Here are a few suggestions for hip but child friendly boutique hotels in the UK (yes they do exist!). They all have great facilities, have a huge welcome for families with lots to see and do and have kids meals and childcare/kids clubs.
Babington House, Somerset
The launch of the country cousin of media hang-out Soho House kick-started the march of metropolitan cool into the countryside. Babington is a child-friendly hotel also. Split-level Stable Block rooms are family sized, with terraces and bunk rooms with two children's beds. The Lodge is a separate cottage, ideal for families with children.
The Little House creche will look after children aged one and up (free for residents: daily) providing games, entertainment and activities. They must be signed in, and parents must remain on the hotel premises.
Outside, there are extensive grounds, tennis courts, a cricket pitch and five-aside football nets. There are lots of lovely walks and bride paths in the area. You can borrow the hotel's bike and go exploring. Inside, there's a private 45 - seat cinema that screens all sorts of films, including children's films. Stable Block rooms are provided with many child-friendly extras, including sterilisers, changing mats, baby baths and microwaves for heating milk or food. The Lodge cottage has an Xbox, with games available to borrow from reception. You can book this through Mr and Mrs Smith
Fowey Hall, Cornwall
Commanding sweeping views of Fowey's river estuary this is an unpretentious luxury family-focussed hotel on the south coast of Cornwall.There are 10 interconnecting rooms with space for up to six guests. All rooms are large enough for at least a cot or extra bed. Suites have fridges, handy for storing milk.
The Ofsted-approved Four Bears Den is geared towards under-eights. There are lots of toys, and supervised hands-on play sessions, including painting and cooking. The Beach Hut for older children is open all day and, in high season, is supervised from 7 – 9pm in the evenings. Children can romp around in the walled gardens or play croquet or giant Jenga in the summer. This exceedingly child-friendly hotel has an outdoor play area and a large trampoline. Adult and children's bikes can be borrowed for free with children's cycle helmets.
The Garage is an unsupervised playroom for older children, equipped with a pool table, table tennis and table football, and computer games are available in the Gun Room (also unsupervised). Family-friendly films are shown nightly in the Cooks Room during school holidays. There is an indoor heated pool within the hotel grounds. You can book this through Mr and Mrs Smith
The Ickworth, Suffolk
The hotel is located in the east wing of a National Trust property and is a child-friendly hotel that's great for indulgent family breaks. The child-friendly suites have separate sitting rooms. Children sharing a parent's room stay free, paying only for meals.
The Four Bear's Den is an Ofsted-registered supervised playroom, packed with toys, and opens from around 7am until late, and supervised from 10am until 5pm (unsupervised during meal times). There are 1,800 acres of garden and parkland to get lost in. Families can borrow bikes (and helmets) for free, bounce on the trampoline, chase around the nature trails or go horse riding. Club/Blu is an unsupervised playroom for older children, with table tennis, table-top football and PlayStations; PS2 games are available at reception. The heated indoor pool is open year-round, with plenty of armbands, floats and inflatable toys to borrow. You can book this through Mr and Mrs Smith
Woolley Grange, Wiltshire
This small luxury family-friendly hotel is set in 14 acres of glorious private grounds on the outskirts of Bradford on Avon. It is just eight miles from Bath and 30 minutes from Longleat, with enticing views of the White Horse at Westbury to gaze at in the distance. Laze by the pool in summer, retire to the fireside in winter, and enjoy the glorious English countryside all year round. Your children will love its giant trampoline, heated pool and amazing kids' facilities. Suites have sitting rooms and all rooms have space for an extra cot or bed, but it's a squeeze in the standard doubles. Children sharing parents' rooms stay free, paying only for meals.
The Ofsted-approved Woolley Bear's Den creche overflows with Lego, dressing-up outfits and doll's houses, and it's ideal for kids up to the age of eight. It's open from around 7am, and supervised from 10am to 4.45pm (unsupervised during meal times). It also has a DVD, video and music corner with beanbags to sit on. The Hen House is an unsupervised playroom for older children, with air hockey, a pool table and tabletop football games.
This child-friendly hotel has acres of grounds to run around in, an outdoor play area, children's croquet, bikes (and helmets) to borrow free of charge, outdoor table tennis, football nets and a giant trampoline. Indoors, there are board games, and PlayStation consoles in the (unsupervised) Long Room playroom. The outdoor heated pool is open all year, and well stocked with floats and armbands. During school half-terms and holidays, lots of extra child-focused activities are organised, often on seasonal themes (Bonfire Night parties, Easter egg hunts). Your family pooch is welcome, too (though not in all rooms so check when you book), for a £7 charge. You can book this through Mr and Mrs Smith.
You will find lots of family friendly travel tips and advice in our research and advice section to help you book the right family holiday. Check out also the experiences of other parents and travellers in our parents forum and add your own experiences as we are a great believer in real parent's experiences as the best measure of whether somewhere will suit you for your family holiday.
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