8 Posh Family-Friendly London Hotels

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London makes for an ideal family vacation, with dozens of activities and attractions that are great for all ages. Younger kids may get bored at too many museums (although the Churchill War Rooms has tons of interactive exhibits and the V&A Museum of Childhood has the UK’s largest collection of dolls, among other things), while adults can only go to so many playgrounds before longing for a pub visit (but we still love the Princess Diana Memorial Playground in Hyde Park).

Thankfully, easy-to-navigate London has plenty of crowd-pleasing attractions to throw into the mix like Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, the Natural History Museum, the Eye, Legoland Windsor, The Mail Rail and Spitalfields City Farm, which is home to rabbits, pigs, chickens, geese and cows and the Bug Hotel. After using your miles to get to London and enjoying a long day of exploring, where your family lays their heads is an important decision. For the ultimate in comfort and location, these are our some of our favorite (posh) London hotels for families.

1. Kimpton Fitzroy London

Kimpton's first UK property opened in October 2018 as a stylish Bloomsbury hotel inside a palatial 19th-century landmarked building that is ideally located near the Warner Bros. Studio's Making of Harry Potter experience as well as the British Museum. Its 334 modern rooms and suites are roomy and well-appointed with local art, and kids can get special treats certain times of the year if they find out the secret password. There are complimentary bikes to borrow — a great way to see the city with older kids. While you can book a room at the Kimpton Fitzroy London for 70k IHG Rewards Club points, it may not always work out for your family. That’s because the room types the Fitzroy generally offers on points are rated for double occupancy only and are outfitted with one king or one double bed. This may be a hotel where you earn points instead of burn them to book a room with two beds that can sleep more than a couple of heads.

You can also either book two rooms or secure one standard room with points and ask the hotel what co-pay it may take to secure a larger room. (If you don't have enough IHG Rewards Club points, you can transfer from Chase Ultimate Rewards or purchase them when they go on sale for as low as about 1/2 a cent each.)

2. Hilton London Bankside

Located in London’s Southwark neighborhood near Shakespeare’s Globe and the pedestrian-only Millennium Bridge, this Hilton has large rooms, a heated indoor pool (a rarity in London) and baby-sitting services. There’s also a children’s menu, children’s video rental, and high chairs and cribs available. Family packages are often available and a room often rings in at a more affordable price than other nearby lodgings. Award nights at can be booked from 52,000 to 70,000 Hilton Honors points, depending on the season, for a standard room or you can use a weekend anniversary night available with certain Hilton credit cards. Be aware that many room types are double occupancy, so you may need to hunt and peck to find a standard room that works for your family, or look at the more expensive premium rewards rooms. You can load up with Hilton points with a variety of credit card welcome bonuses, including the Hilton Honors American Express Card (80,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months),the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card (130,000 bonus points after you use your card to make $2,000 in eligible purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership. ) and the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card (150,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months).

3. Andaz London Liverpool Street

This brightly colored hotel in the heart of the City of London and right by trendy Shoreditch. The hotel had its rooms and suites (which can fit three people) recently refurbished to match the artsy vibe of the neighborhood. Start the day with breakfast in the stunning 1901 Breakfast Restaurant, a Grade II listed ballroom dating back to 1901. But not to worry: The hotel has five other restaurants. They also offer child care services, cribs and other baby supplies, and adjoining rooms are available upon request. Award nights can be booked through World of Hyatt starting at 25,000 points. Room occupancy is rated at two adults and one child. Hyatt is an Ultimate Rewards transfer partner or you can sign up for the World of Hyatt Credit Card to earn up to 60,000 bonus points: 30,000 Bonus Points after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening. Plus, up to 30,000 more Bonus Points by earning 2 Bonus Points total per $1 spend on purchases that normally earn 1 Bonus Point, on up to $15,000 in the first six months of account opening.

4. St. James’s Hotel & Club

This boutique hotel is a member of Small Luxury Hotels and is located on a quiet cul-de-sac in Mayfair. It offers interconnecting rooms and deluxe suites that can accommodate two adults with extra beds for up to two children. Tony O’Connell, the dedicated kids’ concierge, will recommend creative activities based on your child’s age and interests. The restaurant serves a playful board game-inspired afternoon tea, with treats like a Snakes and Ladders board made from chocolate mousse and cherries and a Monopoly top hat made of orange jelly and chocolate cake. Small Luxury Hotels recently joined the World of Hyatt program and a room here can be booked for 25,000 points (though availability is limited and standard rooms are double occupancy so most families will need to book two interconnecting rooms). Note that not all Small Luxury Hotels are bookable with Hyatt points quite yet.

