I'm always dubious about taking children to London hotels, particularly seriously luxurious ones. Hotel breaks are such a decadent treat, why would anyone really want young children there? After all, they make noise, mess and don't appreciate the special treat of staying somewhere beautiful for one night. And that's OK! They are children and the beauty of childhood is that luxury doesn't matter, and it shouldn't.
But sometimes, you might find a swish hotel actually does cater for kids, and young ones at that. Conrad London St. James is a stunning hotel in Westminster, and I was so surprised, and wholeheartedly impressed by how child-friendly it was.
Arriving in style
The gorgeous hotel is situated virtually next door to St James Park underground station, so it's super easy to get to, and so accessible. Being in the centre of London is great if you want to be able to get to all the landmarks with ease, particularly with kids.
When my husband and I arrived at the hotel, we had our two children in tow - my son, who is four, and my daughter who is one. We had lots of luggage, which was quickly and helpfully taken by the concierge, and the lovely receptionist gave my children a cuddly toy dog each on arrival, which as you can imagine, delighted them no end.
We headed up to our family room, which was large, spacious, and interconnecting. I was a little apprehensive about this; what if my son got scared at being separated from us? I needn't have worried. The door to his room could be easily left open and was so close to our room.
The children's room of dreams
When we headed to the children's room, my son actually gasped (and so did we.) The decor was nothing short of exquisite - decked out in a fairytale forest theme, there were fairy lights, enchanted trees, and a tent that even had a little paper fireplace included. There were moon and star-shaped pillows and some beautiful pictures adorning the walls. I wanted to swap!
Ahead of our stay, the hotel asked us what books my son and daughter were interested in, which I thought was a lovely touch. And sure enough, underneath the window, there was a treasure trove of classic children’s storybooks my children love - including The Tiger That Came To Tea and Paddington Bear. Curated by Waterstones, you could even purchase the books afterwards.
The bit that impressed me the most, however, was the attention to detail. On the bed was a personalised book bearing their names. It was so special to receive a keepsake book and my son in particular was delighted.
Bernadette Gilligan, General Manager of Conrad London St. James, says that this new immersive family experience highlights the importance of celebrating the joy of reading and storytelling: “While families may choose our hotel for its prime location near iconic landmarks such as Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Westminster, the addition of the special family room and the children's library offers a unique opportunity for families to unwind and bond during their visit to London.”
Special details
It took quite a while to get the children to want to leave the room as it was that good, but when we finally did, and returned later that evening, there had been a special turn-down service.
Even though we arrived in time for bedtime (7pm of course) and it was blazing sunshine outside, you couldn't tell, as the room was perfectly dark, meaning they went to bed with no arguments.
There were chocolates on the pillow, a plush cuddly toy each and even a hot chocolate station set up. My husband and I slept very well on the 600-count sheets. Everyone was happy.
Family dining
We had dinner at the Blue Boar Pub which is part of the hotel's trio of restaurants. It had such a relaxed atmosphere with a great menu for myself and my husband, and decent meal choices for children - not just the standard chicken nuggets and chips. My daughter devoured a delicious Cottage Pie which I was actually very jealous of.
The next day we had breakfast and the staff were so friendly. My son can be very fussy with food but they encouraged him to eat and were so chatty and warm that he actually munched pretty much everything we gave him (parents of under fives will know how difficult this can be).
The checkout was at 12pm which meant we had lots of time to pack up and didn't have to rush. My son announced, "Can we live here please?", which I think says it all.
Storytale Adventure includes a family room with bed and breakfast, a personalised story book, themed treat at turndown and unlimited access to the Children’s library from £450 per night for two adults and two children.
Once Upon A Stay gives you access to the fairy-tale themed bedroom, plus bed and breakfast, a personalised story book; a story-time mini bar of themed treats and snacks; a themed surprise at turndown and a thoughtfully curated personal mini library in-room, from £625 per night for two adults and two children.
Contact the hotel team directly to arrange your stay by email: ConradLondon.reservations@ConradHotels.com or phone +44 (0)20 3301 8080