You’re coming to London, but you don’t want to feel like a tourist. You want cafés where the barista knows your order by day three, not coffee chains with identical menus. Markets with personality, not megamalls full of the same shops you’ve got back home. A proper pub where locals actually drink, not a packed bar charging £12 for a pint because they can get away with it. 

You want to explore everything London has to offer – then return somewhere that feels calm, connected, and quietly special rather than just another anonymous hotel room. 

Welcome to Blackheath. And welcome to your new favourite London base – The Clarendon Hotel.

Where You Stay Shapes The Whole Trip 

Sure, you could book another Zone 1 hotel. You’ll pay premium prices for a room the size of a generous cupboard, and you’ll be surrounded by crowds from the moment you step outside until you collapse back into bed. 

Or you could try something different. Wake up in Blackheath and start your mornings with a proper walk across the Common, watching dog walkers and early joggers go about their day. Grab coffee from independent cafés where they actually care about the beans they’re serving. Take leisurely strolls through Greenwich Park before the tour groups arrive, when the deer are still visible and the paths belong to locals. 

Come evening, settle into characterful pubs where conversations happen with actual Londoners rather than fellow tourists comparing itineraries. This is the London most visitors never experience – real life happening at a civilised pace, just 20 minutes from the city centre’s intensity.

You’re Still Completely Connected 

Don’t let Blackheath’s village atmosphere fool you into thinking you’re isolated. From Blackheath Station, the city unfolds with remarkable ease. London Bridge appears in 13 minutes, Charing Cross in 20, The O2 in just 10. Greenwich’s maritime treasures are one stop away, while the rest of London spreads out through excellent transport connections. 

The beauty lies in the choice. Yes, do the Tower of London and catch that West End show. Shop in Soho and explore Borough Market. But return each evening to somewhere that feels like you’re living there rather than just consuming tourist attractions.  

Space To Breathe And Actually Relax 

At The Clarendon, accommodation means more than just somewhere to sleep. Our rooms offer genuine space – not the kind where you have to choose between opening your suitcase or accessing the bathroom. Family options work for actual families without requiring engineering degrees to fit everyone in, while Crown Collection rooms add touches of luxury for special occasions. 

After days spent navigating London’s crowds, there’s something deeply restorative about returning to a proper bed, actual floor space, and the kind of peaceful night that lets you wake refreshed rather than exhausted. 

You can explore our room options here to see what we mean about space making all the difference.

Eat Where the Locals Eat 

Forget fighting for tables at overpriced tourist traps where the food disappoints and the experience feels manufactured. Blackheath’s dining scene operates on a completely different principle – places survive because locals love them, not because guidebooks recommend them. 

Cosy pubs offer roaring fires in winter and sun-drenched gardens in summer, creating the kind of atmosphere where conversations linger over excellent food. French bakeries, artisan gelato stands, authentic creperies, and brunch spots run by people passionate about what they serve dot the village streets. 

Greenwich Market sits just down the hill, offering some of London’s best global street food in a setting that feels authentically local rather than designed for Instagram. Back at The Clarendon, our Meridian Restaurant serves seasonal British favourites that draw locals for special occasions, while the Chart Bar provides the perfect setting for nightcaps with views over the Common.

Blackheath Is the Secret Side of London You’ll Want to Return To 

Blackheath reveals itself slowly in moments between planned activities. It’s a place where you’ll find genuinely excellent coffee at a café where the owner remembers you’re visiting from abroad, and where locals will nod hello during morning walks, making you feel temporarily part of their community. It’s a place with evening strolls across the Common when the London skyline glimmers in the distance and you think, “I could actually live here.” 

And for a few days, staying at The Clarendon Hotel, you almost can. You’ll experience London’s energy and attractions while maintaining a connection to a place that feels real, welcoming, and refreshingly unhurried.  

Book Your Stay and See the City Like a Local 

Stay somewhere that lets you see the best of London without having to remain immersed in tourist chaos every moment. Why not choose accommodation that supports rather than exhausts your exploration, where waking up feels like the start of an adventure rather than another day of survival? 

Book your room at The Clarendon Hotel and discover why how you feel when you wake up matters just as much as what you do that day. 

Stay smart. Stay somewhere that lets you see the best of London – without having to stay in it all the time.