Tower Bridge room view, Grange City Hotel, London.
Courtesy Grange City Hotel

Best London Hotels for Families

London's Best Hotels for Families
By Rhonda Carrier

London's savviest hoteliers and B&B owners have wised up to the needs of families over the past few years. From the complimentary use of strollers and high chairs to perks like free movies for kids, services and amenities for kids and parents alike are improving all the time.

On your next trip across the pond, check into one of these London hotels or B&Bs that has enough room for the whole family.

Photo Caption: Enjoy a view of Tower Bridge from the Grange City Hotel, London.
Four Seasons Canary Wharf Hotel, London.
Robert Miller
Best Views: Four Seasons Canary Wharf
Deluxe rooms and suites on the river side of the Four Seasons Canary Wharf overlook a dramatic sweeping bend of the Thames and have views as far back as the London Eye. Order from the kids' room-service menu, and then sit in your window and watch boats and ferries chug by. In the morning, swim in the adjoining infinity-edge pool, which seems to merge with the river outside.

More Info: tel. 020/7510-1999; www.fourseasons.com/canarywharf

Photo Caption: Four Seasons Canary Wharf Hotel, London.
Piazza outside Grange City Hotel, London.
Courtesy Grange City Hotel
More Best Views: Grange City Hotel
History doesn't come much more in-your-face than at the Grange City where some rooms look out over the Tower of London and Tower Bridge virtually next door. There's even a section of the old London wall running alongside the hotel's large piazza, where kids can run around while you enjoy a drink. Family rooms feature two double beds and a small sitting area.

More Info: tel. 020/7863-3700; www.grangehotels.com

Photo Caption: Piazza outside Grange City Hotel, London.
Citadines Trafalgar Square London.
Citadines/Hufton & Crow
Most Family-Friendly: Citadines "Apart'Hotel"
The Citadines "Apart'Hotel," just steps away from Trafalgar Square, offers a great location, facilities, and value. As with other members of the chain, it allows you to enjoy hotel services -- a breakfast room, babysitting, and a launderette -- with the ability to self-cater (the flats have full kitchens).

More Info: tel. +33/1-4105-7905; www.citadines.com

Photo Caption: Citadines Trafalgar Square London.
Twin guest room at Europa House Hotel, London.
Courtesy Europa House Hotel
Best Neighborhood Option: Europa House
Europa House is a collection of spacious serviced apartments in a residential area that's an easy 15-minute bus ride from the center of London. In this neighborhood, tree-lined avenues lead down to the canals of Little Venice, where a barge hosts puppet shows and companies run narrow-boat trips to London Zoo. You'll find family-friendly delis, cafés, pubs, an organic grocer, and a small 24-hour supermarket nearby. The apartments have access to a 1.4-hectare (3½-acre) enclosed garden with a playground.

More Info: tel. 020/7723-7343; www.europahousehotel.com

Photo Caption: A guest room at Europa House Hotel, London.
The Athenaeum Hotel & Apartments, London.
Courtesy of Athenaeum Hotel
Tops for Toddlers: The Athenaeum
The Athenaeum's apartments can't be beat for their amenities for babies and toddlers, including movies, toy boxes, highchairs, potties, strollers, and more. The Athenaeum includes a funky Family Apartment with seats resembling giant computer keys, a kids' sleeping niche, and a games console that doubles as a coffee table. Like all the apartments here, it has a full kitchen and washing machine, and high chairs, potties, and strollers can be supplied free of charge. All junior guests get complimentary movies, gadgets, toiletries -- and milk and cookies. Kids' menus are available throughout the hotel through room service.

More Info: tel. 020/7499-3464; www.athenaeumhotel.com

Photo Caption: The Athenaeum Hotel & Apartments, London.
Rough Luxe Hotel, London.
Courtesy Rough Luxe Hotel
Tops for Teens: Rough Luxe Hotel
The Rough Luxe Hotel appeals to hip and adventurous families with its location near the St. Pancras train station. Luxurious touches -- sumptuous furnishings and bed linens, opulent wallpapers, giant photographs of Italian Renaissance architecture, and pieces of modern art -- soften the rough-hewn look of bare boards and distressed walls that reveal the history of this Georgian building layer by layer. Funky daybeds convert to proper beds for nighttime. Several rooms can be connected via the bathroom to form a suite, and there's an on-site art gallery and café.

More Info: tel. 020/7837-5338; www.roughluxe.co.uk

Photo Caption: Rough Luxe Hotel, London.
Crescent Hotel garden, London.
Courtesy of Crescent Hotel
Best Affordable Lodging: Crescent Hotel
The family-run Crescent is the best central option for those keeping an eye on their pennies. Located in the Bloomsbury neighborhood, this hotel's family suite can sleep up to four people. The 27-room hotel is virtually unique in its price range in that it also offers high chairs and access to a guest lounge, a garden square, and four tennis courts.

More Info: tel. 020/7387-1515; www.crescenthoteloflondon.com


Frommer's EasyGuide to London
Frommer's EasyGuide to London
Get dozens more hotel suggestions in Frommer's EasyGuide to London—the same reliable Frommer's expertise, but now lightweight and less expensive.
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