minutes on foot, Heathrow is a single Circle-line change away from there. Victoria, with the Gatwick Express and four tube lines under one roof, is eight minutes' walk south. The Yaatra restaurant on the ground floor of the same building is a 2025 Travellers' Choice for modern Indian cooking, and The Speaker, an 18th-century pub on Great Peter Street with five rotating cask ales, is a four-minute walk away.
What you actually get inside each apartment
Layouts run from a 431 sq ft One-Bedroom Apartment up to a 1,507 sq ft Maisonette and the headline Penthouse Deluxe Apartment with Terrace. Every unit has a full kitchen with dishwasher, oven, hob, fridge-freezer, microwave and coffee machine; a flat-screen TV with cable; air conditioning in the kitchen and living room; underfloor heating throughout; a private bathroom with bath and bath linen included; a work desk; iron and hairdryer. The interiors (Studio L London, Laura Marino) lean on warm cream walls, oak parquet floors, marble bathrooms with antique brass and the building's original heritage features, tall sash windows, restored brickwork, the porthole windows the firefighters once used.
The building has a lift, a lobby with luggage storage, daily housekeeping on request (additional fee), private check-in and a quiet courtyard garden. There is no on-site parking, and you sit inside both the Congestion Charge and ULEZ zones, so plan to arrive by Tube. A £250 refundable damage deposit is taken on a credit card at check-in and refunded within seven days. Quiet hours are 22:00–09:00 and the building does not accept hen, stag or party bookings.
Check Availability at Westminster Fire Station Luxury Apartments
Interesting Points About Westminster Fire Station Luxury Apartments
- Occupies a Grade II-listed 1906 Edwardian Baroque former fire station at 4 Greycoat Place; the original architectural shell (red-brick-and-stone facade, ironwork, period detailing) was preserved during conversion, making the property one of the more visually distinctive serviced-apartment buildings in central Westminster.
- Operated by ALTIDO (a subsidiary of Joivy Group, the European serviced-apartment operator with portfolio across 14+ UK and European cities) rather than an owner-occupier; the institutional operator structure is why the in-unit fit-out (full kitchen, washer-dryer, AC, underfloor heating) is unusually consistent across the 17 units.
- 8-minute walk to Westminster Abbey, with the property sitting in the Greycoat Place pocket between Victoria and St James's Park; a Zone 1 walk-everywhere position uncommon for a serviced-apartment let at this rate band that the standard 'central London' listing condenses to a generic geographic claim.
- Guests consistently rate it a superb central-Westminster base, and that reputation has compounded over multi-year ALTIDO management, distinguishing it from newer serviced-apartment competitors at similar rates.
Rooms & Accommodation at Westminster Fire Station Luxury Apartments
One-Bedroom Apartment
Up to 2 guests · 431 ft² (40 m²) · 1 extra-large double bed · Lift access
The entry-level apartment and the cheapest nightly rate at Westminster Fire Station. A 431 ft² one-bedroom layout with one extra-large double bed, a city or inner-courtyard view, a full kitchen and a private bathroom with bath. Sits in the new garden building with lift access to upper floors. Choose this if it's just the two of you and you want apartment space at the lowest rate.
Check Prices
Apartment
Up to 4 guests · 700 ft² (65 m²) · 1 extra-large double + sofa bed
A 700 ft² one-bedroom apartment with a separate living room and a sofa bed, suitable for up to four guests if two are happy on the pull-out. The bedroom has one extra-large double; the living room has its own city or courtyard view. Same kitchen and washer-dryer specification as the rest of the building, with lift access to upper floors.
Check Prices
Two-Bedroom Apartment
Up to 4 guests · 668 ft² (62 m²) · 2 bedrooms · Some with balcony or terrace
A 668 ft² two-bedroom apartment with a city view and (in some units) a private balcony or terrace. The most-reviewed apartment type in the building; bed comfort is the one aspect guests flag most often, so taller sleepers should check the bed dimensions on the room popup before booking. Otherwise it draws warm feedback for cleanliness, kitchen and Wi-Fi.
