The best family-friendly hotels in London
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Done well, a family city break in one of the most family-friendly hotels in London can be just that – a break. But check into a hotel that hasn’t fine-tuned its facilities or food for children and a long-awaited escape can quickly spin into an expensive nightmare. Every parent will know that there’s nothing worse than treading on eggshells around other guests, so how do top-drawer London hotels factor in the sprogs without ruining things for everyone else? With tonnes of first-hand experience, bags of creativity and an awareness that social taboos around children in luxury hotels are confined to history.
London’s most splendid and spoiling hotels have subsequently whipped their family offerings into shape, harnessing the city’s rich history and culture for multi-age adventures. Snazzy (and invaluable) baby and toddler equipment can be requested ahead and refined children’s food is no longer the sausage and mash of yore. These hotels endeavour to set little one’s imaginations alight while buying well-deserving parents enough time to be pampered too.
From lavish townhouses with clever, interconnecting rooms to chandeliered grandees with vast pools and eye-popping pudding menus, here are the best family-friendly hotels in London.
The Landmark, Marylebone
Best for: large families
Closest tube station: Baker Street
A pillared-and-palm-treed bastion of splendid Victoriana, the Landmark is one of those hotels where you feel inclined to swan between salon and suite, passing comment on the art. The afternoon tea here is an institution – a genteel feast of eccentric jams, clotted cream and cake served in a grand, glass-roofed courtyard (children love the chocolate afternoon tea). Vast family rooms deliver on London grandeur and sleep two adults and two children, with plenty of space for extra beds to be added at £60 each. Colourful indoor tents, headlamps and teddies are added when booking a family package and, as an extra, children can embark on an accompanied hotel treasure hunt, or around the labyrinthine streets of Marylebone. Babies and toddlers are well accounted for with the full kit list, from bottle warmers to socket safety plugs.
hotelThe Lanesborough
The LanesboroughBest for: the pool
Nearest tube: Hyde Park Corner
The Lanesborough’s always had a knack for transcending generations. One glimpse around the ornate Lanesborough Grill and you’ll likely spot an impeccably coiffed grandmother helping her grandson navigate the afternoon tea stand. While this proud traditionalist has plenty of expensive vases to knock over or marble to glide on (watch this in the bathrooms) it does it’s very best to offer sprogs something to do between the formal breakfasts and afternoon swim slot. On arrival, children are handed personalised Mini VIP leather passes, which they can use for free ice cream and drinks in any of the restaurants They can also look forward to treasure hunts in the room, mock-tail workshops with the hotel’s enthusiastic mixologists, mini manicures in the spa and trips to Hyde Park to toss artisanal sourdough into the Serpentine (lucky ducks). The hotel’s feline resident, Lilibet, can often be found sprawled across one of the sofas in the resplendent Withdrawing room or patrolling the corridors, much to the delight of the children spotting her. And, having whisked them to Hyde Park to burn off some energy (the concierge somehow managed to procure a toddler pram in under an hour) or even watched the guards’ horses on their morning exercise, parents can check into the swishy, subterranean spa for their thermal suites and best-in-class massages, with young children napping under the watchful eye of a trusted babysitter.
Address: The Lanesborough, Hyde Park Corner, London SW1X 7TA
hotelHotel Café Royal
Hotel Café RoyalBest for: the teepees and toys
Nearest tube: Piccadilly
What this slick, minimalist hotel lacks in kids’ clubs or even a playroom (*a pop-up one appears during school holidays) it makes up for in fun little touches and a remarkably warm, unpretentious service. Tots bundling into its syrupy-lit, swing-a-cat suites will make a beeline for the fun striped teepees placed in the corner of the room (via the macarons). Hiding inside these are tin toy trunks filled with tot treasure – a stacking hermit crab, a useful bath thermometer, a rubber duck and age-specific storybooks. Such a selection is the stellar work of Nanny Louenna, an ex Norland Nanny (the gold standard). The Mary Poppins figure has advised Hotel Café Royal on smoothing over those painpoints of travelling with children. There’s a feeling though that this invariably grown up institution already has its rubber ducks in a row. Tot paraphernalia can be easily ordered to rooms, though parents of young children can expect to find sterilisers, bottle warmers and baby bath tubs already in place. Cots feel a little old fashioned (you won’t be finding Stokke or Snuzpods here), and you’ll need to ask for toddler-specific covers or bring your own mini sleeping bags for them, but the superb childcare will immediately comfort any wobbly parents (our delightful babysitter, Ekram, was also a school teacher). Parents may then want to make a break for Alex Dilling’s tasting menu, cocktails in the event Green Bar or waddle in slippers to the hotel’s legendary subterranean spa – the latter carving out a family swim time, should you wish to return with the full clan.
