Just 15 miles from London, Watford sprang to life after the Industrial Revolution and is now a fully fledged destination in its own right in the modern day. With sprawling shopping malls, over 40 parks and gardens, a magical Harry Potter World experience, several outstanding theatres and live music venues, a Premier League football team plus a thriving food and nightlife scene, the town has plenty to offer. And our Watford hotels are perfectly placed to take in all the action.
Things to do in Watford
Shopping
The largest shopping centre in the county, Watford is home to over 140 stores, cafés, bars and restaurants and a short walk from our Watford Central hotel. Open seven days a week, the store covers everything from high-end fashion to cosmetics, electronics and several department stores including Debenhams and John Lewis. The centre also has dozens of cafés and restaurants including Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Pizza Express and Cafe Giardino. Opened in 1992, the centre is undergoing a major three-year, £180 million renovation that will add a nine-screen cinema complex and dozens of new fashion, beauty, food and leisure stores.
Running along the back of Watford is Watford High Street, a buzzing and busy retail street home to a wide range of retailers including clothing, bookshops, cafés and supermarket outlets.
A short distance away is New Watford Market, a busy marketplace where you can pick up vintage goods, fresh fruit and veg, street food and plenty of bargains.
Getting Around
Less than 20 miles away from Watford, Luton Airport is the fifth-busiest airport in the UK, welcoming more than 15 million passengers through its doors each year with airlines including EasyJet, TUI Airways, Ryanair and Wizz Air flying across Europe and the UK. The 20-minute car journey is the quickest way to get there, with the bus and train taking around 70 minutes including one change each.
Heathrow, the largest airport in the UK, is only slightly further away, with the 22-mile journey taking around 30 minutes by car or taxi and 50 minutes via a direct bus service. Make the journey even easier by staying the night before at one of our hotels near Heathrow Airport.
Watford Junction Train Station is just 16 minutes from London and also offers regular services to Milton Keynes, Northampton and Birmingham. The station is a major travel hub with connecting bus services and buses to the Harry Potter studio tour. The 11-platform station is equipped with toilets, a ticket office, shops and 750 car park spaces, and is a short walk north from the town centre.
Shopping in Watford