Check Prices
Penthouse Deluxe Apartment with Terrace
Up to 6 guests · 1,507 ft² (140 m²) · Multiple bedrooms · Private terrace
The headline apartment, 1,507 ft² across multiple bedrooms with a private terrace overlooking the Westminster skyline (the Victoria Tower of the Palace of Westminster sits squarely in frame from the ledge). Top of the rate card and the obvious choice for groups, families on a celebration trip, or anyone who wants to drink wine outdoors with Big Ben for company.
Check Prices
Maisonette
Up to 6 guests · 1,507 ft² (140 m²) · 3 bedrooms · Patio access
A 1,507 ft² ground-floor maisonette with three bedrooms (each with a double bed), a private patio and a balcony, set inside the original Grade II-listed fire station building. Ideal for two couples travelling together, a multi-generation family, or anyone who wants ground-floor entry without stairs and direct access to the building's courtyard.
Check PricesIs Westminster Fire Station Right for You?
Best Suited For
- Couples on a London city break: a repeat favourite with couples staying in central Westminster
- Families wanting a kitchen, washer-dryer and a quiet street next to Westminster
- Groups of friends booking the Penthouse Deluxe or Maisonette for celebration trips
- Anyone arriving by train or Eurostar: St James's Park tube is 4–5 minutes' walk
- Heritage and architecture enthusiasts: Grade II-listed 1906 fire station, Studio L London interiors
Worth Considering Alternatives If
- You need a hotel-style 24/7 reception: staffed reception is 15:00–17:00 weekdays only (concierge support 24/7 by phone)
- You need on-site parking: there is none, and you sit inside both the Congestion Charge and ULEZ zones
- You're a tall sleeper considering the Two-Bedroom Apartment: bed comfort draws slightly softer feedback than the rest of the stay; check bed dimensions on the room popup first
- You're booking a hen, stag or party group: the building does not accept party bookings
Amenities & Facilities at Westminster Fire Station
In every apartment
- Free Wi-Fi (the standout amenity in guest feedback, no published Mbps)
- Air conditioning (kitchen and living room only)
- Underfloor heating throughout
- Flat-screen TV with cable
- Work desk, iron, hairdryer
Kitchen
- Full kitchen with oven, hob, fridge-freezer, microwave
- Dishwasher
- Coffee machine + kettle
- Washer and dryer in every apartment
- Dining area in every unit
Bathroom
- Private en-suite with bath in every apartment
- Carrara marble walls and antique brass fittings
- Shower over bath
- Free toiletries, towels and bath linen included
Building & services
- Lift in the new Station House wing
- Lobby with luggage storage
- Quiet courtyard garden + outdoor seating
- Daily housekeeping on request (additional fee)
- Bicycle parking in the building
- Reception staffed 15:00–17:00 weekdays; concierge support 24/7 by phone
- Private check-in and check-out
Food & drink
- Not available: Breakfast service
- Not available: On-site restaurant operated by the apartments
- Yaatra (modern Indian, 2025 Travellers' Choice) on the ground floor of the building, a separate independent business
- Strutton Ground street market 1 minute's walk (Mon–Fri 8 a.m.–6 p.m.)
- Pubs and cafés on the doorstep, The Speaker, The Grafton Arms, The Laughing Halibut
Transport & parking
- Not available: On-site parking
- Inside the Congestion Charge zone (£18/day, Mon–Fri 07:00–18:00)
- Inside the ULEZ zone (£12.50/day for non-compliant vehicles, 24h)
- Q-Park Westminster, Great College Street SW1P 3RX, 5–8 min walk
- NCP Abingdon Street SW1P 3RX (24h staffed, 205 spaces, 3 m height), 5–8 min walk
Wellness & leisure
- Not available: Pool
- Not available: Gym
- Not available: Spa
Policies
- Not available: Pets allowed
- Not available: Smoking
- Not available: Hen, stag and party bookings
- Children of any age welcome (18+ charged as adults)
- Quiet hours 22:00–09:00
- £250 refundable damage deposit at check-in (returned within 7 days)
- Late check-in fees: £20 (21:00–00:00), £40 (after 00:00)
Location & getting around Westminster Fire Station
Westminster Fire Station Luxury Apartments sits on Greycoat Place in SW1P, the political and ceremonial core of central London. The Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Whitehall and Downing Street are all within a 12-minute walk. The block immediately around the building, Strutton Ground, Greycoat Street and Horseferry Road, is a quieter civil-service quarter that empties out in the evenings, which is why guests describe the location as quiet but central.
