15 best family-friendly hotels in the UK, reviewed by a parent
Our edit of the best family-friendly hotels in the UK is long-awaited. We get it: flying can be stressful at the best of times. When you think about it, the only enjoyable parts really are the glass of red wine after take off, and the opportunity to speak to no one for several hours. So, if you factor in a baby, toddler, child, or all of the above, all of that enjoyment goes out the window.
Hardened parents will tell you how they got through it – usually a combination of snacks and screen time – but few will claim it as a restful start to a family holiday. That’s why staycations are so brilliant for young families. (That said, if you are going for it, then don't miss our guide to the best family-friendly hotels in the Maldives.)
Best family-friendly hotels in the UK at a glance:
- Best for activities: The Grove
- Best in London: Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park
- Best for country pursuits: Gleneagles
- Best for design buffs: Beaverbrook
- Best for water sports: Lakes by Yoo
Of course, before you book Center Parcs or bundle everything into the car, take a look at our list of simultaneously child-friendly and parent-pleasing hotels, which eliminate the need for both. As any parent will know, leaving the house can often require everything and the kitchen sink, so any hotel that offers the essentials as part of the package – plus thoughtful extras that go the extra mile (we’re talking kid-friendly toiletries, mini-robes, VIP experiences and of course, cuddly toys) has our vote.
After something else? Discover our edits of the best family hotels in London and the best hotels in the UK.
These are the hotels that cater to little ones without compromising style – you’re welcome.
The Royal Horseguards Hotel
- Best for: Thameside luxury with a (Royal) family touch
- Location: London
- Price per night: £142-£235 depending on room choice
- Address: 2 Whitehall Court, London SW1A 2EJ
Dating back to roughly 800 AD, the land on which The Royal Horseguards Hotel stands was once Scotland Yard, which served as the official residence of the Royal Family of Scotland at the time. The hotel itself occupies part of Whitehall Court, which was built in 1884 in the style of a French château.
Nowadays, it's a place to let your family get to know Whitehall and the surrounding area. Take gorgeous walks in nearby St James's Park and feed the ducks and wave to the nearby horses and guards, perfect activities if you are visiting with children.
The breakfast is a crowd pleaser for all ages, too, from pastries to a full English. Family rooms are available, as is a babysitting service if you fancy a well-deserved adult night out.
Lucknam Park
- Best for: Kids who appreciate the finer things in life
- Location: Wiltshire
- Price per night: £364
- Address: Lucknam Park, Chippenham SN14 8AZ
An 18th-century Palladian pile might not sound like the most appealing place to take your litter of rambunctious offspring, but hear us out. There’s not a whiff of snobbishness about Lucknam Park, which, despite its rather grand setting, is supremely welcoming of children. Families will love staying in the main house for its stylish grandeur and antique furnishings, but the cottages might be easier, particularly if you’ve got any fussy eaters amongst your group (more the fool them – they’ll be missing out on Michelin-starred Restaurant Hywel Jones if they’re aged five and above). There’s plenty to do on the estate, including pony riding, bike riding and adventure playground-ing, plus an indoor pool, and The Hideaway, a sort of creche-slash-games room where parents and children can bond. If none of that floats your boat, you’re only a short distance from the likes of Longleat Safari Park and Cotswolds Water Park.
Chewton Glen
- Best for: Memory-making treehouse accommodation
- Location: New Forest
- Price per night: £375
- Address: Christchurch Rd, New Milton BH25 6QS
Chances are you’re familiar with Chewton Glen’s treehouse-style accommodation from social media. Featuring fairytale-esque wraparound balconies that offer incredible treetop views, not to mention their own outdoor hot tubs, they are guaranteed to elicit excitement in every age bracket. More magic can be found in the daily breakfast basket delivery, which arrives behind a trap door, ideal for families with little ones who don’t want to get up for breakfast.
As well as the beautiful and world-class spa, which includes the Grecian pool, there are also endless opportunities to get up close and personal with nature, including sheep-walking, duck-herding and falconry. One particularly clever idea is the activities hamper for 3+ kids, which include things like a kite, a grow-your-own plant, eye-spy game and postcard making set.
