Family Hotels in London: Mini Travels at The Berkeley

For frazzled grownups, a weekend in a luxury hotel suite needs no hard sell. But nothing takes the edge off a special trip like a child telling you they’d rather be elsewhere. Fortunately, The Berkeley’s small-person-centric Family Story package meant my children knew immediately that the hotel’s team were speaking their language. Goodies on arrival included small toys - to keep! - and sweet treats. In-room amenities included gaming consoles superior to ours at home, and a film library and popcorn buckets for a top-notch night. The child-sized play tent was a hit, too.

We opted for connecting rooms (separate rooms are also available), which gave my children a fun sense of independence in their ‘kid zone’ (their term). And it allowed my partner and me to stretch out, glasses of chilled Champagne conveniently to hand.

Being able to check in at 10am had made it possible to see the rooms and get excited, then head out for the day to soak up favourite London spots. A highlight was dropping by a comic-book shop where one of my kids’ favourite authors was in town for a signing - something a clued-in concierge drew our attention to.

Back at The Berkeley, the kids had a great time splashing at a children’s session in the (otherwise serene) indoor pool, with water toys provided.

In the morning, we chose to enjoy breakfast in our room, to extend the lounge-about-in-PJs vibe. I was tempted to take up the option to eat at The Berkeley Café, or the neighbouring Emory hotel’s abc kitchens. But what price not having to rush to get anyone dressed?

The Family Story experience - including breakfast, a bottle of Champagne, a selection of movies and game consoles and surprise seasonal goodies for the children; plus a 10am check-in - can be booked at The Berkeley.