Address: 10 Air St, London W1B 5AB
Royal Lancaster, Hyde Park
Best for: nearby playgrounds
Closest tube station: Lancaster Gate
For those at the stage of life that revolves around a playground, Royal Lancaster is perfectly placed by the northern edge of Hyde Park, a hop-skip from a play area well-suited to tiny tots. The location also makes for an incredible view, with the hotel towering above the picturesque Italian Gardens. Suites facing south overlook the entire green mass of the park and beyond to the Surrey Hills. In the Royal Suite on the 18th floor, the view is arguably one of the best in London. At toddler level, there’s lots to look at, too – a scattering of autumnal leaves from the entrance leads to a whimsical teepee draped in vines and filled with woodland creatures perched on pillows. For more entertainment, there’s a dedicated playroom downstairs with giant teddies, puzzles and a tiny trampoline. At supper time, there are two restaurants onsite or an appealing in-room dining option, where you can order classic favourites from a dedicated kid’s menu, as well as punchy curries from the downstairs Nipa Thai Restaurant for grown ups. Bedtime routines are made easy – all suites come with bathtubs and gentle bath products are provided, as well as all the extras little ones need, including sturdy wooden cots and even Care Bears to snuggle. For older kids, the studio family suite has the option to have two twin beds or a sofa bed, while a classic family room combines two classic rooms via interconnecting doors. Extra interconnecting rooms are also available throughout. Lauren Burvill
Ray MainThe Berkeley, Knightsbridge
Best for: entertainment
Closest tube station: Knightsbridge
With its Knightsbridge postcode and elegant, Art Deco-style rooms peering over Hyde Park, The Berkeley is a swanky hotel that will stay etched in shared family memory for decades. This is mostly courtesy of its rooftop pool (a rare species in London) and mirrored and marbled suites that could double up as a Manhattan hedge-funder's city bolthole. Delicious smelling organic baby products, novelty soaps and bottle warmers ensure parents of babies and tiny tots are well equipped. Of course, there is the Berkeley bunny, the personalised welcome treats and bed linen, and the films and games consoles for older children, but it’s this classic hotel’s raft of children’s activities that make it such an appealing proposition for families. From mini-manicures to arranging tickets to must-see shows, the Berkeley is plugged-in on how to keep the kids entertained. They also know a thing or two about grown-ups: cue top-drawer childminding services to relish all five courses from Marcus Wareing’s tasting menu, followed by elaborate cocktails at the Blue Bar.
hotelThe Ritz, Mayfair
The Ritz, MayfairBest for: afternoon tea
Closest tube station: Green Park
If a hotel could offer a child a riveting history lesson, this lavishly traditional grand dame would do a stellar job. David Lloyd George held a series of clandestine meetings within its opulent, gilded walls during the First World War and Noël Coward regularly dined here with his literary coterie. Afternoon tea in the Ritz’ Palm Court (a Belle Epoque time warp of gold statues and gold-leaf ceilings) sets the gold standard in London and is a family outing worth dressing up for. Under 16’s can sleep in the same room as parents without extra beds costing, or families can opt for fun (and fabulous) interconnecting rooms – which tends to be a preference for older children. Perhaps an unlikely contender, the property is in fact one of the most family friendly hotels in London; there are in-room games consoles (this grande dame is no Luddite), treats galore and mini bathrobes and slippers. Complimentary ice cream in The Palm Court or The Ritz Restaurant (a resplendent gallery spanning the full hotel) is just as thrilling for parents’ purse strings as it is for sprogs. While cabin fever is an unusual ailment at this palatial hotel, families can head to Green Park to play chase between the trees or to nearby Hamley’s, London’s treasure trove of toys.
Hotel Photography srlBrowns Hotel, Mayfair
Best for: little treats
Closest tube station: Green Park
This historical-yet-fresh hotel in the plush thickets of Mayfair feels like an intimate and rather splendid townhouse, courtesy of Olga Polizzi's home-from-home makeover. The top-notch service is a constant reminder of the five-star setting, one which welcomes children with presents (including milk and cookies with a monkey teddy turndown service) and swiftly assists parents with babysitting requests. Tasty organic meals can be whipped up for tiny tots, while whimsical and soft comforts are on hand thanks to the hotel's partnership with DockATot – think plush moses baskets and play tents in smart William Morris prints. Little guests will even get to take home their own Albemarle, also known as Alby, the hotel's charming and cheeky monkey toy crafted by Plaay from solid oak. And as for story time, well Rudyard Kipling wrote the final chapters of Jungle Book here, so reading the beguiling tale to children at least once while under Brown’s roof feels mandatory. All good reasons why this one made it onto our edit of the best family-friendly hotels in the UK.