Beaverbrook
- Best for: Some R+R in the country
- Location: Surrey
- Price per night: £485
- Address: Reigate Rd, Leatherhead KT22 8QX
The former country pile of Lord Beaverbrook has transformed into one of the UK’s most beloved country house hotels, with quirky decor and top-notch facilities, including one of the best spas in the country (with an indoor and heated outdoor pool). Yet surprisingly for a hotel so stylish, the family facilities are second to none, with plenty of thoughtful details, including a kids club run by Sharkey and George.
Of particular interest to families will be the newly opened holiday cottages in The Village, which feature colourful interiors by Nicola Harding, including cleverly designed bunk beds that can be folded away after use to create more space. Mrs Beeton’s restaurant (also in The Village) has kid-friendly fare on the menu, including burgers, fish and chips and tomato pasta, or if your children are older and better behaved, there’s always the Garden Restaurant, which offers delicious salads and pasta dishes utilising ingredients from the hotel’s kitchen garden. The grounds have plenty of walking and cycling trails, plus swings and the like, while the on-site cinema regularly screens children’s films.
The Grove
- Best for: A quick escape from London
- Location: Hertfordshire
- Price per night: £440
- Address: Chandler's Cross, Watford WD3 4TG
The Grove calls itself the capital’s country retreat, and it’s easy to see why, with 300 acres of parkland situated just 30 minutes from London’s West End. The former estate of the Earl of Clarendon makes the most of this prime real estate with a seemingly endless list of outdoor activities, all of which are very family-friendly, including archery, tennis, outdoor bike trails and even bird of prey walks. And if the weather’s rubbish? There’s always the children’s pool, which is full of inflatable toys. The cutest touch? Mini Land Rovers, which kids can borrow and race around the estate in.
Activities aside, the hotel’s 215 rooms are decorated stylishly for mum and dad but with child-pleasing amenities like toys and toiletries, as well as, most thrillingly, a Japanese toilet with all the buttons. In terms of food, there’s something for even the fussiest of palates at the Glasshouse restaurant, whose buffet table is the stuff of TikTok legend, with seemingly every cuisine under the sun represented.
OLA O SMITThe Lakes by Yoo
- Best for: Budding paddleboarders, kayakers and sailors
- Location: Gloucestershire
- Price per night: £250
- Address: High Street, Lechlade GL7 3DT
Lakes by Yoo is the perfect retreat for anyone who has a handful of water babies – and that includes grown-up ones, too! Set on a beautiful lake in the Cotswolds town of Lechlade, it’s become particularly popular with Londoners who want to escape to the country for the weekend. With individually designed cabins (some of the interiors have been done by Kate Moss, no less!), each with different room configurations, there’s truly one to suit every family group. The one thing that unites them? Stunning views onto the lake, where you can paddleboard, kayak, canoe – you name it. The on-site restaurant caters to large groups easily, with a great kids menu too, while the spa is the perfect escape when you can offload them onto dad or someone else – they are the only ones in the country to offer Cosmoss treatments.
Port Lympne
- Best for: An animal adventure
- Location: Kent
- Price per night: £159
- Address: Aldington Rd, Lympne, Hythe CT21 4LR
Kent’s answer to the Masai Mara is a one-stop shop for any parents with budding zoologists in their midst. At Port Lympne, little ones can not only get up close and personal with their favourite animals – we’re talking hand-feeding giraffes and rhinos – but they can also sleep next to them. There are numerous different accommodation options, from rooms within the main lodge to self-catering treehouses, but the most memorable are surely those within the tiger enclosure, which allow you to stand nose-to-nose with these majestic creatures – albeit separated by a pane. There’s certainly something to be said for doing bath time while a tiger looks on – just make sure your little ones don’t get any Julia Donaldson-like ideas about tea.
