Crawley Hotels

Visiting Crawley – A Guide

For many visitors, Crawley's big selling point is its location, minutes from Gatwick Airport (LGW) and less than an hour from London. It's home to thriving businesses, modern shopping and leisure centres, and natural beauty nearby in the rolling South Downs and the Surrey Hills.
 

Whether you’re visiting on business or stopping over, there’s plenty to keep you amused.
 

Crawley: town layout

Crawley's town centre is bounded by Crawley Avenue (A2011) and the M23 motorway. The main shopping area is between Station Way and The Boulevard.
 

To the east, Three Bridges and Worth are residential districts close to the M23. Manor Royal Business District, between the town and Gatwick Airport, is home to more than 300 businesses, including Virgin Atlantic.
 

West of the centre in Goff's Park you'll find Crawley Museum, woodland and a miniature railway.
 

The concierge recommends…

• A round of golf at Tilgate Forest Golf Centre, which has a nine-hole par-three course and an 18-hole course in pretty wooded countryside.
• A free guided tour of Wakehurst Place, a grand Elizabethan mansion surrounded by formal gardens.
• A trip to 13th-century Hever Castle, once home to Anne Boleyn, one of the less fortunate of Henry VIII’s six wives.

Hotels in Crawley

Most hotels in Crawley are close to the two main highways that loop round the town centre, the A2011 and the M23 motorway. Travellers seeking easy access to Gatwick Airport and the Manor Royal Business District often stay here, on the outskirts of town.
 

Three Bridges and Worth are peaceful residential districts. Close to the M23, they also have fast links to Gatwick, via Three Bridges train station.
 

If catching that early flight is paramount, you can stay right beside the airport. You’ll still have easy access to the restaurants and entertainment in the town centre.
 

Eating Out in Crawley

International eateries and cosy pubs dominate Crawley's dining scene. You'll find Italian, Mexican, Indian, Chinese and Thai restaurants in the town centre. Takeaway joints offer kebabs, pizza and fish and chips.
 

At The Hawth theatre, you can enjoy a pre-show dinner at Café Viva and an interval drink at one of two bars.
 

The chef recommends…

• Cheeses from the High Weald Dairy, including tangy Duddleswell and creamy Sussex Slipcote.
• Sparkling white wines from Nyetimber Vineyard in the South Downs.

Shopping in Crawley

Crawley's main shopping area is close to the station, between Station Way and The Boulevard. You'll find more than 90 shops, including Debenhams, Boots, Primark, Body Shop and Monsoon, at County Mall Shopping Centre on Station Way. You can pick up fresh local produce at the open-air market in Queens Square, held every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
 

Antique hunters can rummage for bargains in the traffic-free Lanes in buzzy Brighton, only 30 minutes away by train.
 

Antique Shopping in Brighton

• Brighton Flea Market is crammed with antique and vintage curios, glassware, crockery and furniture.
• Brighton Lanes Antiques specialises in jewellery, silver, porcelain, vintage timepieces and objets d'art.
• North Laine Antiques and Flea Market is a gloriously eclectic collectables emporium.

Culture & Nightlife in Crawley

Crawley's cultural scene has plenty to please visitors. In the city centre, The Hawth hosts ballet, opera, musicals and live rock and jazz. Its Studio theatre shows arthouse films, as well as drama and opera transmitted live from London's National Theatre and Royal Opera House.
 

For a bigger choice, hop on a train to buzzing Brighton, half an hour away.
 

Clubbing in Crawley

• Six Degrees attracts hip young locals with a cocktail bar where mixologists can create your own custom-made 'personalised cocktail', as well as a plush champagne and shisha bar.
• Moka Crawley has space for 1200 in its lofty Moka dance space and the laid-back Vista Lounge.

Visiting Crawley with a Family

Families visiting Crawley will find lots to see and do. Kids can meet cute meerkats and other creatures at Tilgate Park and Leisure Centre, or whizz down treetop ziplines at Go Ape.
 

There’s more family fun at Goff’s Park, where you can ride miniature trains on the 700-metre Goff's Park Light Railway.
 

If it Rains: Indoor Family Fun in Crawley

• K2 Leisure Centre has a climbing wall, a play zone and drop-in pool sessions for tots, plus two slides and an Olympic-sized pool.
• Crawley Leisure Park has a 10-pin bowling alley, a multi-screen cinema and restaurants with family-friendly menus.
• Over-eights, teens and parents can test their driving skills on the multi-level indoor circuits at Go Karting Crawley.