InterContinental Hotels: Priority Club & Inter-Continental Ambassador - London with two 4 year olds - which hotel?

Normally I would opt for a Holiday Inn Express when travelling with the kids BUT in London they are 25K points so the same as a Crowne Plaza or Holiday Inn so it seems silly not to stay somewhere more luxourious.

Where would people recommend? I was thinking CP St James (close to Buckingham Palace and Parks) or HI/CP Kensington (close to Natural History museum) or HI Camden (as I have never stayed there) but wondered if anyone else had any inspiration.

CP Kensigton is defintely the best choice:
- excellent location, in the most pleasant district of London
- just next to the Gloucester tube station, with direct access from/to the airport
- recently renovated
- pleasant garden where your kids may play by sunny weather (yes, it happens even in London ;))
- lots of shops, restaurants in the neighbourhood
- Hyde Park, Chelsea/Kensington, Harrods/Harvey Nichols, Victoria & Albert/Natural History museums at walkable distance

Two four year olds? If I were you I'd put the kids in one hotel and you in another :D sorry don't have any practical advice, just couldn't resist!

Do a search, there was a big thread recently about London family hotels. Camden has rooms with 2 x double beds. HI Mayfair also has rooms with 2 x double beds. Logically, this is what you should choose.

For a family Camden is OK - close to London Zoo, Primrose Hill park and all the stuff in the market. HI Mayfair is opposite Green Park, of course, as well. Mayfair is obviously dead central, but with 2 4-year olds I'm not sure that is so important to you. Rooms are bigger at HI Mayfair, but older - not redone for 20 years, unless you get upgraded to an Executive. Camden is a relatively new hotel.

Not sure if CP St James has rooms with 2 double beds as a redemption option.

Be careful about your use of the word 'luxurious' - CP St James and HI Mayfair are both in need of work. For 25k luxury, you want CP The City.

HI Camden is pretty nice, but I would not say quite that location is great/convenient.

I like very much CP the City, but is the Blackfriars underground station open again? If not, forget it with kids.

CP Saint James is close to Buckingham Palace, but that's all. Not a big fan of this property (the same for the district).

I like very much CP the City, but is the Blackfriars underground station open again? If not, forget it with kids.

Blackfriars reopening currently scheduled for Feb. 26, 2012.

http://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/Press-Releases/COUNTDOWN-TO-COMPLETION-AT-BLACKFRIARS-194f/SearchCategoryID-8.aspx

Hi, it depends when you are planning to stay and what days?

CP City is nice, work up in plough place 5 min walk away, but nearest tube is farringdon or temple at the moment, but see post above re blackfriars.

If you are staying during the week, most CP's are pretty full, however weekends they are a lot quieter. Most of them empty on a friday night or change customer base.

I am not saying it would be perfect and really depends on the time and what you wish to do, a quite CP that is empty on weekends (Apart from a major event at the 02) is the CP Docklands and that is only a few years old and showing no sign of wear and tear. Plus no hussle and bussle outside the hotel and just sit on the benches. But with young children it would be the DLR to Tower to get on the tube network. Also check they have two double beds.

I have stayed at the HI Russel Square, central and seemed very full of families even during the week.

When my Children were younger we stayed at either Holiday Inn Ealing (Now re-branded Crowne PLaza) and used Hanger Lane station or Holiday Inn Brent Cross (brent Cross Tube Station) and my ex wife and I made it our little journey into town every day for trips. Planning the day in the room the night before with a big map, working the routes out and seeing what attractions we were going to visit. We then returned out of zone1/2 in the evening back to the hotels. As we were staying at weekends it kept the clubbers/theatre goers out of the hotels and normally only families or coach trips etc in the hotels.

When my daughter went to T4 2011 December at earls court she is 15 now and we stayed at HI Brent - nice rooms - she and her friend had a large 2 double bed room, my partner and i had a room on a different floor (free upgrade). Hotel was fine - Large shopping centre and Toys r us next door and free shuttle until 11:30 in the evening to brent cross tube station from hotel door.
(she stayed 1st time in brent cross when she was 5 and her brother 7 we went to see wwf at wembly arena)

Hopefully some other forum users may have recent experiances with 4 year olds. Good Luck.