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Any great London hotels for a family?

We will be spending 3 or 4 nights in London in February with our 10 year olds and wondered if anyone has a great hotel recommendation in a convenient and safe location, reasonably priced and with atmosphere. Call me corny, but I'd love to stay in a place like Fawlty Towers (without Basil!). I've read with great interest all the posts on London and plan on doing a web search. I just thought it would be nice to hear if anyone had personal recommendations. (Wish I could afford some of the places in the post for the 50th anniversary parents). Thanks!

Hi Carol if you go to londontown.com you will fall almost endless listings for hotels in all price categories and locations. If you do a search on this message board for London hotel, you will find many suggestions for families, and you will notice 5-10 places that keep being praised all the time. Also go to the London hotel section on fodors.com and read the Rants and Raves sections. What you will end up with after these searches is perhaps 5 hotels that seem very good for your needs and budget. Concentrate on contacting those and comparing the offers and prices. Be sure you specify the type of rooms and number of beds that you want. Last Feb I stayed in a place that could be thought of as Fawlty Towers without the Fawltys. It is called the Claverley and it is a small building on quiet Beaufort Gardens, 3 blocks from Harrods, 4 blocks from the Knightsbrige tube stop. I stayed in a single; don't know what they have in terms of a family room or two adjoining doubles. The place is spotlessly clean, but a little worn around the edges, as if your British aunt was overdue for redecorating. Plenty of comfy chairs and floral upholstery in the lobby. Room was small but pleasant and functional. Bathroom had a tub with a hand-held shower; towels due for replacing. There is an elevator, but because the building is a reconfigured town house you still may have to walk up a step or two. A full breakfast is included with the room, everything from eggs and bacon to cold cereals and fruit and juices. Coffee was vile imo. All services were available (they'd get you a cab, they'd send your laundry out, etc) except bellmen for the luggage.

Carol- My suggestion to you would be to e-mail our friend in London, Ben Haines. From reading this board I have learned that Mr. Haines keeps a file of comments that people have made on this board regarding their family trips to London- where they stayed, etc. I hope Mr. Haines doesn't mind my suggesting this, but he is always so friendly and helpful I suspect he will have the answer to your question. I'm sorry, but I do not have his e-mail handy. Check a few threads- you will find him, no problem!!

Carol, "Atmosphere" can be a bit overrated when it comes to staying in a hotel as a family. Don't worry--you'll soak up plenty of atmosphere throughout your visit to London. Factors that may be higher on the list include: --a very central location (so you don't waste too much time commuting, instead of sightseeing) --comfort and quiet (so you can sleep after busy days touring) --accomodations that work for a family group (quad rooms, family rooms, connecting rooms, etc) Price may be the biggest challenge, because London hotels can be expensive. One "budget" alternative that gets high marks from many folks is the Travel Inn County Hall. It has a great location, next to the London Eye, includes some family rooms, and offers fairly modern ammenities. Do a search on this board for more comments. If you can afford it, the Marriott County Hall would be a terrific upscale choice in the same location. There's a Holiday Inn in Mayfair that allows children to stay free in their parents room. The Mayfair location is very central and HI sometimes has good rates (check their website and/or call directly). Again, I'm placing location and facilities over other factors. There are many less central, smaller or older hotels in London that could provide a "Fawlty Towers" experience. Whether that's really what you want while you and your 10 year olds are trying to rest up during your visit...only you can tell. Enjoy London David White http://www.KidsToLondon.com

I enjoyed your responses. Thank you! When I check the websites, I will also take look at the places you mentioned. Believe it or not, many years ago I stayed in a place for something like $20 a night...The place had plenty of "atmosphere", but wasn't bad. As I recall, it wasn't particularly central (and I'm sure it's more than $20 now!) After I've narrowed my list down, I may contact Ben Haines. (I do see his name all over.) Anyway, thanks again.

I know this is an old post. Thought I would top it to see if there are any other choices. Have investigated apartments but will only be there 3 nights so really don't want to mess with the deposit stuff. Will be renting an apt. in Paris and house in Provence so already doing lots of deposits. As for hotels to accomodate 4 ( 2 kids 9 and 12 and 2 adults) the pickings seem slim. Tried Harrington Hall and Rembrandt but no interconnecting rooms. Holiday Inn Kings Crossing has a quad but looks boring.Any other ideas???

We stayed at the Dolphin Square Hotel in Westminster last December. It's one of the few all-suites hotels in London. www.dolphinsquarehotel.co.uk

We got the hotel through Priceline and at first were a bit concerned about the location. It looked a little off the beaten track. It turned out to be a pretty good location. It's in a quiet, residential area but very close to the Pimlico tube station. So you are just one quick stop from Victoria Station and two stops from Green Park. We even found if convenient enough that we could go back to the hotel during the day to drop off packages.

And since it's a hotel, you don't have to stay a minimum number of days or pay a deposit.

Feel free to e-mail me if you want more info. [email protected]. :)

We will be in London in June with our 6 & 9 year old daughters. Have booked the Colonnade Town House based on postings here & at tripadvisor.com. We have a non-smoking suite (quad) for 174 GBP including breakfast. It is very near the canals of Little Venice which we consider a bonus with the kids!

www.theetoncollection.com/hotels/colonnade

Good luck!