Spurs extended their unbeaten League run to seven matches with a superb first-half performance and a gritty rearguard action as QPR made a game of it after being outclassed in the opening 45 minutes.
Spurs led at the break through an angled drive from Bale after 20 minutes and an opportunistic effort from Van der Vaart, who scored for the fifth successive league match to equal a club record shared by Teddy Sheringham and Robbie Keane in the Premier League era.
"I thought Spurs were fabulous and at half-time it would have been easy just to think how many they were going to get, so I decided to make changes and we came back strongly after showing them too much respect," QPR manager Neil Warnock told reporters.
"I even found myself clapping their third goal, it was just a such a fabulous goal," he added.
"They are a top team, full of class but we can take a lot of credit from that performance today, we have come a long way since Fulham [a 6-0 defeat a month ago], and we made them work very hard for it in the second half."
"But then when you find yourselves only 2-1 up, it's difficult," he said. "But we finished it off with Gareth's goal to keep this great run going, I am delighted."
Warnock also praised his defender Anton Ferdinand, who has admitted enduring a stressful week after being the unwitting victim of an alleged racist slur from England captain John Terry during last weekend's match against Chelsea at Loftus Road.
"Anton showed great character today and did not put a foot wrong," said Warnock whose promoted team lie 12th in the standings. "I thought he was the man of the match. He is defending superbly and did very well today."
