Where to stay in Clapham: hotels and pubs with rooms
A pub with 42 rooms on the Common, two budget chains near the stations and a skyline splurge at Battersea Power Station. Clapham's beds, compared.
By Clapham London Editorial
The best place to stay in Clapham is The Windmill on Clapham Common South Side: a pub with 42 bedrooms, right on the Common, five minutes' walk from two Tube stations, and happy to take the dog. For a budget bed there is a Premier Inn on Wandsworth Road and a Travelodge by Clapham Junction, and for a big-city splurge, art'otel at Battersea Power Station is a short hop north. Here is how they compare.
The Windmill, Clapham Common South Side, SW4
The Windmill is the one we send friends to. It is a Young's pub with 42 bedrooms upstairs, sitting on the Common itself, and the pub says it is a five minute stroll from Clapham Common and Clapham South stations on the Northern line. That puts the West End and the City within easy reach, and the best running route in south London on your doorstep.
- Check in and out: check-in from 3pm, check-out by 11am.
- Food: breakfast from 7am on weekdays and 8am at weekends, lunch and dinner in the pub, and a Sunday roast from noon to 10pm.
- Extras: a garden, live sport, and dedicated family-friendly and dog-friendly stays.
- Good to know: the pub closes at 11pm, so the bar downstairs winds down at a sensible hour.
Book direct on the pub's site, and book early for summer weekends, when festivals and big events on the Common push up demand.
Premier Inn London Clapham, Wandsworth Road, SW8
Premier Inn London Clapham is at 638-640 Wandsworth Road, SW8. It is a Premier Plus hotel with a restaurant, breakfast, air conditioning in every room, free wifi and accessible rooms. There is no on-site parking: the hotel's page points you to short-stay pay and display street parking on Victoria Rise and The Chase, limited to four hours between 9am and 3.30pm on weekdays and free outside those hours and at weekends. You pay by phone or app, as there is no machine.
It suits a family on a budget: Premier Inn advertises that kids stay and eat free, subject to its terms, and has family rooms. Guest reviews on the hotel's page put Clapham Common Tube about a ten minute walk away.
Travelodge London Clapham Junction, Falcon Road, SW11
Travelodge London Clapham Junction is at 155 Falcon Road, SW11, a short walk from the station, which makes it the practical choice if you are catching early trains or heading to a night at the Grand on St John's Hill.
- Check in and out: check-in from 3pm, check-out by noon. Reception is staffed around the clock.
- Food: snacks and soft drinks from reception at any hour, and a Breakfast to Go at £6.95 per person.
- Parking: chargeable, at the St John's Hill car park near the station, open 24 hours.
The hotel's own page has flagged building work, so check the latest notice before you book.
art'otel London Battersea Power Station, SW11
If you want views, go north to Battersea Power Station and art'otel. Rooms range from Art Rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows to suites, with skyline views from the 10th to 14th floors. JOIA, the Portuguese restaurant from chef Henrique Sá Pessoa, sits across the 14th and 15th floors, and there is a rooftop bar on the 16th. Breakfast runs daily from 7am to 11.15am, and weekend afternoon tea at Perola costs £45 a head. The hotel has family-friendly and dog-friendly options too. It is a splurge, but it is a good one.
Which one should you pick?
- For the Common, the Old Town and a proper pub: The Windmill.
- For a budget family stay: Premier Inn London Clapham.
- For early trains or a night at the Grand: Travelodge Clapham Junction.
- For the views and a special occasion: art'otel at Battersea Power Station.
When to book
Clapham is busiest for visitors in summer, when the Common hosts big events and festivals, and at Christmas, when the Grand runs a packed season and Battersea Arts Centre turns into a family Christmas takeover. Book early for those dates. Midweek in spring and autumn is the quiet time, and the best time to see the Common and the Old Town at their most relaxed.
Getting around
From the Windmill, the Northern line is on your doorstep at Clapham Common and Clapham South. From the Travelodge, you have the whole of Clapham Junction, Britain's busiest interchange station by Network Rail's count. From the Premier Inn, it is a walk or a short bus ride to the Tube. Wherever you stay, walk the Common at least once. It is the heart of the place.
