The best family hotels in London are the ones you’ll make the most memories in.
How do you see your trip with your loved ones? Are you sleeping next to lions at the zoo, having dinosaur-themed tea parties, or watching your parents cuddle up with your kids for evening milk and cookie turndown service?
However big, diverse, or different your clan may be, these family hotels in London welcome you all with open arms.
Where is the best place in London to stay with children?
The minute you roll into London on the Heathrow Express, you’ll meet a familiar friend at Paddington Station: the one and only Paddington Brown. Central London is an excellent place to stay with children. Within minutes you can be playing tag at Hyde Park or taking your middle schoolers through The Sherlock Holmes Museum.
Since you’ll be using the train often, staying at family hotels near London Paddington Station gives your kids the chance to say hello to the friendly bear’s statues in the railway hub. If you can’t find any marmalade, the area has cookie, pastry, and donut shops to treat the little ones.
Image Credit: © Amy Murrell. Image Location: The Ampersand Hotel, London, UK
Best hotels for kids in London
These London hotels for families know how important sleep and stimulation are for young ones abroad.
The Ampersand Hotel
Nearest Underground station: South Kensington
Jurassic Afternoon Tea and Science Afternoon Tea. Isn’t it funny that the hot water you can never get your kids to drink at home will probably become a core memory from this vacation? From chocolate spacemen to dinosaur biscuits, The Ampersand Hotel kid-friendly afternoon tea is reason enough to check in.
London Zoo Lodges
Nearest Underground station: Camden Town
Forget staying at traditional family hotels in London; tell your kids that they get to sleep next to the lions in the London Zoo then watch them go wild. 9 lodges, each with private en-suite bathrooms and verandas, offer the chance to fall asleep to the sounds of the Land of the Lions habitat. Not only does the stay come with tickets, but you also get two private after-hours tours of the zoo.
Image Credit: © London Zoo. Image Location: London Zoo Lodges, London, UK
The Goring Hotel
Nearest train station: Victoria
One of the five-star family-friendly hotels in London, The Goring will teach your little ones what "luxury" really means. Newborns receive a basket of soothing essentials while bigger kids say hello to an activity pack complete with a stuffed animal and a passport to fill around the hotel. The gem of these amenities is The Goring’s Dressing Up Box: dozens of fun costumes young kids can wear when they visit the Bedtime Story Library.
Image Credit and Location: The Goring Hotel, London, UK
The Rubens at the Palace
Nearest train station: Victoria
Want to see your kids grow up right before your eyes? Watch them check themselves in at The Rubens. Your little ones are treated like royalty here: complimentary mocktails (for teens), children’s afternoon tea, cookies and milk turndown service, a pastry chef experience, and video game consoles are just the start. This regal London hotel for families doesn’t forget about parents, either: along with interconnecting rooms for six, babysitting services are available.
Image Credit: Red Carnation Hotels. Image Location: The Rubens at the Palace, London, UK
Which area to stay in London for family trip?
Harry Potter fans span three generations so it’s only right that you and your kin stay at the best family hotels in London within the London Borough of Camden, near Platform 9 ¾. The gateway to the world of wizards and witches is located inside King’s Cross train station. Any Muggles in your group, no matter their age, will be pleased to know that the British Museum and the Charles Dickens Museum are also nearby.
Best family hotels in London
From the young to the young at heart, these London hotels for families cater to multigenerational groups.
Georgian House Hotel
Nearest train station: Victoria
A London hotel for families who may be a little weary about traveling internationally, the Georgian House Hotel will feel like home to you—and to any of your Potterhead progeny. Comfortable rooms exude Victorian elegance while magical Wizard and Enchanted Chambers are hidden away like a Hogwarts house. You need not be sorted into one, though, to enjoy wizard potion making classes or wizard afternoon tea.
The Berkeley
Nearest Underground station: Hyde Park Corner
So close to Buckingham Palace you can practically see the changing of the guard from the rooftop pool, The Berkeley is a royal affair for families with kids in tow. Little princesses can get a mini manicure with mum or grandma at the spa while grandpa can try to explain the thrill of Pong while playing PS4 with the little princes.
Image Credit and Location: London Bridge Hotel, London, UK
London Bridge Hotel
Nearest train station: London Bridge
No worries about anyone falling down at the London Bridge Hotel; besides interconnected hotel rooms, you can book a two-two apartment with a private entrance, meaning no need for tots and older adults to navigate stairs or long hallways. All of the home comforts and conveniences are within, plus access to all hotel amenities including in-room dining.
Trains give the whole family a comfortable ride into London
Don’t fuss about with rental cars or shuttle services. Download the Trainline app and purchase tickets from London’s airports into the center of the city. Check out our guides to getting into Central London from Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports. Looking for an escape to the countryside? Here's our guide to the best day trips from London.
Header Image Credit: © London Zoo. Image Location: London Zoo Lodges, London, UK