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Home / Type of trip / City / Family friendly holiday apartments in London

Family friendly holiday apartments in London

April 7, 2014 by Gretta Schifano 4 Comments

Go Native Hyde Park apartments. Copyright Gretta Schifano

Go Native Hyde Park apartments. Copyright Gretta Schifano

When we arrive at the London apartment we’re staying in for the weekend the children rush straight up the spiral staircase to the mezzanine bedroom. They immediately start arguing over which of them will sleep in the double bed up there. My husband is already exploring the kitchen and announces that there’s fresh milk in the fridge and tea and coffee by the kettle. I’m downstairs in the sitting room admiring the high ceiling and ornate cornices.

Go Native apartments

We’ve just checked in to Go Native Hyde Park on Sussex Gardens. The Grade II listed stucco fronted terrace dates from 1840 and has been restored and converted into swish serviced apartments which can be rented by the day, week or month. We’ve been invited to stay for the weekend to review a Premium Family One Bed Apartment.

Go Native Hyde Park. Copyright Gretta Schifano

Go Native Hyde Park. Copyright Gretta Schifano

As I look from one sofa to the other I know where everyone will sleep. I lift up the seat of the largest sofa and find white cotton bedding underneath – it’s a double sofa bed. The children finish their exploration of the compact apartment. The eldest proclaims that she approves of the White Company toiletries and the thick, fluffy white towels in the upstairs bathroom and downstairs cloakroom. As they come into the sitting room the youngest says: ‘But where’s the other bedroom?’  Then they see the sofas and the eldest declares, inevitably: ‘I’m not sharing that sofa bed with him’, while the youngest eyes the flat screen TV and begs: ‘Can I sleep on the sofa?’

Sleeping arrangements in place, my husband pops out for supplies with the eldest (shops you can walk to are a novelty for us as we live in a tiny village) while the youngest and I sort out the free wifi and unpack our bags. I call down to reception for another set of bedding for the sofa. A smiley Polish lady brings it up to us two minutes later. It’s very warm in the apartment even though there’s no heating on and it’s not hot outside. I open one of the huge sash windows to let some air in.

Hyde Park

The apartment works for our family (my children are 15 and 11) but I wouldn’t like to be around the spiral staircase or mezzanine bedroom with a toddler. The apartment is maybe three minutes’ walk away from the Lancaster Gate entrance to Hyde Park. Once we’ve settled in we go for a stroll in the royal park and I’m amazed by the tranquillity it offers in the heart of the city. We see swans and squirrels, horse riders and picnickers and visit the Princess Diana Memorial fountain for the first time. There’s nobody swimming in the Serpentine but there are some boats out on this artificial lake at the centre of the park.

Travelzoo

The apartment is well-placed for getting around London. We have an early dinner at The Rib Room in Kensington (a delayed Mother’s Day treat courtesy of some Travelzoo vouchers) and are back at the apartment in time to watch a film together before we go to bed.

Camel, London Zoo. Copyright Gretta Schifano

London Zoo

The next day we have breakfast in the apartment before heading out. The children want to go to London Zoo and it’s lovely just to hop on a bus and be there in no time. The youngest is particularly keen on the new Thomas Heatherwick-designed Routemaster buses.

We’ve never stayed in London together as a family before although we often visit for the day. Staying over was fun and an interesting experience for the children. I’d recommend Go Native Hyde Park as a comfortable and convenient family base for a London trip.

The lowdown

A Go Native Hyde Park Premium Family One Bed Apartment costs from around £249 per night including VAT.



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Related

Categories: City, London, Luxury, Room reports
Tags: Go Native, Hyde Park, London apartments, London Zoo, Travelzoo

About Gretta Schifano

I'm a freelance journalist and blogger specialising in family travel with teenagers, trips when parents manage to travel without their kids, and 50+ travel. I also write about vegetarian travel, parenting teenagers, adoption, SEN, ADHD and anxiety. My work's been published by the Financial Times, Guardian, Independent, National Geographic Traveller, Lonely Planet and others. I've lived and worked in Italy and Spain and am now based in rural south-east England with my husband, adoptive and birth kids and our dog. I previously worked as a social action radio producer for the BBC.

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Comments

  1. Jolanta aka Casual Traveler says

    January 11, 2015 at 3:56 pm

    I’m going to pin this to my “London, UK” board, just in case the place where we stayed in London last time is not available. Your photo doesn’t look the same as the photos of the one bedroom on their web site, though. Do you know why? Are they showing on their site a different apartment? Thanks for the tip on what’s close!
    Jolanta aka Casual Traveler recently posted…Period Clothing at the Victoria & Albert Museum in LondonMy Profile

    Reply
    • Gretta Schifano says

      January 11, 2015 at 6:43 pm

      The photo on my post is of the mezzanine level. The sofa beds where the kids slept were on the lower level so it may be that the photo on the website is of that?

      Reply
  2. Sharmeen says

    April 15, 2014 at 3:32 pm

    The apartment looks gorgeous! Would love to stay here one day!

    Reply
  3. Family Affairs says

    April 7, 2014 at 2:54 pm

    That looks like a fun thing to do……didn’t know they were there! Lx
    Family Affairs recently posted…EXAM REVISIONMy Profile

    Reply

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This is a personal blog written and edited by me, Gretta Schifano. Sometimes I’m given products or sent on trips to review, but I always make this clear and give my honest opinion. See my About page for full details.

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