Traveling 11 hours from LA to London with kids is not easy, so I knew it was important to find an amazing hotel that was ready for our family of 5! I had a full checklist to ensure I found the best family-friendly hotel in London, including daily breakfast, kid-friendly activities, and 5-star service that made us feel like we were in a home away from home. I didn’t think I could be more excited about our trip to London, and then I found a..
Bee Hotel🐝
YES, with REAL bees! The moment I came across St. Ermin’s, I KNEW this was the family-friendly hotel that would make our trip that much more magical. So we made our final arrangement, and we were off to London with a full itinerary of activities for the whole family. From exploring the city to making core memories in London with kids, I put together the Ultimate Family Travel Guide! Starting with the..
Top 5 Places to Visit in London with Kids:
When planning our family trip to London, I made sure the hotel would be within close distance of all the locations we wanted to visit. As a family of 5, I knew this would make our trip run so much more smoothly!
From the moment we stepped off the 11-hour flight, we were ready for a quick refresh so we could hit the city! We dropped our luggage off, and I was immediately in love with how St. Ermin’s was full of light and beautiful spaces, and they even welcomed us with appetizers and wine in the lobby, which I share here. The best part was that everything was so close, so we could walk to it! And if you know me, then you know our first stop had to be shopping in London, followed by these 3 places to visit in London with Kids:
📍 The Abbey
📍 Big Ben
📍 The London Eye
📍 St. James’ Park
📍 Buckingham Palace
We’ve done our fair share of family travel over the last 10+ years, and sometimes it can be hard to find hotels that cater to larger families like our family of 5. That was definitely not the case, and I realized that as soon as we stepped into our room at St. Ermin’s. They really care about making your trip unforgettable for everyone, especially the kids! Our room was furnished with 2 queen beds, a pull-out couch, and 2 full bathrooms. After long days exploring the city, we slept like babies!
You’re probably wondering more about St. Ermin’s being a Bee hotel and what that looks like..
And how could we forget this is a Bee hotel after all, with 350,000 buckfast bees! We headed up to the third floor bee terrace to watch the bees behind the glass as they worked hard to make honey. They also had a room to observe the hotel’s ties to British intelligence and a fun spy game for the kids to play around the hotel, finding clues with a little reward at the end!
Service was also 10/10. Each night, they delivered chocolate bees and put them on our pillows, which you can see in my story here. It felt like they had thought of everything, which is what I needed after long travel days to London with kids. And the daily breakfast buffet? So good. Fresh pastries and fruit, and the staff were always happy to make us eggs or omelettes to order. It was the best way to start our mornings in London.
From the amazing location to the dedication of St. Ermin’s to keeping kids entertained, I was blown away, but the biggest treasure was this next one, which is why it’s part of The Ultimate Family Travel Guide to London with kids.
It wouldn’t be a proper London trip without a tea-time, which we had never done before, and I was nervous about how it would go. They told me our kids would never sit through a proper British tea… and honestly, I believed them. Luckily, St. Ermin’s had an Afternoon Tea on their rooftop kitchen garden!
We walked in, and everything changed. The vibe was cozy, the scones came out warm, and the kids were suddenly on their best behavior like they’d trained for this moment their whole lives. They had such a wide selection from Earl Grey and Sencha Goji Berry to White Peony, and it was paired with the most delicious and pretty pastries. Somehow this turned into one of the core memories of our entire London trip — the kind you don’t plan, but end up talking about forever.
This is definitely an experience I recommend when traveling to London with kids, so I had to include it in The Ultimate Family Travel Guide. And this is just our first stop, we’re headed to Paris for a week, which you can see on Instagram!
Our family trip to London was a dream come true, and I feel like finding the perfect place to stay is what makes the trip THAT much better. From not having to worry about breakfast to our full travel itinerary being within walking distance, to entertainment for our kids within steps of our room, I would do a trip to London with kids again in a heartbeat just so I can experience St. Ermin’s again. Our next stop is Paris, so stay tuned because I’ll be sharing that all this week on my Instagram! And if you’re looking for other family vacation ideas, especially to celebrate the holiday season, check out my blog post on The Secret to Holidays at Disneyland!