Nick RochowskiThe Goring, Belgravia
Best for: playtime
Closest tube station: Victoria
This Belgravia stalwart is a family affair (one of London’s last family-owned luxury hotels) and twists a selection of rooms, menus and activities to suit children and their parents. Interconnecting rooms – all dressed in Gainsborough silk, thick draped curtains and cashmere throws – ensure a desirable degree of separation and privacy. Reminiscent of a gentle, fun and rather eccentric grandfather, The Goring first bestows little guests with a cuddly Baaa-bara Sheep before directing them towards its dressing up box. Once clad in Kingly garbs or Harry Potter outfits, the Library beckons, where a mix of British classics and more modern fables make for excellent bedtime stories. From whipping up chocolate cookies in the kitchen with chef to concierge Big John’s insider tips on the latest West End shows, there is never a dull moment (buying plenty of opportunities for parents to snatch an hour or so on the veranda for afternoon tea). It’s worth noting that the hotel provides plenty of baby paraphernalia – changing mats, lotions, bath toys – giving sleep-deprived parents the break they so deserve.
hotelThe Connaught, Mayfair
The Connaught, MayfairBest for: little luxuries
Closest tube station: Bond Street
Affectionately named ‘younger VIPs’, children are welcomed at the Connaught with generously wide arms. Situated on Carlos Place, this Mayfair hotel blends yesteryear polish with contemporary chic – seamlessly inviting families into this carefully choreographed world. From homemade bakes for hungry broods at check-in to personalised bathrobes to snuggle in before bedtime, the Connaught has never been one to overlook the little details. The Aman Spa has carved out family-friendly swimming hours (avoiding that woeful game of asking children not to splash) and a fully-trained first aider and doctor is on call – a godsend for any late-night concerns, especially for those far from home. The delicious, organic baby potions in the bathroom are another clever detail, along with bottle warmers and activity books for the older tots. Far from an afterthought, the cots here are as sumptuous as the grown-up beds and mini Connaught umbrellas transform melancholic weather into a reason to step out. While an assortment of Nintendo, Wii and Family Sky TV is a hit with the older lot, the Connaught is all about children’s books and board games by the fire (you are in the British capital after all).
hotelBeaverbrook Townhouse, Chelsea
Beaverbrook Townhouse, ChelseaBest for: garden access
Closest tube station: South Kensington
This Chelsea outpost of the sprawling country spa hotel in the Surrey countryside is a restrained riot of colour and kitsch, with Nicola Harding’s distinctly playful riff on new-meets-old. Zeitgeisty lampshades sit alongside heritage-style four posters, and somehow, within this cleverly choreographed scene of Japanese fine dining and in-room spa treatments are children. They’re here for the bespoke mini bento boxes, of course, and the homemade lemonade, but mostly for the fully-complimentary mini-bar (a rare species in London). The Sloane Street hotel’s concierge can track down theatre tickets and private tours at the tip of a top hat and parents will relish the exclusive access to Cadogan Gardens, where energetic broods can play while they take a breather.
One Aldwych, Covent Garden
Best for: family movie nights
Closest tube station: Temple
One of London’s best-kept secrets, One Aldwych is a fresh, forward-thinking hotel with unusually spacious suites for the city and staggering views over the West End. Children (and adults) revel in its Charlie and the Chocolate Factory afternoon tea – a feast of snozzberry jam, lemon sherbert tea and smoking pistol punch. Popular demand prevents the hotel from ever moving the quintessentially British affair onto another theme. Another hit with families here is the chlorine-free swimming pool’s underwater music and exotic fish projections during family swimming hours. Once out of their mini bathrobes and slippers, children can head down to the private cinema with popcorn or explore Theatreland and its warren of independent restaurants and shops (1856 toyshop Pollock being a firm favourite).
hotelClaridge's, Mayfair
Claridge's, MayfairBest for: in-room spa treatments
Closest tube station: Bond Street
RockStars and Royalty have been flocking to Art Deco beauty, Claridge's, for decades. Its legendary chequered floors, impeccable service and glamorous rooms are also a hit with families, who can oscillate between the interconnecting suites. Little ones are welcomed with a sweet travel satchel filled with games and a miniature Claridge’s umbrella and can choose which magazines they’d like to arrive with their parents’ morning papers. Cookies and warm milk appear with turndown service and (a real highlight) in-room spa treatments can be organised for those unable to leave their children. And while all the essentials are covered for babies and tiny tots (expect everything from prams on hire to baby monitors and bottle sterilisers), Claridges has Nintendo and Wii up its sleeve for the bigger kids. Trusted babysitters can be called in by the hotel for £60 for the first four hours – plenty of time to sample the seafood at Davies & Brook, followed by martinis in the fabled Fumoir bar, one of the best in London.
hotelMandarin Oriental, Knightsbridge
Mandarin Oriental, KnightsbridgeBest for: park access
Closest tube station: Knightsbridge
There are few things more fascinating to children around the world than Buckingham Palace’s Changing of the Guard. This formal ceremony, which sees marching soldiers dressed in bear skins and scarlet uniforms, is right on Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park’s rather imposing doorstep. As is its namesake, inner-city oasis – acres of fountains, wild meadows and swans, which are always a hit with families. Back in the hotel, interiors riff on the park’s bucolic scene with botanical carpets and vast framed nature prints. Complimentary extras for little guests run the gamut from mini umbrellas to cots and beds that cleverly fold out like origami. Once children have exhausted splashing around in the enormous indoor pool, it’s off to Harrods’ fourth floor (a treasure trove of toys mere seconds away) or Zuma, once the babysitter is settled into the interconnecting room.