Best Family Friendly Hotels in London UK [2023]

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Family friendly hotels in London can be surprisingly hard to find. Although the capital has loads of accommodation in a all price ranges and areas, many properties are aimed at the business traveller or people visiting without children. And no one wants everyone staring while they’re on holiday, because they’re the only people present who are making any noise or running around.

This guide is here to help – and was created when we were searching for a place to stay when taking our daughter to the capital. Now she’s old enough to see where her dad grew up, as well as some of those tourist sights she’s heard so much about.

In a rush? Click here to see the overall best family friendly accommodation in London

We stay at The Resident Covent Garden because the location is unbeatable – as is the standard of service and cleanliness. This is a smaller property with character, and you can walk everywhere from here.

If it’s not available, or money is tighter, we opt for The Resident Kensington instead.

Whether you want to find family friendly luxury hotels in London or budget family hotels in London, there are options to suit every budget – and in various parts of town. From Kensington in the west to the edge of Shoreditch, these are the finest central London hotels with family rooms and other child friendly facilities.

Read on to discover your perfect London pad. These aren’t only the top family friendly hotels in central London – they’re some of the best hotels in London, England overall!

Best family friendly hotels in London contents

Best hotels for families in London comparison table
Best family accommodation in London – top options

Best family friendly hotel in London – what to look for
Best family friendly London hotels – recommendations

Best accommodation for families in London – FAQs

Best child friendly hotels in London comparison chart

Name	Star rating	Location	Room type/s	Family friendly features	Price
Athenaeum	5*	Mayfair	Rooms, suites & apartments	Kids’ concierge, DVD & book hire, apartments	Click here
Andaz Liverpool Street	5*	City of London	Rooms & suites	Uber stylish, close to East End, Kids’ TV channels	Click here
Brown’s	5*	Mayfair	Rooms & suites	24 hour babysitting, older & younger kids’ facilities, spa	Click here
The Rubens at the Palace	5*	Victoria	Rooms & suites	Under 12s go free, kids’ activities, Royal Mews views	Click here
Hilton Bankside	5*	South Bank	Rooms & suites	Swimming pool, family & interconnecting rooms	Click here
Park Plaza County Hall	4*	South Bank	Rooms & suites	Award-winning family hotel, South Bank location	Click here
The Resident Kensington	4*	Kensington	Rooms	Townhouse, kids’ channels, extra beds/cots available	Click here
The Resident Covent Garden	4*	Covent Garden	Rooms & suites	Outstanding location & service, award-winning	Click here
The Darlington Hyde Park	3*	Paddington	Rooms	Triples & quads, great value, near Oxford St	Click here
Wilde Aparthotel Covent Garden	3*	Covent Garden	Rooms & studios	Walk everywhere, central location, kitchenette	Click here

Best family hotels in London – Top options

Athenaeum, Mayfair – Best for bucket list trips
Andaz Liverpool Street – Best for East End cool

Brown’s, Mayfair – Best for a spa break
The Rubens at the Palace, Victoria – Best for a royal encounter
Hilton London Bankside, South Bank – Best for 5 stars at 4 star price

Park Plaza County Hall, South Bank – Best award-winning family hotel
The Resident Kensington – Best traditional London townhouse
The Resident Covent Garden – Best all-round choice

The Darlington Hyde Park – Best for a shopping trip
Wilde Aparthotel Covent Garden – Best for location, location, location

Choosing kid friendly hotels in London – What to look for

Location

Where do you want to be? I highly recommend staying in central London to make the most of your time in the capital. Not least to stop kids moaning about the journeys they’d make to get everywhere from a hotel that’s further out.

Only hotels in top locations have been listed here, including Covent Garden, Mayfair, the City of London, Paddington, Kensington, Victoria and the South Bank.

If you don’t mind a walk, you can reach many places on foot from any of these. Covent Garden is the most central of all.

Room types

What sort of room, suite or rooms (plural) do you require? These handpicked properties all offer family rooms, and some have apartments or studios too for more space.

Adjoining rooms that are connected by an inner door may also be useful for families.

Amenities

How much the facilities matter really depends on your plans. Some family hotels in central London have a spa or a swimming pool, plus restaurants and bars on site. If you’re near everything anyway, you may prefer to eat out.

Is it worth paying more for the amenities on offer? If you hanker after a spa break or five star service, then the answer may well be yes!

Babysitting

If you want to have some time to yourself, it’s well worth checking if your chosen property offers a babysitting service. Some do – if any doubt or you want to make certain, do send an email or make a quick call to them directly to double-check.

