LOCAL AREA

The hotel is less than 2 miles from Putney, where you can hit the high street's brand-name shops and popular cafes. You can unwind with a pint in a local pub, or head to a curry house or posh burger joint. Catch some live music or comedy while sipping cocktails in one of the hip bars. Take some snaps of the Thames from Putney Bridge, and walk back along the riverfront through Wandsworth Park.

It's a 15-minute train ride into central London to see iconic sites like the Tower of London, Trafalgar Square and Buckingham Palace. Enjoy panoramic views from the London Eye and take a selfie on Westminster Bridge. Take in a West End show and wander the free-entry National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery. You can stroll to Piccadilly Circus and hit the shops on Regent and Oxford Street.

Buses take sports fans from the hotel to Chelsea Football Club's Stamford Bridge stadium in less than 25 minutes. You can cheer on your team with thousands of football-mad locals. More into tennis? The Championships are held every summer at Wimbledon, about a 20-minute Tube ride from Wandsworth Town station. To bag a ground pass, arrive early and join the queue.

The hotel is just one stop from Clapham Junction, a huge transport hub with links to greater London and beyond. Catch a train to Waterloo and check out the Southbank precinct, home to the London Eye. Change at Vauxhall to jump on the Tube's Victoria Line, which zips you up to Oxford Circus in under 10 minutes. Travel outside rush hour for shorter journey times and cheaper fares.