Strutton Ground street market runs essentially across the road Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., with hot international food, coffee, clothing and books. Within two minutes' walk you have Yaatra (the 2025 Travellers' Choice Indian restaurant on the ground floor of the building, a separate independent business), The Laughing Halibut (a family-run fish-and-chip shop on Strutton Ground since 1983), and The Speaker, an 18th-century pub on Great Peter Street with five rotating cask ales. Cask Pub & Kitchen in nearby Pimlico, ten minutes south, is widely credited as London's first craft-beer-focused pub.
Driving here is a poor idea. There's no on-site parking, and the building sits inside both the Central London Congestion Charge zone (£18/day, Mon–Fri 07:00–18:00) and the London-wide ULEZ (£12.50/day for non-compliant vehicles). Q-Park Westminster on Great College Street and NCP Abingdon Street are the nearest paid car parks, both a 5–8 minute walk south. Arriving by Tube to St James's Park (Circle, District) is faster, cheaper, and the only sensible option.
- Westminster Abbey: ~8 min walk · Britain's coronation church and royal burial site since 1066, a Gothic UNESCO World Heritage masterpiece.
- Big Ben & Houses of Parliament: ~12–15 min walk · The Elizabeth Tower's bell has chimed since 1859; the Palace of Westminster is a working seat of UK government and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Buckingham Palace: ~12 min walk · The Sovereign's official London residence, with the Changing of the Guard, the Royal Mews and the State Rooms summer opening.
- St James's Park: ~10 min walk · London's oldest Royal Park, with pelicans, a lake and the postcard view of Buckingham Palace from the Blue Bridge.
- Churchill War Rooms: ~10 min walk · The original underground Cabinet bunker preserved by the Imperial War Museum.
- Tate Britain: Short walk south down Millbank · The world's leading collection of British art from 1500 to today, including the Turner Bequest.
- St James's Park tube: ~4–5 min walk · Circle and District lines, the closest station.
- Victoria station: ~8 min walk · Victoria, Circle and District tubes, plus National Rail and the Gatwick Express.
Getting to Key Locations
Photo: Natalia Semenova, CC BY 3.0
Westminster Abbey
8 min walk
An eight-minute walk south down Strutton Ground and onto Victoria Street puts you at the west front of Britain's coronation church. Book ahead, the Abbey runs timed entry and the queue without a ticket is rough. The Cloisters and the College Garden are the quiet bits worth the detour.
View on Map
Photo: Ank Kumar (Infosys Limited; Wikimedia user “Ank gsx”), CC BY-SA 4.0
Buckingham Palace
12 min walk
Twelve minutes' walk through Birdcage Walk and St James's Park brings you to the front gates. The Changing of the Guard happens 11:00 most days from late spring onward, get there 45 minutes early for a view, or watch the new guard step off from Wellington Barracks 10 minutes before. The State Rooms open to the public in July and August only.
View on Map
Photo: Colin, CC BY-SA 3.0
St James's Park
Ten minutes north and you're at London's oldest Royal Park, a 23-hectare lake-and-flowerbed loop with pelicans (fed daily 14:30), the postcard view of Buckingham Palace from the Blue Bridge, and a deckchair if you want to sit. The Inn the Park café in the middle does a decent flat white.