Four Seasons Hampshire
- Best for: Budding equestrians and water park fun
- Location: Hampshire
- Price per night: £446
- Address: Dogmersfield Park, Chalky Lane, Hook RG27 8TD
The Four Seasons Hampshire has mythic status amongst parents, who all rave about the delights of Sharkie’s Reef, its impressive indoor swimming pool with waterslide and fountains. Other highlights at this sprawling and glamorous hotel include the equestrian centre, where you can do a meet and greet with a pony, plus a kids' club for ages 4+. Children eat for free at the hotel’s Wild Carrot restaurant, with children’s plates, bowls, cups and cutlery provided, so that you don’t need to worry about bringing your own (or worse, breaking their fancy crocks), while the pool changing rooms even have free swim nappies. In your room, you’ll find a nappy bin, baby bath, etc, if you need them, plus a welcome message on the bathroom mirror specifically for your little ones. A hop, skip, and a jump from Peppa Pig world, it’s ideal for anyone who is keen on the porcine idol.
Woolley Grange
- Best for: Kids who just don't stop
- Location: Near Bath
- Price per night: From £250
- Address: Woolley Green, Bradford-on-Avon BA15 1TX
If you’ve looked into holidaying with your kids abroad, you’ll be well-versed in Ikos and Sani (the super family-friendly European hotels) - and we'd like to acquaint you with the UK’s answer: Luxury Family Hotels. As the name suggests, it's a collection of five family-run hotels in serene surroundings with all the bells and whistles families crave in a staycation: swimming pools, plush spas, great restaurants and an Ofsted-registered kids clubs offering two hours of complimentary childcare (yes, really).
Luxury Family Hotels are seriously well-versed in smoothing the pain points of travelling with children to elevate a desperately-needed family holiday to something that actually feels like a break - and Woolley Grange, a beautiful Jacobean manor house near Bath that's just undergone a hugely anticipated renovation, was certainly worth the wait.
Every age group is catered to thanks to a toy-filled den that rivals any nursery in London (and opens at 7am), chickens to chase around, a fairy garden to explore, cinema room with a reading nook, epic outdoor play areas and a teens room with pool table and games. Those who ponder how to while away the hours with little ones away from home need not panic; there's an activity for every hour of the day. With the little ones settled at Woolley Bears Den children’s club, adults can decamp to the brilliant spa, which looks out across the walled garden, features al fresco hot tubs, sauna, steam room and trendy TikTok-adored treatments like the Japanese Head Spa. Come 5pm, kids enjoy a pre-dinner story time whilst parents are afforded the rare opportunity to savour a cocktail. The restaurant offers crowd-pleasing dishes for adults and kids alike, as well as a ‘don’t ruin our dinner starter pack’ collection of toys, games and books to occupy little ones. Families can then dip into back-to-back movies complete with popcorn, and milk and cookies left by reception serve as the perfect bargaining chip to lure little ones back to the room.
Woolley Grange truly is a hotel for all seasons and we imagine that summer here would be all the more whimsical thanks to pond-dipping, a revamped walled garden, zip wires, Enid Blyton-esque outdoor pool, tree swings and nostalgic games smattered across the lawns.
Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park
- Best for: Non-Londoners city-breaking in the capital, or locals who want a break!
- Location: London
- Price per night: £873
- Address: 66 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7LA
Without doubt the best hotel in London if you have little ones, the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park has it all. Glamorous yet decidedly unsnooty, staff go out of their way to accommodate your every need, ensuring trips go as smoothly as possible. This starts with having all the essential gear ready and waiting for you in the room, including cots, nappy bins, bottle warmers, sterilisers and bouncers, not to mention a chest of London-themed toys and books. Our favourite touch? The personalised My First Years bits like embroidered bath towels and teddies that have their name on. Kids eat for free at The Rosebery or in the room, and they can even dine at the hotel’s two Michelin-starred restaurant Dinner by Heston Blumental, which has a dedicated menu for over fours (though you might want to make use of one of the hotel’s babysitters for that instead). Older children are given a ‘Little Rangers’ treasure map upon check-in and sent off packing to Hyde Park to discover their bounty, with a movie night in the suite being the ultimate reward.
