8 Days in the UK with Kids: London and the English Countryside
Kids ages: 8 & 6
Month of visit: March
Spring Break was a delightful mix of urban exploration and rural charm as our family journeyed to the UK, dividing our time between the bustling streets of London and the serene landscapes of Dogmersfield. Each day brought new adventures, from discovering iconic landmarks like the Tower of London, indulging in some of the finest dining and Afternoon Tea experiences London has to offer, to enjoying leisurely strolls in the countryside to visit the ponies in the on-site stables. The contrast between the fast-paced city life and the idyllic countryside created a unique balance that made our vacation truly special.
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DAY 1-5 | CITY (LONDON)
Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London
We stayed at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London, and it proved to be an excellent choice for our family getaway. The hotel's prime location across from Harvey Nichols and with Hyde Park as its backyard allowed easy access to the surrounding attractions, making exploration effortless. Read full Stay Review here.
Sample Travel Club amenities and VIP benefits*:
VIP WELCOME & SPECIAL AMENITY
$100 HOTEL / RESORT CREDIT
PRIORITY ROOM UPGRADE
CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST DAILY
EXTENDED CHECK-IN/OUT WHENEVER POSSIBLE
UNLIMITED HIGH-SPEED WI-FI
*Specific amenities and benefits vary by property
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Have an existing booking and want to add Travel Club benefits? Contact us
Mandarin Junior Suite for the parents (connected to a Deluxe Room with twin beds for the kids)
The hotel and room setup was ideal for families and incredibly spacious, especially by London hotel standards. Although we booked interconnecting rooms, we were generously upgraded to a Mandarin Junior Suite with King bed connecting to a Deluxe room with two Twin beds on arrival. The hotel offered a package with a 50% discount on a connecting room for children which helped defray the cost of booking two rooms.
Little Rangers Package and children’s in-room amenities
Upon arrival to our room, there were incredible welcome amenities for kids and adults, including a Big Ben-themed chocolate, sparkling tea, and a Little Rangers Package with a themed chest of toys, activities, and costumes in the room on arrival, and an in-room family movie night with treats (all generously gifted by the hotel). The hotel also provided children’s robes and slippers and complimentary meals for children under 12 when dining with parents.
Indoor pool, Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London
One of the most valuable features of the hotel was the stunning, family-friendly indoor pool — a rarity in London. Swimming off the jet lag was a great way to spend our first afternoon of the trip.
London family photo session; credit: Emily for Flytographer
Highlights during our time in London included booking tickets to the Tower of London (arranged through the hotel concierge), Afternoon Tea at The Lanesborough, a quick (30-minute) and well-executed family photo session with Emily for Flytographer, and shopping at Hamley’s toy store.
Aboard the Eurostar headed to Paris
A particularly memorable highlight of our trip was a day-trip to Paris, where we boarded the high speed Eurostar train early in the morning to go to Le Bristol and have a bucket list lunch at Epicure (awarded 3 Michelin Stars) while a nanny arranged through the hotel had lunch with the children in the bistrot nearby then took them up to the children’s playroom across from the spa to keep them entertained until our lunch wrapped up.
Sample Travel Club amenities and VIP benefits*:
VIP WELCOME & SPECIAL AMENITY
$100 HOTEL / RESORT CREDIT
PRIORITY ROOM UPGRADE
CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST DAILY
EXTENDED CHECK-IN/OUT WHENEVER POSSIBLE
UNLIMITED HIGH-SPEED WI-FI
*Specific amenities and benefits vary by property
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Have an existing booking and want to add Travel Club benefits? Contact us
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DAY 5-8 | COUNTRY (DOGMERSFIELD)
Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire
No matter how many times we visit the vibrant city of London, we are always left feeling a sense of sadness as we prepare to leave, and such was the case once again when it was time for us to depart. However, we eagerly looked forward to a delightful change of scenery and the promise of fresh air for the kids to enjoy. Our journey to the Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire consisted of approximately a one-hour drive from the bustling heart of the city. We immediately fell in love with the bucolic setting, warm service, and historic charm of the property.
Sample Travel Club amenities and VIP benefits*:
VIP WELCOME & SPECIAL AMENITY
$100 HOTEL / RESORT CREDIT
PRIORITY ROOM UPGRADE
CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST DAILY
EXTENDED CHECK-IN/OUT WHENEVER POSSIBLE
UNLIMITED HIGH-SPEED WI-FI
*Specific amenities and benefits vary by property
—
Have an existing booking and want to add Travel Club benefits? Contact us
Executive Suite bedroom
We had booked a Garden Deluxe Room but opted for a paid (steeply discounted) upgrade to an Executive Suite on arrival, which was a great setup for our family. Read our full Stay Review here.
Indoor pool connecting to outdoor heated pool
Highlights here included the gorgeous grounds, horse stables with ponies, Sharkie’s Reef indoor waterpark for kids, the Kids for all Seasons kids club, the indoor pool with swimmable connection to a small outdoor heated pool, and excellent cocktail program (hat tip to Surinder).
The Barn restaurant, Coworth Park
A notable highlight was our day out at Coworth Park. We rented a car for the day through Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire, which was brought to the hotel and picked up from the hotel at the end of the day — an incredibly convenient service. We had reserved lunch at The Barn and asked the hotel staff if we could visit the stables for our children to check if their favorite horse was still there from the last time we stayed at Coworth Park. In a very sweet reunion moment, the girls discovered that FTSE (pronounced “Footsy”) was still alive and well, and they got a chance to say hello and pet him before we journeyed back to our hotel.
Sample Travel Club amenities and VIP benefits*:
VIP WELCOME & SPECIAL AMENITY
$100 HOTEL / RESORT CREDIT
PRIORITY ROOM UPGRADE
CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST DAILY
EXTENDED CHECK-IN/OUT WHENEVER POSSIBLE
UNLIMITED HIGH-SPEED WI-FI
*Specific amenities and benefits vary by property
—
Have an existing booking and want to add Travel Club benefits? Contact us
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GOOD TO KNOW
Stables and pastures, Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire
London has many top-notch family-friendly hotels, attractions, and green spaces. The city is easy to walk around, but traveling with young kids can be tricky. We try to plan our main activities in advance and choose a hotel close to what we want to see so we can get around on foot as much as possible. Short stays in the English countryside, even from international locations, are relatively easy due to proximity to London Heathrow (LHR) airport (20-minute drive to Ascot; 35-minute drive to Dogmersfield). While we enjoyed our stay at Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire, the property seemed geared more to families with babies and children age 5 and under, so we would likely opt to stay at Coworth Park (which has a more grown up feel) on our next visit given the ages of our children.
