Staying near Hampstead Heath means early morning walks before the crowds arrive. Here are the best hotels, B&Bs, and apartments within walking distance of the Heath.
Where to Stay Near Hampstead Heath: Hotels, B&Bs, and Serviced Apartments
The case for staying near Hampstead Heath rather than in central London is simple: the Heath is best in the morning, before 9am, when the mist is still on the ponds and Parliament Hill has perhaps twenty people on it. If you're staying in King's Cross or Covent Garden, arriving before 9am means a tube journey that starts at 8am or earlier. If you're staying in Hampstead or Belsize Park, it means a 10-minute walk out of the door. The accommodation trade-off, slightly further from Trafalgar Square, considerably better quality of morning, is worth considering.
In the Village: Closest to the Heath
La Gaffe, Heath Street
The nearest hotel to the Hampstead Heath entrance, from La Gaffe's front door to the open Heath is approximately eight minutes on foot. A long-established family-run hotel above an Italian restaurant, La Gaffe occupies a converted 18th-century shepherd's cottage on the lower section of Heath Street.
Rooms: 18 rooms, individually decorated rather than chain-identical. The rooms vary in size, worth requesting one of the larger rooms when booking, as the smaller ones are compact.
Price: Mid-range for Hampstead (which is, by London standards, the higher end of mid-range). Expect £120-200 per night depending on season.
Practical: The Italian restaurant on the ground floor serves dinner seven days. The Heath entrance at East Heath Road is a short walk down the hill. No on-site parking, but the East Heath Road car park is adjacent.
Best for: Visitors whose primary reason for being in north London is the Heath, Kenwood, or the village itself.
Staying at Private Rentals (Airbnb / VRBO)
The NW3 postcode has a well-developed short-term rental market. Georgian terraced houses and large Victorian conversions with multiple bedrooms appear regularly on Airbnb, particularly for 2-4 night stays. The NW3 rental market skews higher-end, this is not the place to find a cheap Airbnb, but a two-bedroom flat in the village with a private garden is a genuinely different experience from a hotel room.
Key areas to search: Flask Walk, Well Walk, Keats Grove, Willow Road, and the streets immediately east of Hampstead tube station.
Nearby: Belsize Park and Chalk Farm
Belsize Park Area (15-20 minutes' walk to the Heath)
Belsize Park sits between Hampstead and central London, on the Northern line, with both Hampstead Heath and central London accessible by tube. Several serviced apartments and boutique accommodation options operate here.
What to look for: Belsize Village, the small strip around Belsize Lane and Belsize Terrace, has several Victorian houses operating as B&Bs or holiday lets. The walk up to Hampstead from Belsize Park is uphill but manageable (25 minutes); the tube is one stop.
Advantage over the village: Belsize Park accommodation is typically 20-25% cheaper than equivalent Hampstead accommodation while remaining in walking distance of both the Heath and the tube.
Further Afield: Swiss Cottage and Finchley Road
Swiss Cottage (20-25 minutes' walk, or 2 stops by tube)
The Swiss Cottage area has several larger hotels of the international chain variety, more rooms, better breakfast buffets, less character. For visitors who want convenient Heath access plus the operational reliability of a chain hotel:
Holiday Inn London, Swiss Cottage: Practical choice for families. On-site restaurant, good breakfast, rooms that work for two adults plus children. The tube to Hampstead is two stops on the Northern line; alternatively it's a long uphill walk.
Accessibility: The Swiss Cottage tube station is on the Jubilee line (for Westminster, London Bridge, Canary Wharf) as well as accessible to the Northern line via a short bus or walk, making this a genuinely useful location for visitors with itineraries beyond the Heath.
What to Know Before Booking
Zone 2 is not inconvenient: The Hampstead area is in Zone 2, meaning central London is accessible and inexpensive by tube. The Northern line from Hampstead to Charing Cross is 20 minutes; to King's Cross is 11 minutes. Do not let "Zone 2" concern you, it is one of the best-connected Zone 2 locations in London.
Parking: If you're driving to stay in Hampstead, check carefully before booking. Most of the village is in a controlled parking zone; hotel guests without on-site parking face a real challenge. La Gaffe has no parking. The East Heath Road car park is available for daytime use only. Staying with access to a private parking space (possible with some rentals) is significantly more convenient.
The walk from the tube: Hampstead station is at the bottom of a steep hill. If you're staying at the top of the village (near the Holly Bush or Whitestone Pond), expect a 10-minute uphill walk from the station. Not a problem for most people; worth knowing if you're travelling with luggage.
Seasonal pricing: Like most of Zone 2 London, accommodation prices near Hampstead Heath peak in July and August and during bank holiday weekends. The Heath is busy in summer but is beautiful year-round; late autumn and early spring visits are cheaper and, in some ways, more atmospheric.
Related reading: Getting to Hampstead Heath · Hampstead Heath Parking Guide · Things to Do in Hampstead with Kids