10 of the best London hotels for families

Athenaeum

Best for a bucket list trip

Star rating: *****

Location: Mayfair

The Athenaeum is a great option for families taking a bucket list trip. One of the top 5 star family friendly hotels, in London, it’s located in Mayfair – arguably the most desirable London location of all (well it is when we play Monopoly, anyway).

Kids’ amenities include the load of DVDs, books and music, and this pick of the luxury family-friendly hotels in London even has a dedicated children’s concierge to arrange kids’ days out, cycle hire and the like.

The hotel has a range of family rooms and apartments, each offering all the five star facilities you might expect.

Family highs:

Family rooms, suites & apartments

Children’s books & DVD hire
Kids’ concierge

Family lows:

Mayfair 5 star price tag

Click here to view the Athenaeum, London

Andaz London Liverpool Street

Best for East End cool

Star rating: *****
Location: City of London

If your kids are old enough to be concerned about what’s cool – and in my experience that all starts around age seven – then it’s worth considering family friendly hotels in London city centre that are located to the east.

The neighbouring Shoreditch, Hoxton, Spitalfields areas are jam-packed with interesting markets, quirky cafes and London’s most fashionable bars. Enough to please even the most picky tween or teen, surely. It’s also handy for that Brick Lane curry stop.

Andaz London is my pick of the East End establishments offering family hotel rooms in London. It’s uber stylish and ultra modern, offering features like iPad check-in, high speed WiFi, a lounge bar and evening entertainment. There is also access to kids’ TV channels and high chair hire.

Family highs:

Ultra stylish
Cool East End location
Kids’ TV channels & high speed WiFi

Family lows:

Further from West End than some

Click here to view Andaz Liverpool Street

Brown’s

Best for a spa break

Star rating: *****
Location: Mayfair

Brown’s is also located in Mayfair, and is also a five star property. But I’m including it as well as the option for couples with a baby who to take some well-deserved time off to see the city. Because Brown’s offers a babysitting service. Oh yes. And it’s available 24 hours a day.

Brown’s isn’t only blissful for the parents. Kids of all ages are well looked-after too, with rubber ducks, teddies and baby toiletries for younger ones and more grown-up games and spa experiences for older children.

While we’re on the subject – if you want family friendly spa hotels in London with a spa, this is the one. The spa here is outstanding – one of the best in the city, if not the entire country.

Family highs:

24-hour babysitting service
Young kids’ toiletries & bath ducks

Older kids’ games & spa experiences

Family lows:

Most expensive option

Click here to view Brown’s, London

The Rubens at the Palace

Best for a royal encounter

Star rating: *****

Location: Buckingham Palace Road

If you’re seeking family friendly places to stay in London that will welcome the kids and imbibe them with a genuine sense of where they are, then The Rubens is simply unbeatable.

Located over the road from Buckingham Palace’s Royal Mews, eagle eyed guests might even spot a member of the royal family coming or going from the monarch’s official London residence.

The property even employs a ‘Fun and Adventure Director’ to make sure kids have lots of fun while in the capital, and plenty of activities are available. Babysitting can also be arranged and children under 12 dine and stay for free when accompanied by a paying adult.

Family highs:

Kids under 12 eat & stay free

Right opposite the Royal Mews
Dedicated Fun & Adventure Director

Family lows:

Not the most modern decor

Click here to view The Rubens at the Palace, London

Hilton London Bankside

Best for 5 stars at 4 star price

Star rating: *****
Location: South Bank

If you want family friendly hotels in London with a swimming pool, you got it. The Hilton Bankside in the South Bank area also has a gym, a restaurant and a bar serving everything from beers to cocktails.

There are family and interconnecting rooms available, or book a family suite at this London property for more space. The hotel can also arrange bike and car hire – or babysitting.

Other child friendly amenities include high chairs, video hire, cots and kids’ menus. Accommodation comes with air conditioning, WiFi, flatscreen TV and even original artworks adorning the walls.

Family highs:

Swimming pool
Family & interconnecting rooms
Kids’ menu, DVDs, cots & high chairs

Family lows:

Not right by River Thames

Click here to view Hilton London Bankside

Park Plaza County Hall

Best award-winning family hotel

Star rating: ****
Location: South Bank

Step down from five to four star family friendly hotels in central London and you get a lot more bang for your buck. I mean pounds sterling, of course.

I actually spent a day touring Park Plaza’s London hotels not long before Covid and I was impressed. (Not least by Florentine at the Park Plaza Waterloo hotel, which is very close by.)

The Park Plaza hotels offer some serious value for money and my bestie often booked conferences for her clients at the County Hall hotel – because it’s the best of the bunch. They offer kids’ clubs and other family friendly facilities – and you can’t beat that South Bank location for the price.

