When you go away with a baby or toddler, you want to relax as much as possible. You also want them to have a good time. Kinder Travel Guide’s list of top UK hotels for babies and toddlers should give you plenty of ideas for family friendly hotels with something for everyone:
The Athenaeum
Westminster, London
The Athenaeum Hotel & Apartments are a great option for those travelling with babies and toddlers. It is pricey however if you are looking for a luxurious and relaxing break in a thriving city this is the place for you. The hotel is only 15 minutes’ walk from Oxford Street’s shops and the theatres of the West End. Children eat for free in the hotel and there are some great kids menu options and food for babies can also be prepared. There is air conditioning, flat screen TVs in all rooms and a fantastic spa. When you make your reservation the Kids’ Concierge will get in touch to find out if there’s anything they can arrange on your behalf such as tickets to shows or events, booking a special restaurant, or even devising a dream itinerary that matches your family’s tastes and ages. The Kids’ Concierge will also ask you what your children love to read, watch and eat – and will do their best to stock up ready for when you arrive. On arrival, the rooms are stocked with sippy cups, plastic bowls, bibs and cutlery, teddies, building blocks, toy trains and story books. Babysitting services are available at an extra charge.
Babington House
Somerset
The Babington House Hotel, part of the Soho House Group, is a boutique-style hotel set in 18 acres of parkland, with its own lake, tennis courts and croquet lawn. There are 32 decent-sized and lavishly-designed bedrooms, ranging from suites to split-level mini-houses ideal for families, which include activity packs for the children when they arrive along with other extras if required including sterilisers, changing mats, baby baths and microwaves. There is also the Lodge: a two-storey, three-bedroom cottage ideal for families. There are indoor and outdoor pools and a Cowshed Spa with heavenly treatments for older guests. Off-site, the hotel can arrange ballooning, golf, rock climbing and horse riding. Babysitting is available and the Little House kids club is open daily and offers free crèche facilities for children from 12 months and up, with plenty of games and entertainment. Cooking classes and outdoor activities are organised during the summer holidays for older kids. The hotel even has a small cinema with sink-in chairs showing a variety of films including children’s favourites. High tea is put on every evening just for the kids and there’s a fantastic children’s menu available.
Calcot Manor
Gloucestershire
Calcot Manor is a charming country hotel set in a former old English farmhouse which dates back to the 14th century. The building is set in a courtyard of lime trees, stone barns and stables, and is surrounded by 220 acres of meadowland. The 35-bedroom hotel, considered a bolthole for families has a country-modern style with a homely atmosphere. There are 13 family bedrooms and suites away from the main house. Baby Boxes containing everything from changing mats to sterilisers can be found in each room. There is a separate Ofsted registered Play Zone, plus dedicated children’s menus and meal times along with baby-listening services. The crèche is staffed by qualified nannies and is packed with Hasbro toys. For older kids the mezzanine level has its own cinema, Playstations and XBoxes. Special activities such as Easter Egg Hunts, cookery classes and sports mornings are organised during school holidays. Children’s High Tea is served in the Gumstool every evening. The Calcot Spa has indoor and outdoor pools, and there tennis courts and a croquet lawn. Not far from the hotel you’ll find Berkeley Castle, Slimbridge Wild Fowl and Wetlands Centre, Westonbirt Arboretum and Longleat Safari Park. The Playzone (ages 0-16) is open daily.
Rothay Manor
The Lake District
The Rothay Manor Hotel & Restaurant sits in attractive landscaped gardens just a 15 minutes walk from the head of Windermere and 10 minutes from the centre of Ambleside. Rothay Manor is one of the most family friendly hotels in the Lake District. Families are made very welcome, and with a choice of rooms or suites available, there is something to suit most requirements. There are a number of stroller accessible suites within the hotel. The hotel offers a free Baby-Listening Service through the hotels phone system that works from all the rooms and suites, or babysitters can be booked in advance. Children’s High Tea is served each day between 6.15 – 6.30pm but must be pre-ordered. With something for all tastes it can be served either in the Restaurant (under parent’s supervision), or in your room if preferred. Children are also welcome to dine with their parents, families with younger children are seated in the Family Dining Room at 7pm. A Young Diner’s menu is available for older children or they can choose a small portion from the Dinner menu. There is a Children’s Playground a few minutes walk away in Rothay Park as well as large grassy areas for football and the gardens are perfect for a walk.
Bedruthan Steps
Cornwall
The Bedruthan is a family owned hotel sits on a rugged cliff side in the Cornish village of Mawgan Porth offering wonderful views across the Atlantic. There is a beach which lies just below the hotel and you can take walks along the cliff paths. The 4-star boutique hotel has a luxury spa and restaurant. The leisure centre features a gym, indoor and outdoor pools, games room and a resident surf instructor. Guests can relax in the thermal suite with a sauna, hot tub and steam room.This hotel strikes the perfect balance between child-friendliness and adult entertainment. There are some fantastic facilities for younger guests from baby exploring play areas, all terrain strollers, baby backpacks and babysitting to an outdoor wooden ship and Wild Café for children’s meals. You can also use the parent and toddler kites and spades for damming the stream on the beach.There are also two hours’ free childcare per day in a creche run to Ofsted standards. There is also a games room and a playground.
