Clarendon Hotel

Where to start?! From the outset, our experience of the Clarendon was not a good one. On arrival, the grossly inadequate car park was full to the brim. On asking door staff we were told "you can try the other car park round the back but that one's full too" leaving us to drive around for 10 minutes, eventually parking in a very exposed location and having to drag our luggage across to the hotel.

Check in should have been straight forward, except that despite carefully booking on their own website, the reservation was under the wrong name. After following directions up and down staircases and through several doors, we arrived in a very outdated room with exposed pipework, and décor desperately in need of renovation. However, all appeared clean and tidy, so the room staff seemed to take pride in their job. For a hotel room of this price, there was some expectation of quality touches, but the stingy supply of toiletries and tea and coffee facilities soon put paid to that.

On return from an evening out, we were looking forward to a good night's rest. Unfortunately, such an expectation was not to be fulfilled at an obviously busy Clarendon hotel, with all entrances surrounded with drunk rowdy smokers, one of which was situated outside of our thinly windowed room, thus preventing any sleep until the early hours, which after an hour or two was interrupted by the return of a large group booking on the floor above, crashing doors, shouting loudly and running from one room to the next. The lack of any decent sound proofing made this unbearable, and apparently staff at the Clarendon must be trained in the art of turning a blind eye, as this cacophony went on for what seemed an eternity.

Fortunately the rest of our stay was fairly uneventful yet also unimpressive, topped off with incorrect billing due to some miscommunication between the point of booking and hotel systems.

It's clear that the management of the Clarendon are well aware of their good location and lack of any competition in the vicinity, as demonstrated by the high prices for what is essentially a very dated, noisy and unimpressive hotel.

I travelled from S.E Asia to visit family and did actually book an apartment in Greenwich which did not turn out to be as advertised so I went along to the Clarendon Hotel.

The reception staff were lovely, extremely helpful, the porters a dream, and as my husband was joining me in 4 days, they gave me a special rate.

I actually returned twice to the hotel during my stay in the UK and it felt like home at times.

The double rooms are large and airy, bathrooms good size, and everything was clean. The TV's however are the small. In fact Peter’s comment on arrival was 'What’s the Postage stamp on the wall'

However as most folk do not come to sit in their rooms it was not a problem. Well maybe a bit when Wimbledon was on!

If you get a room at the front of the Hotel you get magnificent views over the Heath. However do be careful on booking, sometimes from Thursdays thru to Monday -they usually have weddings, parties which are no problem till the guests leave around 12-2. a.m. and the noise outside the hotel is awful and apparently beyond the Hotels control. When this happened to me on my second stay, I was offered a room in the GODs, ! However the next day I was moved to a room on the other side where the view is of the garden (which is lovely) and can even watch the TOWN FOXES come in and scavenge after one of their many evening events.

Breakfast is great value, but very busy on the mornings following Party nights, but on the whole the staff cope extremely well.

If you read other reviews on this hotel , will see that they do have a lot of Fire Alarm incidents. I had 2 in my stay there, one on June 27th where guests ended up outside the hotel. Great way to see the London Fire Brigade, but bit concerned at the lack of Roll Call -numerous guests didn't bother.

There is limited parking, i did have to park in the street a couple of times but could move the car back in the late evening.

Bad Points

Internet charges are outrageous,

Hotel needs double glazing.

The hotel lounge is a REAL LET DOWN. It is in the basement, and really dour ,unappealing, and serving instant coffee ugh...

However, there are numerous cafes outside, Blackheath is a lovely Village. Do go to the farmers market if you are there on a Sunday. Do walk across The Heath and into Greenwich, the return is uphill, but rewarding. You could of course take a bus.

Conclusion; A great hotel in need of refurbishment but is given tender lovely care by its staff, none of whom I could falter. Maybe a bit pricey but maybe the extra money will help upgrade it.

I would definitely stay there again.