Family highs:

‘Best Family Friendly Hotel’ award winner
Kids’ club & activities

Near South Bank

Family lows:

Uninspiring location

Click here to view Park Plaza County Hall, London

The Resident Kensington

Best traditional London townhouse

Star rating: ****

Location: Kensington

I used to work in Kensington High Street (running a travel agency), and I love the area. It has everything you need and a neighbourhood feel, even though there’s no doubt you’re in central London.

At first sight you would never place it among cheap family hotels in London – yet room rates here can be a complete steal. Situated in a smart townhouse, it certainly looks the part.

Kids’ TV channels are available in all rooms and the hotel will happily provide extra beds or a cot within your room.

Family highs:

Kids’ TV channels

West London townhouse
Extra beds & cots available

Family lows:

Not as central as some

Click here to view The Resident London

The Resident Covent Garden

Best all-round choice

Star rating: ****
Location: Paddington

The Resident Covent Garden boasts a ‘best of the best’ Trip Advisor Traveller’s Choice award. At the time of writing, it’s number one of all hotels in London. Yep, numero uno – in a city as large as this, that’s no mean feat. Fab-u-lous.

With just 57 rooms, the place has a welcoming and more personal feel than most. Rooms are packed with charm thanks to additions like deluxe Scottish textiles, localled produced furniture and designer lamps.

I might be biased as I used to work on Southampton Street – a short hop along Maiden Lane away – but the best thing about this location is the fact that you can walk to anywhere in central London from here. Not that you need to – all you could ever want is just a few short steps away, whether that’s shops, cinemas, pubs, theatres, restaurants or tourist attractions.

Family highs:

Squeaky clean & superb service
‘Best of the Best’ award winner
Unbeatable location

Family lows:

Pricier than The Resident Kensington

Click here to view The Resident Covent Garden

The Darlington Hyde Park

Best for a shopping trip

Star rating: ***
Location: Paddington

With a location close to both Hyde Park and Oxford Street, this is a great one-size-fits-all hotel. It’s therefore perfect for those with teens who want to shop and hang out, as well as younger kids who simply wish to run around.

This pick of the family friendly hotels near Hyde Park in London offers a range of room sizes too, including singles, doubles, twins, triples, quads and family rooms. As a smaller property, service is more personal, and breakfast each day is freshly cooked to order.

The three star property attracts a lot of repeat business, and the town house building also looks the part.

Family highs:

Great value rates
Near Oxford St & Hyde Park

Lots of room sizes to choose from

Family lows:

Not as many amenities as larger hotels

Click here to view The Darlington London

Wilde Aparthotel Covent Garden

Best for location, location, location

Star rating: ***
Location: Covent Garden

I’m not name dropping London locations here, but I also worked in Covent Garden for a while and adored the area. As a twenty-something, I loved going shopping or out for the night in the locale after the day’s graft was done.

Now, as a forty-something, it’s a London area I return to as it’s also family friendly. There are free ‘shows’ from the street entertainers, for a start. It’s also just a stone’s throw from Leicester Square and within walking distance of Regent Street, Chinatown and Trafalgar Square. You can walk everywhere from here. Nearby Charing Cross station is in fact the official centre of London, used to measure distances from elsewhere.

Anyway, onto the aparthotel. Sometimes, as a family, what you really need is a bit more space – and this place on The Strand offers exactly that. If you book a studio rather than a room, you get a kitchenette with toaster, microwave and dishwasher.

Staff here are very helpful and the location is just the best. Beware of booking a windowless room if you’re claustrophobic, though.

Family highs:

Walk everywhere
As central London as it gets
Studios come with equipped kitchenette

Family lows:

Windowless rooms may feel claustrophobic

Click here to view the Staycity Wilde Aparthotel Covent Garden

I also recommend the Wilde aparthotel in Edinburgh in this post

Best London family hotels – FAQs

What are the best family hotels in London?

I’ve tried to cover a great range of choices for those seeking a hotel in London that’s family friendly. There are 3, 4 and 5 star options here, in various convenient locations and offering a range of amenities. They’re all also highly rated by past guests.

How much does it cost to stay in a family hotel in London?

At the time of writing, room rates at some of the properties listed in this guide begin at not much over £100 per night. Bearing in mind the central London locations and that fact that they have at least a three star rating, that’s not half bad – especially in one of the world’s most costly cities!

Do any family hotels in London have a pool?

If you want a swimming pool, my recommendation is the Hilton Bankside, which is one of the few affordable family hotels in London central with a pool. It also has other kids’ facilities plus a great restaurant and bar for the grown-ups.

Which is the best family hotel in London for you?

I hope this guide to family friendly hotels in London, England has been useful to you. As a former resident who lived and worked in various locations, I like to think I know what to look for when booking a London break! The fact that I’m wed to a born-and-bred Londoner may also help…

Polly x