View on MapHow to get to Westminster Fire Station from London's main travel hubs
- From Heathrow: Take the Heathrow Express to Paddington (15 min to T2&3, 21 min to T5), then the Circle line to St James's Park (10 min). Five-minute walk along Petty France and onto Greycoat Place. Total ~50 min. Cheaper alternative: Piccadilly line direct from any Heathrow terminal to Green Park, change to the Victoria line one stop south to Victoria, then 8-min walk.
- From Gatwick: Gatwick Express direct to Victoria, every 15 minutes, around 30 minutes. Then 8-min walk through Stag Place and Petty France.
- From St Pancras / Eurostar: Victoria line direct from King's Cross St Pancras to Victoria (about 7 min), then 8-min walk.
- From King's Cross: Victoria line direct to Victoria, then 8-min walk.
- From Stansted: Stansted Express to Liverpool Street (47 min), then Circle line to St James's Park (~15 min), then 5-min walk.
- From London City Airport: DLR to Bank, then District or Circle line to St James's Park, then 5-min walk. Around 45 min in total.
- Arrival at the building: 4 Greycoat Place is on the corner of Greycoat Place and Greycoat Street, opposite Strutton Ground. The original red-brick fire station with the porthole windows is unmistakable. The lobby entrance is on Greycoat Place itself; staff are on hand 15:00–17:00 weekdays, with an ALTIDO/Joivy team member meeting guests outside those hours.
London and the wider United Kingdom
Westminster is the right base for first-time London, the icons are inside a 15-minute walk, the river runs along the bottom of the postcode, and the tube puts you at any other corner of the city in under 30 minutes. Spring (April–May) and early autumn (September–October) are the sweet spots: 11–17 °C, longer daylight, marquee events (the London Marathon finishes a few minutes from the door in late April; the Chelsea Flower Show is in May) and lighter crowds than the July–August peak.
December is festive, Christmas markets, the Trafalgar Square tree lit on the first Thursday, and New Year's Eve fireworks on the Thames at the London Eye, but cold and dark by 4 p.m. June has the longest days (16.5 hours of daylight) and Trooping the Colour. January and February are the quietest and cheapest months. London is rainy year-round; carry an umbrella.
Watch: a tour of Westminster
A walk through Westminster covering the Abbey, Parliament, Whitehall and St James’s Park, with the history behind each. Every stop is a few minutes on foot from Greycoat Place.
What guests say about Westminster Fire Station
Scores and review counts are aggregated from verified guest bookings on major travel platforms.
Superb
Guests overwhelmingly rate Westminster Fire Station Luxury Apartments as a Superb central-London base. The location next to Westminster Abbey, the spotless apartment-style accommodation and the seriously well-equipped kitchens are praised in nearly every review, and couples in particular single it out as a favourite. The one consistent gripe across all major review platforms is bed size, several reviewers mention beds running short or narrow for two adults, which is worth checking on the room popup before booking.
Spacious penthouse with great facilities and close to all the major Westminster sights. The accommodation was clean, modern and super comfortable, and the lobby was warm enough to wait in for an early luggage drop. Walking distance to Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace, with the street markets right outside.
Megan
Spacious penthouse with great facilities and close to all the major Westminster sights. The accommodation was clean, modern and super comfortable, and the lobby was warm enough to wait in for an early luggage drop. Walking distance to Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace, with the street markets right outside.
2026-04-25Felt like home in London. Cosy, well-stocked apartment a short walk from Westminster, easy tube and bus access, and a real variety of food on the doorstep.
2026-04-20Very good location and the rooms are big enough for our group, with two bathrooms.
2026-04-12Great location, spotless apartment and a kitchen with everything we needed. The beds were a touch small for taller adults, otherwise we'd have given it a 10.
2026-04-06Very clean and well-equipped, comfortable for a family of four. The location is absolutely perfect, quiet but very central, and we'd book again.
2026-03-27Big Ben and the London Eye 10 minutes on foot, the underground and bus stops 5 minutes, and a Tesco round the corner. The kitchen is top-notch, dishwasher, washer-dryer, coffee machine and a massive fridge. Lobby for early luggage storage too.