5. JW Marriott, Grosvenor House London

This historic hotel in an old mansion was fully refurbished a few years ago. Large rooms and various suite configurations boast plush pillow top beds and marble bathrooms, with cribs and rollaways available. The new Family by JW program offers activities like hands-on cooking classes, movement classes with members of the Joffrey Ballet and off-property outings. Kids receive an activity book with architectural-focused games and nightly stretching cards designed by the Joffrey Ballet. Plus, Grover’s Children’s Tea is offered in their restaurant Park Room, and includes mini sandwiches and pastries, as well as a Grover stuffed toy for little ones to take home. A redemption with cash upgrade at this Category 7 hotel will get you a room rated for three people for 60,000 Marriott Rewards points and cash (from 50 to 1,500 pounds, depending on the room or suite you select) per night. Marriott is a transfer partner of Chase Ultimate Rewards and you can earn Marriott Rewards points with a variety of cobranded credit cards.

6. Brown’s Hotel Mayfair, A Rocco Forte Hotel

This grand, five-star hotel is as luxurious as it gets and service is extremely personalized, thanks to the Families R Forte program. That means you can expect things like sheets embroidered with princesses or pirates, a colorful play tent, and toys and cookies with your child’s name on them waiting in your room (or spacious suite) upon arrival. Plus, there are turndowns with an Albemarle the Monkey (the hotel mascot, in a reference to the fact that Rudyard Kipling penned The Jungle Book at the hotel) stuffed animal; rubber ducks, kids’ bath products, mini slippers and robes in the bathrooms; and a spa that does treatments for the youngster set. Age-appropriate books, movies and games (and consoles); 24-hour baby-sitting; baby meals and highchairs; and baby bathtubs are available on request. One more perk: Guests get 50% off kids’ meals in the restaurant or through room service. While you can't use hotel points to book this hotel, you can use fixed value points or pay the going rate with your Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card to earn 10x miles on the booking through Hotels.com venture (ends Jan. 31, 2020).

While you are there, don't miss afternoon tea in the English Tea Room -- it is incredible though perhaps a bit slow for the younger set.

7. The Kensington, The Doyle Collection

Book the London With Family (from 350 pounds per night) offer at this luxury hotel in Kensington and upon arrival to your suite, children will find their very own tee-pee tent set up and fully stocked with milk, cookies, your child’s favorite magazine and a plush Kensington teddy bear. A DVD player with DVDs can be requested and children’s toiletries and one rollaway bed are provided. Plus, the whole family will enjoy a complimentary breakfast and a complimentary meal for children under 5 when eating with an adult before 7pm. Finally, a children’s concierge is available to help plan itineraries and handle other special requests. The hotel also offers the Festive Tale as Old as Time Afternoon Tea for the month of December, with sweets and savories inspired by the characters and scenes from Beauty and the Beast — with a holiday twist.

8. The Ampersand Hotel

This South Kensington Small Luxury Hotel offers a variety of well-designed room configurations that can accommodate a rollaway bed (which is free of charge) and many rooms can interconnect. Extra helpful: The suites here come with small kitchenettes, an oft-overlooked amenity that is a huge plus for families feeding small mouths. Guests can request child-size bathrobes and slippers, children’s toiletries and activity packs, and there’s also a game room with a Ping-Pong table.

On-site restaurant Apero has a children’s menu and children age 4 and under receive complimentary continental buffet breakfast while children age 5–12 get a discounted continental buffet breakfast and a la carte dishes. Be sure to check out the hotel’s signature Science Afternoon Tea (40 pounds per adult, 30 per child), inspired by the nearby Science Museum. It experiments with sounds and visuals with a mix of exciting and curious dishes, like jams served in petri dishes, chocolate spacemen and dinosaur biscuits. As a Small Luxury Hotel, hopefully it will be bookable with World of Hyatt points in the near future.

Bottom Line

Whether you plan to burn or earn miles during your London stay, there are many high-end hotels that welcome families with open arms. Have you stayed in London recently? Which hotel did your family love and why?