Great family-friendly hotels in London
By Rowena Carr-Allinson
The Plaza on the River Club and Residence
The Plaza on the River Club and Residence (Park Plaza)
Set on the South Bank of the Thames, just a quick walk away from major attractions like the Tate Britain Art Gallery, Houses of Parliament, London Eye, and Aquarium, it’s ideally located to explore the city. The residences offer families independence with a kitchenette including a fridge and microwave. The plush bedrooms come with marbled bathrooms and walk-in-showers and cosy under floor heating. Extra roll-away beds and cribs are available too. Teens will appreciate the IPod docking stations, DVD players and complimentary WIFI. The hotel has two restaurants, 24 hours room service, gym, bar, and a personal grocer. Want to go out? Babysitting can be arranged.
The Collingham Serviced Apartments
The Collingham Serviced Apartments (The Collingham Serviced Apartments)
Staying in this small 25 room, four-star property will feel like being right at home! Located in the royal borough of Kensington and Chelsea in swish South Kensington, it’s perfectly located to visit Kensington Palace, the Natural History Museum and Kensington Gardens. In-room kitchenettes mean you can whip up a quick meal, especially as the hotel helps with online supermarket delivery services. You’ll also get nice perks like 24/7 reception, a concierge service, daily newspaper and housekeeping as well as a communal laundry. Some apartments even have quaint private terraces.
The St. Ermin’s Hotel (The St. Ermin’s Hotel)
Right at the heart of the city, in busy Westminster, the 300-room hotel is a short hop and skip away from the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace, while the underground at St. James Park is just a minute walk away. A four-star, Victorian historic hotel, its grandiose lobby is bound to impress and it’s got all the modern conveniences you’d want including in-room video games, free WIFI, and coffeemakers. Cribs are available on request, as is babysitting. And, the St Ermin is home to 300,000 odd friendly Buckfast bees that live in three bespoke hives on its rooftop!
The Town Hall Hotel Apartments London
The Town Hall Hotel Apartments London (Town Hall Hotel)
A beautifully restored, Grade II listed Edwardian property turned hotel in London’s vibrant East End. One can hop on the daily morning shuttle to get into town faster. If the impressive building looks familiar, it’s probably because it’s been used in many British movies like Atonement, Lock, Snatch and the Edge of Love. The Town Hall Hotel & Apartments is both sleek and stylish with beautiful modern Art Deco inspired décor. There’s an indoor swimming pool, which the kids will love, a cocktail bar for the parents, a gym, and two gourmet restaurants. The spacious serviced apartments feature DVD players, satellite TV and can have extra beds or cribs set up, as well as babysitting.
(MORE: Need more options? Find more kid-friendly affordable hotels in London.)
The Montague on the Gardens Hotel
The Montague on the Gardens Hotel (Montague Hotel)
Right in Bloomsbury, the one time intellectual literary heart of the city, this Georgian hotel is a few minutes away to the British Museum, Covent Garden and the West End’s Theatreland as well as the London Transport Museum. The 100-room hotel prides itself on its family friendliness and offers everything from cribs to baby bathtubs to bathing kits including wipes and even a duck shaped sponge as well as changing facilities and baby monitors and bottle warmers. The kids will enjoy slippers and bathrobes, a selection of board games, coloring books and toys, DVDs and games consoles on request to keep them busy. Babysitting is also available.
Rowena Carr-Allinson contributed this to MiniTime.