2026-03-21Good to Know Before You Book
Beds run small or narrow for taller adults
Several guests describe the beds as short or narrow for two adults; bed comfort is the most commonly flagged aspect of the Two-Bedroom Apartment. Tall sleepers should check the bed dimensions on the room popup before booking.
£250 refundable damage deposit
A £250 refundable damage deposit is taken on a credit card at check-in and refunded within 7 days. Standard for serviced apartments, worth knowing in advance.
No on-site parking, and you're inside the Congestion Charge zone
There is no parking at the building. The Central London Congestion Charge is £18/day (Mon–Fri 07:00–18:00) and ULEZ is £12.50/day for non-compliant vehicles. Q-Park Westminster (Great College Street) and NCP Abingdon Street are both a 5–8 minute walk. Arriving by Tube is faster and cheaper.
Reception is staffed 15:00–17:00 only
Walk-up reception is staffed 15:00–17:00 weekdays. Outside those hours an ALTIDO/Joivy team member meets you for check-in, with concierge support available 24/7 by phone. Late check-in fees apply (£20 from 21:00, £40 after midnight).
Photos of Westminster Fire Station Luxury Apartments
Westminster Fire Station Luxury Apartments FAQs
The building is at 4 Greycoat Place, London SW1P 1WU, in the Westminster borough of central London, eight minutes' walk south-west of Westminster Abbey and twelve minutes' walk from Buckingham Palace. The closest tube is St James's Park (Circle and District lines), four to five minutes' walk away.
It's a serviced-apartment property, every unit is a complete, self-contained London apartment with a private kitchen and a washer-dryer, not a hotel room. The building is run by London serviced-apartment specialist ALTIDO (part of the Joivy Group), with private check-in, daily housekeeping on request, and lobby luggage storage.
The original 1906 Edwardian Baroque fire station was decommissioned in 2014 and reopened as 17 design-led residential apartments in September 2023. The building is Grade II-listed (Historic England List Entry 1214121), with six apartments inside the original red-brick and Portland-stone fire station and eleven in a new garden building behind it. The famous porthole windows and tall sash windows are preserved.
Check-in is from 15:00 and check-out is by 10:00. Reception is staffed 15:00–17:00 weekdays; outside those hours an ALTIDO/Joivy team member meets guests, with concierge support available 24/7 by phone. Late check-in fees apply: £20 between 21:00 and midnight, £40 after midnight.
There is no on-site parking at the building, and you sit inside both the Congestion Charge zone (£18/day, Mon–Fri 07:00–18:00) and ULEZ (£12.50/day for non-compliant vehicles). The nearest paid car parks are Q-Park Westminster on Great College Street and NCP Abingdon Street, both a 5–8 minute walk south. Arriving by Tube is significantly faster and cheaper.
Westminster Abbey is roughly an 8-minute walk south, Buckingham Palace about 12 minutes north-west through Birdcage Walk and St James's Park, and Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament 12–15 minutes east towards the river. The Churchill War Rooms are 10 minutes; St James's Park 10 minutes; Tate Britain a short walk south down Millbank.
Every apartment includes a full kitchen, washer-dryer, free Wi-Fi, air conditioning, underfloor heating, and a private bathroom with bath. Daily housekeeping is available on request for an additional fee.
Pets are not allowed, and the building is non-smoking throughout. The property also does not accept hen, stag or party bookings, and quiet hours run 22:00–09:00. Children of any age are welcome, guests aged 18 and over are charged as adults.
Other great stays in London
Prime Inn
A small Westminster hotel one tube stop from Greycoat Place, a useful comparison if you'd prefer a staffed front desk to a serviced apartment.
The Jade Hotel London
A central-London hotel in the same wider London cluster, the right comparison if you'd rather have a fully staffed hotel front desk than a serviced apartment.
The Farringdon
Three luxurious central-London apartments under the same serviced-apartment format, the closest direct alternative to Westminster Fire Station, with a Clerkenwell rather than Westminster postcode.
Ready to book Westminster Fire Station?
Apartments eight minutes from Westminster Abbey. Live availability on the live availability calendar.
Check Availability