Inside John Lewis’ mega-posh apartment where you can stay overnight… but it doesn’t have a loo
IN A corner of its store, John Lewis has built an entire apartment for customers to sleep in, but there’s just one flaw: it doesn’t have a toilet.
Complete with a porch, The Residence boasts a dining and living area, a small study, a "drinking room", an indoor garden, a kitchen and a bedroom.
John Lewis has built the almost fully-functioning apartment in three of their stores - Oxford Street, London, Liverpool and Cambridge - for customers who want to try before they buy.
Despite being valued at £2million by Savills estate agents - thanks to its central London location and high-quality decor - the apartment doesn’t have a toilet or bathroom.
If you’re caught short in the middle of the night, you’ll have to leave the flat for the less glamorous shop floor loos.
“It wasn’t possible to fit a fully working bathroom and kitchen in the apartment,” Peter Cross, director of customer experience at John Lewis, told the Sun Online, “but we have styled the toilets nearby.
“Guests will be given a key to the toilet which is next door.”
Anyone hoping to snoop around in the store after dark will also be disappointed as the concierge doubles-up as a security guard.
The apartment is kitted out with the latest John Lewis homeware range so if you fancy something while you’re in there, you’ll be able to buy it in store the next day.
If you are one of the few lucky people to be selected from the ballot, you’ll be asked what products you would like to try, like bedding and tableware.
Weirdly, you can even choose what scent you’d like the apartment to smell of.
There, you will also be a master class to show you how to create mood lighting and how to lay a table.
There will also be an expert to teach you how to choose the right bedding.
Before you get to try out the apartment, you’ll also be able to enjoy an hour shopping in the store after it closes, even though you are yet to try the goods.
Forget Aldi because there will be a chef to cook up your meals with ingredients from partner company Waitrose, and someone will bring you brunch in bed in the morning.
You’ll have to leave the apartment by 9am so it can be prepped for general shoppers to have a nose around.
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Only two people are allowed to stay there at any one time and you’ll have to share the bed.
For those planning to use the stay as a romantic getaway, readers should know that the view from the bedroom is the shop floor escalators - and remember the concierge will be nearby.
“This is a more immersive shopping experience for customers, without the stress and uncertainty of buying things straight from the shop,” added Peter.
“By encouraging customers to bounce up and down on a bed or sitting around a dressed dining table, we are aiming to create an environment which is a close as possible to their homes.
“As people shop more online, shops have to change things up a bit and this is definitely that.”
It’s free to stay and there’s no obligation to buy anything the next morning but there is quite a big catch.
As it stands, John Lewis is only holding sleepovers for four consecutive Saturdays starting on September 23 - but Peter reckons it could be extended until Christmas if it’s popular.
The first two weekends will be picked from a ballot of John Lewis loyalty members only and the last two stays will be drawn randomly and is open to the general public.
For those who don’t get stay the night in store, there is another opportunity to be selected to enjoy a dinner party for up to six guests.
You can apply for The Residence experience by visiting the concierge team in Oxford Street, Cambridge or Liverpool on Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 or Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 of September.
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