Family-friendly London

You’d think the country’s capital would have such a range of accommodation that finding a family-friendly place to stay in London should be easy. But with cramped space and high prices, it can be more difficult to track down something that’s good for a break with kids than if you’re heading to the coast or countryside.

So the new list from Takethefamily.com is a great idea, looking at great locations – not necessarily in the heart of the city, but with other benefits or good transport links. And all the accommodation has family-friendly facilities, from nappy bins and changing mats to Playstations and mini fridges.

They’ve also been chosen as you can divide the room up when the children are asleep or have interconnecting rooms, as well as either self-catering or flexible eating options to appeal to kids.

Five of their top picks for different budgets include:

One Aldwych, Covent Garden
At the luxury end of the scale, this chic boutique hotel goes out of its way to welcome junior guests, with flexible room and suite offerings (some with small kitchens), a wonderful pool, and fantastic family brunches in its Indigo restaurant.

onefinestay, various locations
Calling itself an ‘unhotel’, onefinestay lets you move into someone else’s home while they’re out of town – which means you can pick family-friendly apartments owned by actual families, along with their children’s toys and games, and the owners’ local recommendations.

B+B Belgravia, Victoria
The award-winning B&B has family rooms, great breakfasts, around-the-clock lounge with free hot drinks and DVD player, stylish decor and even a small garden.

Grange City, Tower Bridge
Some of London’s best family attractions are right on the doorstep, including the Tower of London and the South Bank, with two double beds in some rooms, a basement pool, kids’ menu and private piazza housing a section of London’s original Roman wall.

Milestone, Kensington
Opposite Kensington Gardens, it also has an in-house nanny service, equipment hire (from playpens to buggies) and children’s menus.

Image: Joybot/Flickr