Introducing the Best Luxury Family-Friendly Hotel in the UK
‘Calcot is not just ‘child-friendly’, we’re fully geared up for our smaller guests.’
We’ve been lucky enough to explore many UK hotels that claim to offer a luxury ‘family-friendly’ angle.
However, our experiences have always been a little hit and miss.
While some hotels have lived up to the hype of luxury, there’s always been an uneasy feeling when bringing our (now) 3-year olds into these luxury settings. Conversely, we’ve also experienced hotels that, while definitely family-friendly, lack the grandness promised.
Just last week, however, we finally discovered what (in our opinion) is hands down the best luxury family-friendly hotel in the UK: Calcot & Spa.
Just as the opening quote suggests, Calcot & Spa has been built – from the bottom up – with messy, noisy and rumbuctious children in mind.
Rather than an after thought, bolted on as a nice marketing tagline, Calcot & Spa is genuinely dedicated to providing families with a special stay. Rather than feeling stressed about bringing our 3-year olds to a luxury hotel – with the nagging worry of irritating other child-free guests – we felt instantly welcomed and at home at Calcot & Spa.
Our kids could be kids and we could, well, relax.
Our time at Calcot & Spa was a genuinely stress-free experience; words rarely muttered by parents holidaying with their toddlers.
Below are 11 reasons why we think Calcot & Spa makes for the best luxury family-friendly hotel in the UK.
1. Luxury Family Rooms
There are 35 (beautiful) rooms available to book at Calcot & Spa, with 13 family friendly rooms and suites located in the ‘family’ building – a stone’s throw from the main house. Additionally, there are a handful of standalone suites and cottages available for families, which we had the privilege of experiencing during our own stay.
Family Rooms Available at Calcot & Spa
1. Cosy Family Room
Perfect for families happy to cosy up in one room, the Cosy Family Room offers a king bed and two mini beds, for younger children, alongside a walk-in shower and bath. Although on the smaller side, the hotel offers so many other family-friendly spaces and activities, it’s doubtful you’ll be spending an awful lot of time in there.
2. Comfy Family Rooms
The Comfy Family Rooms come with a handy adjoining kids’ room, so you can sink into your king-sized bed in peace. Had we not had the opportunity to stay in one of the hotel’s suites, we would have definitely plumped for the Comfy Family Room, with the adjoining bunkbed room.
3. Generous Family Rooms
Next on the list is the Generous Family Room, which is a step-up in luxury with two separate bedrooms, and a giant bathroom with not one, but two, standalone tubs – and a private garden, to boot.
4. Generous Family Suites
During our stay, we were lucky enough to enjoy one of Calcot & Spa’s incredible Generous Family Suites. Arriving at the hotel, we were led to our own standalone cottage, set over two floors. This incredible space included two huge bedrooms, a big bathroom, a small child’s toilet, pantry, kitchenette and dining area.
However, it was Olive and Henry’s room that truly blew us away, which was found in the eaves of the cottage.
Greeted by a magnetic board with Olive and Henry’s names on it, we made our way into the huge cosy annex, which came with a large corner sofa, TV, two single beds and plenty of wardrobe space.
Some little treats were also waiting for them (gingerbread men), alongside two tiny bath robes.
It was the ideal space for two busy three-year olds, who immediately threw themselves on the sofa to enjoy a healthy dose of Cbeebies as they munched on their biscuits.
Downstairs, our room was equally spacious and bright, with patio doors leading to a private terrace. The large standalone family bath tub was ideal for small children, and the double shower felt incredibly luxurious.
The pantry was also brilliant addition for busy parents, with stocked jars of cookies, drinks, milk, sourdough bread and cutlery for Olive and Henry.
The suite was a true dream to stay in, and it was clear that the hotel had gone above and beyond in providing this space for families.
5. The Cottage
The pièce de résistance of the family-friendly accommodation at Calcot & Spa is, most definitely, The Cottage.
For those really looking to push the boat out, The Cottage can sleep a family of four, with a master bedroom, second bedroom with two beds, ensuite, large family bathroom, lounge with wood burner, private garden, dining space and pantry.
It really is an incredibly special spot.
2. High-End Monitors and In-Room Listening
It’s the small things that make a hotel stress-free for parents – and one of them is definitely effective monitors.
Admittedly, we were a little nervous to book our own adult-only dinner at the hotel, leaving Olive and Henry sleeping soundly in their beds. Once we saw the monitors, however, and the distance between the restaurant and our suite (we could see the suite from our table), we were immediately reassured.
