Looking for the best hotels in Chiswick? Here's my unsponsored review of Clayton Hotel in Chiswick. (I paid for my own stays.) It's not perfect but it's good enough that I've stayed there 3x! Read on to see if it's the right Chiswick hotel for you.
As someone with terrible motion sickness, I am always looking for hotels within 30 minutes drive of London Heathrow airport to base myself in. (It once took me over 2 hours to get from Heathrow to London Bridge- almost threw up in the Uber!)
So far, we've tried Bingham Riverhouse in Richmond, Hotel Du Vin in Wimbledon Village and Clayton Hotel in Chiswick (4 star hotel). They each have their advantages (and disadvantages.) Of the 3 areas, Chiswick feels the most down to earth- click here for more information about how to spend a day in Chiswick.
Clayton Hotel Chiswick is pretty much a business hotel- don't expect too much personality in terms of the decor and service- but it makes for a very affordable, comfortable and convenient stay in my opinion. (SO much cheaper than the hotels in London Bridge for example.)
Recommended for
- People who need lifts! HUGE advantage for people on their way to/ back from Heathrow i.e. have luggage! (It's also not something you find in all hotels- Bingham Riverhouse, for example, does not.)
- People visiting in summer: it gets HOT in the UK these days and many places are not air-conditioned. (Even some of the 5-star hotels in central London that I've stayed at!) Clayton Hotel has good air-conditioning in its rooms, something you'll be SO grateful for when it's 39C out!
- Looking for good prices: I've paid under £100 for a room at Clayton Hotel Chiswick (but on average paid about £110)- this is about 50-60% of what Hotel Du Vin, Bingham Hotel, Petersham Hotel, and Richmond Hill hotel were charging (at the time of booking.)
- A stone's throw from cafes, and a grocery store (Co-op) where you can find an ATM to withdraw money INSIDE the store (Safer than if you draw money standing on the road, outside the supermarket) There are also many shops and restaurants, including a Michelin-starred one, a little further away but still within walking distance. (PSA: The Michelin star restaurant, La Trompette, does cheaper lunch sets, Wednesday- Friday, for £45. On other days, it's £65!)
- People who want to see how real Londoners live: Chiswick is a very popular residential neighbourhood with Londoners.
- Ted Lasso fans: 110 bus from outside Clayton Hotel takes you to Richmond, where Ted Lasso was filmed. (You can also stay in Richmond but it's generally pricier.)
- People who want to visit Kew Gardens: it's only 1 stop away and Chiswick has more amenities/ things to do than the area around Kew, in my opinion.
- Reasonably quiet, well-sized, well-planned rooms (when it comes to the location/ number of sockets etc) despite being near the highway. (Obviously won't be quiet if you open the window!) Clean and bright rooms.
- Spacious modern bathrooms with a shower: I think the bathroom at Clayton Hotel was almost 3x the size of my bathroom at Bingham Riverhouse!
- Onsite restaurant AND walking distance to many eating places (Breakfast is decent but not included in the room price.)
- Has a Gym
- Check-in is 11 and Check-out is 3 pm but Clayton Hotel kindly extended our check out when we asked (They can also store your luggage for you, if you need.)
On the down side:
- Although the hotel is Clayton Hotel CHISWICK, the closest tube is actually Gunnersbury and it's about 10-20 minutes walk to Chiswick High Street, where you'll find lots of shops, restaurants, and supermarkets.
- Some of the rooms are a bit worn (e.g. torn curtains) and dated with some things in the room a bit rickety. For example, on my 2nd stay, there was an issue with the room card holder (to turn on the powder for the room.) (It did eventually work but needed a bit of fidgeting and didn't seem super secure.) However, the staff is very accommodating when it comes to room changes: I mentioned it to them and they kindly upgraded me!
- Not recommended if you want a more personal experience: Check-in is via kiosks. I've never had an issue but there is also usually a person at the desk opposite the kiosks if you need help. However, they're more focused on problem solving (polite but don't expect much small talk.)
- Not all rooms have a security chain lock for the door (Our 1st one did, but the 2nd didn't.)
Rooms
The first time we stayed at Clayton Hotel , our room had a city view and faced the main road. Despite that, we didn't hear any traffic at all.
Our room was spacious, modern, and very quiet, which was a relief after a few hours of travelling. The room had lots of light and a good view of the surrounding area. It was clean and comfortable with blackout curtains.
On our second visit, our room rate was £96. The staff kindly upgraded us (for free), and the Clayton Hotel room had slippers, water, free popcorn in addition to the usual biscuits, coffee, and tea. I was actually really impressed by the selection of tea: we were given 8 sachets, 4 caffeinated (Twining English Breakfast) and 4 without caffeine (e.g. peppermint, chamomile etc) The latter were even organic!
Was quite impressed that they had Ritual toiletries (in the upgraded room.)
Tips
- Some rooms have limited natural light (as they face an internal wall)
- If you're noise sensitive, ask for a room that is not next to the gym.
Location
Clayton Hotel Chiswick is about 20-30 minutes drive from London Heathrow and 10-20 minutes walk to the centre of Chiswick High Street.
Transport
Clayton Hotel is a 9 minute walk to the closest tube station (Gunnersbury) which has both the District line (green line) and the London Overground.
Gunnersbury is in London Zone 3 (i.e. your tube fare will be more expensive than if you were just traveling in central London/ Zone 1- however, the savings in the hotel room costs should more than offset the extra transport fees!
There's also Acton Town Station, 15 minutes walk away, if you need the Piccadilly line (navy blue line).
Any questions about staying in Clayton Hotel in Chiswick? Let me know in the comments!
