London with toddlers and children – part 2: Holiday Inn Express Hotel Family Room

In the past we have usually stayed at hotels outside the central London area as it’s cheaper, but during our most recent visits to London we stayed at Holiday Inn Express hotels. As you expect staying in central London is normally more expensive than the equivalent hotels further out, but is more convenient for visiting the local attractions. The Holiday-Inn hotels are at the top end of the budget / economy hotels both in terms of price and quality / facilities.

Location and transport

On this occasion we stayed at the hotel in Southwark which I have stayed in on a previous occasion. It is located on the South Bank between Waterloo and the Tate Modern.

The hotel is on the RV1 bus route which goes the the London Eye and Covent Garden. Alternatively it is a 15 minute walk from Southwalk underground station.

There is a car park under the hotel which cannot be reserved and there is limited on-road parking (parking charge applies during weekdays).

More details about travelling around London with kids.

Family rooms

We booked a family room which included a double bed and a sofa bed. The Sofa bed was made up when we arrived.
I don’t believe they provide cots at the hotel (see hotel with cot see Wembley Park Premier Travel Inn), but if the sofa bed is folded up their would be space for your own travel cot if travelling by car.

Free hot breakfast

One of the reasons for choosing Express by Holiday Inn is that it includes free breakfast. Previously this was a cold buffet with a toaster, but they now include a hot breakfast which consisted of sausages and scrambled eggs. This could potentially save a lot of money compared with most hotel breakfasts and is better than having to find breakfast outside of the hotel.

When we went down for breakfast there was spare tables and chairs, but it was full by the time we had finished. There were also two high-chairs available.

More about the London Visit

• London with toddlers and children – part 1: Travel around London using cars, train, tube and bus
• London with toddlers and children – part 2: Holiday Inn Express Hotel Family Room
• London with toddlers and children – part 3: Shopping with kids
• London with toddlers and children – part 4: Day out at London Zoo

Our previous visit to London with a baby

• Trip to London with a Baby – Part 1 – Hotel at Wembley Park and travelling around London on the Underground
• Trip to London with a Baby – Part 2 – St. John’s Gate Museum and Priory tours, London Tourist Attraction
• Trip to London with a Baby – Part 3 – London in London with Babies and Children
• Trip to London with a Baby – Part 4 – The London Aquarium, Tourist Attraction