Calcot & Spa offer two options for monitoring your children while you dine: in-house listening or monitors. We opted for the monitors, so that we could see and hear Olive and Henry while we dined.
The process was incredibly easy. We simply picked up the monitors from reception (although please note that a £50 hold is put on your card to ensure their return) – and took the camera and tablet (for viewing) back to the room to set it all up.
Once we were good to go, we headed to the restaurant – where we found plenty of other couples also sat with their monitors in hand. The picture and sound quality on ours was incredibly clear, and there was no problems with signal.
During dinner, it seemed that most parents had opted for the monitor option. It was comforting being surrounded by other like-minded parents, all enjoying a little time for themselves while their children were snuggled up safely in bed.
For older kids, I think the in-house listening service is a great alternative. Simply ask reception to activate this, and they will listen and alert you to any unusual sounds while you’re dining.
3. Indoor and Outdoor (Heated) Pools
A huge draw for families visiting Calcot & Spa are their indoor and outdoor heated pools.
Outdoor Pool
The outdoor pool is open May to October, 8am – 8pm, and is available anytime for family splash time. As soon as we arrived, on a warm sunny July afternoon, we headed straight to this pool and were relieved to find it heated to an already balmy 28 degrees.
The pool was ideal for swimming with Olive and Henry, with plenty of floats and noodles to play with, complete with a shallow end. In fact, the pool was definitely the highlight of Olive and Henry’s stay – and we had a magical afternoon playing in the sunshine, as the kids jumped, splashed and shrieked.
Indoor Pool
The indoor pool can be found at the spa and is available for family swims, in 45-minute slots at 3.45pm and 4.30pm every afternoon in the week, and 8.45am and 9.30am on Saturday and Sunday.
Unfortunately, these timings didn’t work during our visit, but I caught a glimpse of the indoor pool during my time at the spa and would love to bring them back to enjoy it.
It looked beautiful.
4. An Ofsted-Accredited Nursery (The Playbarn)
Without a doubt, one reason Calcot & Spa is easily the best luxury family-friendly hotel in the UK is its childcare offering.
Indeed, this hotel offers guests four free childcare hours in their Ofsted-registered, purpose-built crèche. Open 9.00-13.00 and 14:00 – 17.00 everyday (including weekends), this space welcomes children from newborn upwards.
The Playbarn has a creche for younger children and ‘The Mez’ for older children, which includes TVs, games consoles and even a 12-seater cinema. Although we didn’t leave Olive and Henry at the creche (they’re both going through a stage-five clinger phase), we did tour it and were incredibly impressed.
The Playbarn was a welcoming space, with complimentary Joules wellies and coats hanging in reception, and a nursery that looked no different to Olive’s one at home.
The staff were incredibly welcoming and were busy running activities for the children – all of whom seemed to be really enjoying themselves. We saw plenty of parents coming and going, dropping their kids at the Playbarn before heading off the spa for a delicious 4-hours of child-free time.
What more could you need from the best luxury family-friendly hotel in the UK?
5. Separate Child-Friendly Dining
One of our main reasons for voting Calcot & Spa as one of the best luxury family-friendly hotels in the UK is the fact that they offer separate child dining – 5-6pm, everyday.
Rather than having to either eat incredibly early with your child, or keep them awake until late, Calcot & Spa offer the opportunity to get your kids fed and watered during their very own dining slot.
Child dining takes place in The Hive (an informal cafe area in the day and cocktail bar by night) in the ‘children’s tea nook’. This is a sectioned off part of the cafe, devoted to family tea time and makes feeding your kids a breeze.
When we arrived, our table was laid with everything a parent of a baby or small child would need. This included bibs, tumblers, bottles, plastic plates, bowls and cutlery.
Alongside the impressive a la carte menu for kids, there was also a buffet table with things to keep small tummies happy – including Ella’s Kitchen pouches. This was also perfect for hungry parents too, who could tide themselves over with some crudités and dips before their own meal.
We ordered the kids sausage and mash, which was perhaps the poshest looking sausage and mash I’ve ever seen, complete with a tiny jug of gravy. Olive ate the entire plate (unheard of from a fussy 3-year old), with a brownie for pudding.
For parents who do want to eat alongside their children at The Hive (no judgement at all), then you can order from the main restaurant’s adult menu. We saw a few parents doing this and don’t blame them at all, knowing full well how comfy and enticing the hotel beds looked.
6. Hot Milk Delivered on Demand
One of my favourite ‘little touches’ during our stay at Calcot & Spa was the personal delivery of Olive’s hot milk.
I’ve stayed at hotels who have been unable to offer hot milk, and for my routine loving 3-year old, this has resulted in major meltdowns.
I was disproportionately excited, however, to find that the team at Calcot & Spa are more than happy to deliver hot milk to your door – in a tiny thermal penguin. I’m not sure who was more excited by this delivery, me or Olive, but it really added to the sense that the team at Calcot & Spa truly understood the needs of parents.
7. Adventure Playground and Acres of Space to Run Around
Need another reason as to why Calcot & Spa is the best luxury family-friendly hotel in the UK? Read on.
Once you arrive at this heavenly hotel, there is little reason to leave.
Rather than offering simply a base to dump your suitcases, Calcot & Spa is an experience in itself – with plenty for children to enjoy, all without having to wrestle them into the car.
The adventure playground found at the hotel is a brilliant addition, offering the perfect place for little people to burn off energy. There’s also an adjoining play/mud kitchen, and toy cars and bikes to enjoy.
What we enjoyed most, however, was our summer stroll across some of the vast 220-acre rewilded Cotswolds countryside belonging to Calcot & Spa. After Olive and Henry’s dinner, we enjoyed a wander along one of the beautiful nature trails; both kids delighted to have so much space to run around in.
The fields around the hotel were bursting with wild flowers and trees, and we spent an idyllic hour before bath and bed, making daisy chains and teaching our 3-year olds how to roll down the hill.
Other Outdoor Activities Available at Calcot & Spa
There are plenty of other activities available at Calcot & Spa for older children and adults. These include: bike hire, tennis courts, mini football field, lawn games and disc golf.
Holiday activities
On top of the indoor and outdoor activities listed above, Calcot & Spa add on further child-friendly activities and experiences during the school holidays.
During this time, the Playbarn team run an impressive timetable of daily activities to keep your children entertained. This summer, for example, your kids can enjoy bear hunts, owl petting, tennis championships, den building, duck hunts and much, much more.
Proof, surely, that this is easily the best luxury family hotel in the UK.
Read more about the summer holiday activity timetable for 2024 at Calcot & Spa.
8. Kids Stay Free
Another brilliant reason why Calcot & Spa is the best luxury family-friendly hotel in the UK is that kids stay-free – if you stay mid-week.
This exclusive offer is available Sunday – Thursday, excluding school holidays, and includes breakfast, kid’s tea, 4 hours in the Playbarn and extra splash time in the indoor pool.
For a luxury hotel geared around kids, this is an incredible offer and definitely something to take advantage of, if you can.
Learn more about Calcot & Spa kids stay free offer.
9. Kid Friendly Accessories and Treats
One reason why Calcot & Spa is the best luxury family hotel in the UK, centres on its smaller, more discreet touches.
For example, in the bathroom of our suite, we found mini play buckets for the bath, bubble bath and even Tonie boxes (Olive’s favourite) in their bedroom. To play a Tonie, you simply select which one you’d like from the online catalogue and call reception to request it.
We also found mini dressing gowns on Olive and Henry’s beds, which were impossibly cute and ideal for our trip to the outdoor pool. Again, it was these thoughtful touches that made our stay feel so special and relaxed, knowing that everything that we could possibly need was taken care of.
10. Babysitting Service
Further to the monitors and in-built listening service, Calcot & Spa also offer a babysitting service. This can be booked with 48-hours notice and costs £25 per hour.
All of the babysitters available are DBS checked and many of them already work in the Playbarn onsite.
11. ‘Baby Boxes’
If you’re visiting Calcot & Spa with a baby, you’ll be relieved to hear that you can leave the endless paraphernalia behind. Unlike most hotels, that will generally just offer a travel cot, Calcot & Spa go above and beyond – offering the following baby essentials:
- Cot (or a next-to-me crib)
- Baby bath
- Changing mat and bottle warmer
- Baby steriliser (with cleaning brush and washing-up liquid)
- Nappy bin
- Step-up stool
- Potty
- Bouncer
- Bed guards
- Highchair
- Children’s cutlery
As this list proves, at Calcot & Spa, babies and kids are at the forefront when it comes to ensuring guest satisfaction. This is a hotel dedicated to putting family first, allowing weary parents the opportunity to truly relax on a holiday with their children.
It really is a remarkable place and easily the best luxury family hotel in the UK.
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