Best Luxury Suite Stays in London's Premier Hotels

Location is the family case for the Covent Garden Hotel: the Royal Opera House and the shops and restaurants of the theatre district are a few steps away, so an evening show with older children never means a long trip back. The suites give more room than a standard double, which matters when four people share. I would plan a morning on Oxford Street and keep the full-service spa and the gym for the parents' downtime.

Cheval Thorney Court gives families the space a hotel room rarely does: apartments in Kensington with a spacious lounge, a dining area and a fully equipped kitchen, so meals can follow children's hours rather than restaurant times. Most units have a balcony, the front desk runs 24 hours and there is a fitness centre for parents. Hyde Park is a one-minute walk away, which I find is the real advantage with restless kids. A 9.6 rating over 177 reviews is outstanding.

The Milestone Hotel Kensington is a boutique luxury hotel that I would recommend to families mainly for its location: it overlooks Kensington Palace and Gardens, and Hyde Park and the Royal Albert Hall are a short walk away, so green space is right outside. Individually designed rooms and suites with antique furnishings suit careful families with older children more than toddlers. The resistance pool, fitness center and spa are adult territory. A 9.5 rating over 1,431 reviews is exceptional.

Individually designed suites give The Soho Hotel more room than most central London rooms, which is what I would weigh first for a family. Soho Square and Oxford Street are close, so shopping days and West End matinees need little travel. A fully equipped gym with personal trainers serves parents keeping a routine, and rooms are air-conditioned. The 9.5 rating from 550 reviews is excellent, though the lively evening streets around it suit teenagers better than very young children.

The Savoy is a historic Thames-side landmark that is also described as family-friendly, and I think it earns that. The pool gives children a reason to come back to the hotel between visits, and the suites, 73 of them with marble bathrooms, offer more space than a standard room. The British Museum and Covent Garden are a short walk away, which keeps sightseeing days manageable for young legs. The full-service spa is for the adults. A 9.4 rating over 1,447 reviews is outstanding.

The Resident Covent Garden puts families a short walk from Covent Garden Piazza and Charing Cross station, with West End theatres such as the Theatre Royal Drury Lane close by. Every air-conditioned room has a mini-kitchen with a microwave, a fridge and a Nespresso machine, so breakfasts and light meals for children are easy to prepare. That setup suits longer stays in a central area where eating out adds up. A 9.4 score from 1,193 reviews shows guests are pleased.