Best Western London Peckham Hotel

The Best Western Peckham was built in 1849, though it wasn’t a hotel until much later, and it has retained many of its original features. The grandiose building, with its contrasting red and white brick and arched windows, is a pleasant surprise. Inspired by the neighborhood’s connection to "Only Fool and Horses" -- and its current status as one of the city’s increasingly hip spots -- the design throughout is colorful and youthful. Nods to the program include a yellow Reliant Regal van, as seen in the show, parked on the hotel's lawn. The lobby is a good size and feels airy thanks to the large windows overlooking the terrace. There’s a strange combination of seating and things look a little haphazard. As a result, guests seem to gravitate to the renovated ground-floor Italian restaurant instead. Here, things are more cohesive, with a cool and current style that includes low-slung light fittings, an open kitchen with pizza oven, and fun palm print wallpaper. Guests tend to be families looking for affordable rooms away from the hustle and bustle of central London. Business guests are also common, as are locals looking to put their families up for a few nights. The high occupancy makes for a lively and social atmosphere, particularly in the restaurant. 

Best Western Peckham sits in what used to be considered a gritty part of south London. Peckham hasn’t always had the best reputation, but an insurgence of a young hipster crowd has brought gentrification and edge to this London enclave. Now there are achingly cool bars, cafes, and restaurants to explore. Guests are a four-minute stroll to The Habit Cafe, which is a hybrid art gallery and coffeehouse. For other dining and nightlife options it's best to head towards Peckham Levels, which is a 10-minute walk from the hotel. Peckham Levels occupies a disused parking lot and has different street-food vendors and vibes on each story. Head to the top to get to Frank’s, a rooftop bar which typifies the changing face of the area. There’s also the Peckhamplex Cinema on the lower floor, which sells cheap tickets and is popular with locals. Also, a 10-minute walk away, Bellenden Road is the posher section of Peckham. Here you’ll find a village atmosphere more common to West London, with boutiques and healthy grocery stores. 

It takes over 30 minutes to get into central London and see all the iconic sights, like Westminster Abbey (33 minutes), Buckingham Palace (35 minutes), and Trafalgar Square (36 minutes). The journey involves getting one of the many buses which pass the hotel to Elephant and Castle or Oval underground stations, then a train into the center. Alternatively, many of the buses go the whole way, but it will take around 40 minutes. Heathrow Airport is the closest airport, taking 55 minutes to drive to. 

The 214 rooms are clean, but tend to err on the small side. Interiors vary, with 79 of the rooms decorated in an "Only Fools and Horses" style, and the rest a mixture of bold colors and more modern designs. In the "Only Fools and Horses" rooms, yellow headboards display the "Lovely Jubbly" catchphrase and the patterned wallpaper is a retro throwback in orange and brown hues. Curtains are a clashing shade of lime green and the Reliant Regal van makes a reappearance, this time painted onto the wall. It’s a fun, good humored style which certainly doesn’t shy away from color, but won’t be to everybody’s taste. Elsewhere the style is less eccentric with rooms decked out in a mixture of white and punchy green, red, or lavender accents. But the wildest of them all is the Peckhamania themed rooms which feature monochrome striped wallpaper, graffiti style headboards, and lime green work chairs. The style is irreverent and youthful but can feel overwhelming and confused in places. The most impressive option is the Mezzanine Family Room. Set over two floors, it feels far more spacious and modern than some of the other rooms and has attractive copper and green accents.

Amenities include flat-screen 42-inch TVs with Freeview channels, free Wi-Fi, coffee-and-tea-making facilities, air-conditioning, and wardrobes -- but no safes. Bathrooms are modern and fresh with showers throughout and Pure Herb toiletries as well as hairdryers. Some rooms have mezzanine levels and terraces. 

Features are thin on the ground at Best Western London Peckham, but the ones they do have are particularly good. The Pizzapolli restaurant is the high-point of the hotel. It’s here that the fun, youthful style really comes together and works well, with printed wallpaper, comfortable seating, an uber-modern bar area, and open kitchen. An average breakfast buffet, including vegetarian options, is served here in the morning. In the afternoon and evening, it becomes an Italian eatery with a winning menu of antipasti, spit-roasted chicken, and pizza. 

The hotel has its own parking lot available for guest use, at an additional cost, but space is limited. It’s a first come first served system, so check ahead regarding availability. At the front of the hotel, there’s a pleasant terrace area with a grassy lawn and several benches. This kind of space and entrance is most unusual in London and gives the hotel great curb appeal. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel.