The house

Three bedroom sleeping up to 5 guests, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, in Notting Hill. Who knew Notting Hill could be so bucolic? Moments from the wonderful rumpus of Portobello Road is a home with all the hush of a cottage sitting back from the lane. Whether it’s the duck-egg shades, the floral curtains or the furnishings of oak and pine, Hillgate Place couldn’t be homelier if it was draped in honeysuckle. But don’t go hunting for hay lofts, or owls in tree hollows.

In a townhouse this big and stylish it would be idle not to discover every sumptuous sofa, every chic bedroom and every trendy café lining nearby Holland Park Avenue. The secret of Hillgate Place may be well known to your hosts but that doesn’t stop them from being pleasantly surprised each time they come home. A family with four children, each has their own favourite nook to feel cosiest in. Breeze your way into this townhouse and be prepared to relax.

And then relax some more. You might ease a book from the groaning shelves, wrap yourself up tight in one of the numerous cosy coverlets or step outside and fall to daydreaming on the cute patio. If the sitting room’s fireplace and florals are quietly traditional, then the open-plan kitchen and dining room is sprucely, spaciously modern. As for the intricate gold-framed mirrors and the all-soothing bathrooms, we defy any family member, small or large, not to be delighted.

Between May and September a fan will be provided in all bedrooms.