The Elms
Worcestershire
Part of a collection of Luxury Family Hotels, The Elms is within easy reach of the Midlands, Cotswolds, Welsh Borders and West Midlands Safari Park. This hotel offers 23 tastefully designed rooms equipped with every amenity, a large indoor pool, spa treatments, warm and welcoming staff and fabulous crèche facilities. Children and adults alike will love exploring the 10 acres of enchanting gardens, having a bash at croquet on the lawn, enjoying a game of tennis and following our special ‘fairy trail’ through the grounds. Parents will appreciate the beautiful Queen Anne mansion and spa while there’s a complimentary Ofsted-registered crèche for little ones and plenty of activities for older children, who can dine in the evening in the dining room or earlier in the Garden Café. The hotel also offers a well-stocked library where you can settle down with a book, or choose a family board game to play in the lounge with steaming mugs of hot chocolate. There are DVDs to borrow – all the rooms have DVD players so you can snuggle up for a family movie. Some of the rooms are not stroller accessible so make sure you request a ground floor room if you want to roll your pram or stroller in and out of your hotel room.
The Four Seasons
Hampshire
The Four Seasons is a real treat for families offering something for everyone and located just an hour from London. This is the Four Seasons’ only UK country hotel. It is set amid 500 acres of luscious green fields where guests can watch the hotel’s horses frolic in paddocks. The hotel offers sophisticated bedrooms within an 18th-century renovated manor. The hotel is a great base for Jane Austen’s House, Legoland, Birdworld and the nearby Roke Farm. For parents there’s a spa with an indoor pool and outdoor whirlpool, and outdoor activities including mountain-biking, tennis, horse-riding, clay-pigeon shooting and golf. Children are made to feel welcome the minute they arrive, with younger ones being able to choose a gift from a giant toy box, while parents check-in. Once in the room they’ll find bath ducks, mini bathrobes, kids’ toiletries and their names spelt out in sponge letters. The Kids For All Seasons club (age 3+) has daily activities ranging from crafts and stories to visits to the Equestrian Centre, kite flying and treasure hunts and under 3’s can attend with a parent. Babysitting services are also available on request and the hotel provides complimentary bottles, diapers, wipes, lotion, powder, shampoo and safety pins, use of baby bathtub, blankets, thermometers, high chairs and strollers along with baby proofing equipment for your room. Children can eat in the brasserie or main restaurant or in their rooms. It’s not unusual to see couples dining with their babies asleep in prams by their side.
Stoke Park
Buckinghamshire
Set within 350 acres of historic parkland and gardens, Stoke Park is an enormous stately mansion with 21 highly-ornate traditional bedrooms in the main mansion and 28 new contemporary-style bedrooms in the Pavilion. The hotel has tennis courts, a 27-hole golf course and a fabulous spa and swimming pool. Cots are provided and nannies and babysitting services are available on request. Children get VIP-treatment and will find little treats like ducks for the bath and mini-dressing gowns in their room. Outside you’ll find an adventure playground, junior golf and tennis facilities. Inside, there’s a crèche (£7 per hour) with a fantastic range of activities, an under-eight’s play room, an outdoor playground, special Splash Times in the pool, a cinema club at weekends and games room. Stoke Park also offers Junior Golf and Tennis Academies, as well as a special Young Masters Golf programme.
The Balmoral
Edinburgh
The Balmoral is centrally located and has a Michelin-starred restaurant, a pool and a gym. Waverley Station and Edinburgh’s main shopping area are within 5 minutes’ walk. The Balmoral offers rooms with a spacious marble bathroom and an interactive TV. Many rooms have views towards Edinburgh Castle and the Old Town. Number One Restaurant provides a fine dining menu, while Hadrian’s Brasserie offers informal dining atmosphere. Palm Court features afternoon tea and a champagne bar and the Balmoral Bar serves innovative cocktails in a relaxed setting. With a sauna and a Turkish steam room, The Balmoral Spa features 5 treatment rooms and an exercise studio. The Balmoral offers a number of services for parents travelling with babies and toddlers including; a Monkey Teddy Turndown Service, 24-hour babysitting is available upon request and complimentary baby meals, baby crockery, high chairs, bibs, bottle warmers and sterilisers (all available upon request). Motion mobiles, night lamps and play mats are all available upon request in your room and bathrooms can be set-up with baby bath products, hooded towels and rubber ducks. Temperature testers, nappies, nappy changing mats, nappy cream and wipes are all available upon request.
Bovey Castle
Devon
Bovey Castle is situated on a 275-acre estate is situated in the beautiful Dartmoor National Park in the heart of Devon. The hotel has 64 bedrooms and 14 huge three-bedroom lodges. There is a huge indoor pool, spa and golf course, and complementary activities such as a daily falconry display, badminton, mountain-biking, croquet and tennis. Other activities include fly-fishing, art classes, golf and cider and sloe gin making. All facilities needed for baby care are available as well as a baby-listening service.The Playroom crèche (ages 3-6), run by fully qualified staff is full of toys and games, and activities are put on including painting, making chocolate crispies and badge-making. There’s also a trampoline and playground and during the summer there are pony rides around the estate. Every day, children can collect eggs from hotel chickens and meet the resident ferrets. High Tea is provided and films are arranged for younger guests during school holidays.