Gleneagles
- Best for: Outdoor pursuits
- Location: Scotland
- Price per night: £282
- Address: The Gleneagles Hotel, Auchterarder PH3 1NF
The royal family were on to something when they made Balmoral their summer holiday of choice. Channel your inner Windsors and book into Gleneagles instead, which has a plethora of outdoor pursuits to cater to even the most city-slicker amongst us. For grown-ups, there are world-famous golf courses, clay pigeon shooting, falconry and fishing, while little ones can enjoy tree climbing, Shetland pony-riding, mini Land Rover drives and even ferret lessons. Whatever you choose to do, definitely make time for the newly launched Highland cow experience, a safari that takes you right up to these beautiful creatures. You might want to take advantage of the babysitting service for drinks in the American Bar, followed by dinner at Andrew Fairlie’s two Michelin-starred restaurant – or even for a Dr Barbara Sturm facial in the spa.
New Park Manor
- Best for: Spa lovers
- Location: Hampshire
- Price per night: £168
- Address: Lyndhurst Rd, Brockenhurst SO42 7QH
Nestled in the beautiful surroundings of the New Forest, New Park Manor is the perfect base for long countryside walks and some pony or deer spotting. The recently refurbished rooms are bright and spacious, with plenty of room for the whole family (dogs are welcome too), while the restaurant focuses on unfussy seasonal fare. Everything has been designed with families in mind, from the two hours of complimentary childcare to unrestricted swimming times for little ones. They even offer ‘Baby’s First Stay’ and ‘Toddler In Tow’ packages, which include not only Bugaboo cots and monitors but also daily activities so that you can go home with some lovely mementoes.
Three Mile Beach
- Best for: A summer holiday on the beach
- Location: Cornwall
- Price per night: £207
- Address: Gwithian Towans, Gwithian, Hayle TR27 5GE
Located in the picturesque St Ives Bay, Three Mile Beach is that rare thing: a village of holiday houses that are simultaneously stylish and child-friendly, with no need to fret about grubby toddler paws or an enthusiastic preschooler jumping on the bed. A stone’s throw from the sand and the sea, they are ideal for anyone who wants to get their wet suit on (which you can hire on site), but if that’s not for you, then there are also e-bikes to ride, a hot tub to stew in and a pizza oven to get to grips with. Kitted out with absolutely everything that you could need, they are great for self-catering in particular, though they do have a local private chef who can come by and whip up a feast for you, if you’re feeling lazy.
Soho Farmhouse
- Best for: Celebrity-spotting
- Location: Oxfordshire
- Price per night: £295
- Address: Great Tew, Chipping Norton OX7 4JS
If you’re the sort of parent whose idea of the countryside is Hampstead Heath, then Soho Farmhouse is probably at your comfort level. Kids will love the theatre of being driven to their accommodation on a milk float or a Land Rover, and will no doubt enjoy the thrills of an al fresco bath too, which most rooms come with. Those famous Soho House cookies, waiting for you in your room, will likely be chowed down before supper, but you might want to remind your kids that the restaurants have a delightful spread suitable for little appetites. Bigger kids (including the grown-ups) can partake in clay pigeon shooting, horse riding and biking, while for littles, there’s the Teeny Barn, a kids club that puts on various arts and crafts throughout the day. Make sure you pack your swimsuits for a dip in the heated indoor-outdoor pool.
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Stanwell House
- Best for: A boutique seaside break and resting place for your Peppa Pig World trip
- Location: New Forest
- Price per night: From £185
- Address: 14-15 High St, Lymington SO41 9AA
A time will come in your parenthood era where you'll find yourself en route to Peppa Pig World, so why not make the most of it by combining it with a stay at nearby Stanwell House boutique hotel? Nestled in the heart of Lymington, this seaside townhouse hotel is the perfect place to rest your head after a day with everyone's favourite pink pig. The interiors are Georgian-inspired and rival a Cotswold stately home with Colefax and Fowler wallpaper and plush, chintzy sofas throughout. Opt for the Family Suite, which features fanfare-inducing bunk beds and a cosy den, and enjoy an early dinner at Samphire restaurant where the Cornish Day Boat Fish of the Day washed down with a salty marg will reward parents after a long day. Kids will also love the Little Donkey Package, which, alongside food for the family, features a Donkey Goodnight Experience at Brockenhurst Donkey Walks where kids will help prepare four donkeys for bed.
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