What do you get if you mix a centre-of-town London location, inviting interiors, a restaurant headed by the sensational Jason Atherton and fun, family-friendly touches such as in-room tent beds for kids? The London Edition hotel, of course.

Family-friendly London Edition

This Marriot-owned property is in the heart of central London and beautifully blends classic architecture typical of Fitzrovia, with clean and crisp, but always luxurious, interior touches. Yet, despite being an obvious choice for those wanting to stay for corporate functions (there are rooms available specifically for such purposes), housing a restaurant headed by one of the country’s leading Michelin-starred chefs and a setting a stone’s throw from hedonistic Soho, the London Edition is surprisingly family-friendly. If you’re travelling en famille, the lofts and loft suites are spacious and perfect for guests of all ages. Both have complimentary connecting rooms (it’s rare not to pay for the privilege of a little privacy) and the hotel’s “Big Kid, Little Kid” treats include a children’s guide to London, a movie night and a London inspired in-room tent, which all children will adore.

Jason Atherton and Berners Tavern

Having been lucky enough to eat at Pollen Street Social recently, I can absolutely testify to the brilliance that is the food of Jason Atherton. The food is knock-out fabulous, but the atmosphere (as is the case with all his restaurants) is unstuffy, warm and not at all formal. It is sophisticated, absolutely, but it isn’t pretentious. Berners Tavern is no exception. The seasonal, British menu is ideal for families. There is the classic Sunday roast made with the finest Devonshire Ruby Red beef, and best of all, its extremely well designed for those with little children. Whether intentional or not, the front of the restaurant has a very informal Cafe air to it, thanks to the tub chairs that fringe each table, while the main dining area is defined by banquette seats which, as every parent of a toddler knows, makes ideal seating for those with tots.

Fitzrovia

So whether you’re a Londoner already and want to check out the new smash hit that is Berners Tavern or you’re visiting London for the first time and stay at the London Edition, the hotel is perfectly located for a family day out. Local attractions include London Zoo, an array of gorgeous parks (in particular Hyde Park and Regent’s Park), and the fantastic shopping that comes with staying in central London. At the end of long day’s exploration, the hotel’s Punch Room is a top spot for much-needed cocktails (or fruit juice for little ones) and that sensational bedroom beckons only steps away. And at the time of going live, the restaurant still had availability for breakfast, lunch and dinner this coming Bank Holiday Monday.

**In-room children’s tent is suitable for ages 3 – 8 years only.

For more information visit the hotel’s website here.

The 21st of June this year is a momentous date for Gstaad, as it sees the reopening of the city’s iconic Gstaad Palace Hotel, complete with refurbished Tower Suites. Located at 5,000 feet atop a mountain in the Swiss Alps, Gstaad itself is synonymous with luxury accommodation, fabulous shopping and a five-star lifestyle. The hotel’s exclusive facilities are spread over 1800 square meters and include eight treatment rooms, a unique hammam experience, a private spa suite, saunas and steam baths, relaxation areas with incredible views, both an indoor pool and outdoor pool with a Jacuzzi, a state-of-the-art gym and a pilates studio.

Winter and summer fun

By winter you’ll find fine skiing; by summer the whole family can delight in endless outdoor activities, a world class spa within the hotel and delectable, local and, always seasonal, gastronomy.  You may not think of the Swiss Alps as a year-round, family-friendly destination, but there is enough here to keep everyone happy, each and every month of the year. Cold months present an unparalleled number of amenities including skiing, heli-skiing, hiking, snow-shoeing, indoor and outdoor pools, dog sledge and horse and carriage rides, and even a glacier experience with an Alpine coaster. By summer, you can enjoy river rafting, hiking, climbing, mountain biking, horse carriage rides, tennis, swimming, and the immaculate 18-hole golf course nearby. Or, you can chill in the spa but, of course, that depends on how active (or inactive) you feel like being.

The Maison Cailler chocolate factory trip

With a four night experience at the Palace, families will be invited to spend a day at Maison Cailler, the nearby legendary Swiss chocolate factory. Children will be mesmerised by the mysterious Aztec cocoa ceremonies, the scent of fresh chocolate that fills the factory through the different production stages, and the much-loved final tasting. You’ll even be given the chance to learn to make chocolates at the Atelier du Chocolat, under the guidance of an experienced Cailler chocolatier who will teach you and the children how to temper, conch and even ganache your very own edible souvenirs.

Montreaux Jazz Festival

Located on the shores of Lake Geneva, this summer sees the 48th annual Montreaux Jazz Festival, which those of all ages will enjoy. A short drive from the hotel, you’ll find lake-side jazz cafes and live music in one of the most picture-perfect spots imaginable. Not a wet tent in sight! (So this is totally our kind of festival).

The new Tower Suites

The mountain views from these spacious and sensational new suites are second to none. Designer Marina Nickels has created an understated, yet utterly elegant environ that feels more like a private residence than a hotel room. The Gstaad Palace Hotel is well regarded for its cosy extravagance and unparalleled service, so you can truly unwind and relax without lifting a finger.

Family-Friendly Gstaad Palace

Every year sees a new children’s program designed for younger guests between the ages of 5 and 12. (Children between 3 and 5 years may participate, but they must be accompanied by a family member or a guardian). Babysitters are available and The Gstaad Palace also has a playroom and a fantastic outdoor playground.

Gstaad itself is very welcoming of children and those under 9 years of age do not pay for any of the cable cars belonging to the Gstaad Mountain Rides. Aside from the children’s program offered by the hotel, children can go summer tobogganing either on the Glacier 3000 or on the Rellerli, high above Gstaad. Children will love petting and feeding animals at the “Stiftung Alpenruhe” or at the Berghaus Wispile, every village in the area has a playground and, in winter months, you’ll find ice rinks in Gstaad, Saanenmöser and Schönried. No less than eight different sled runs are available and there are mountain railways (also free for those under 9 years of age). These are extremely safe ski slopes and learning parks for children and beginners.

Family Summer

• Four nights at the Palace (any double room category, junior suite or suite)
• Day trip to the world-renowned chocolate factory Maison Cailler in Broc
• Return train journey and factory tour
• From 3,445 CHF / £2,335 for two adults and one child, including half-board and use of the Palace Spa (available from 21 June – 11 September 2014, subject to availability. Price for additional child 499 CHF / £338) 

Montreux Jazz Festival

• Two nights at the Palace (including complimentary room upgrade)
• First class train travel to Montreux and limousine return transfer
• VIP day trip to the Montreux Jazz Festival, with VIP concert tickets included
• Complimentary dinner at the VIP lounge (excluding drinks)
• From 2,153 CHF / £1,459 for two people, including half-board and use of the Palace Spa (available from 4-19 July 2014, subject to availability)

For more information visit the Gstaad Palace Hotel website or to book click here.

When The Pig opened in the idyll of Hampshire’s Brockenhurst, it did so with a bang. Ever since, folk in-the-know have covered many miles to check in to the gorgeous and very family-friendly hotel in the New Forest for a long weekend of gorgeous food (we’re talking garden to table in the most literal sense), rooms decorated to shabby chic perfection, and a sense of utter relaxation and informal luxury. Since then, the clever people behind The Pig have opened a small sister hotel in Southampton and, just last month, the Pig near Bath opened its heavy doors to a roar of applause. I recently went for an overnight visit with Lola and, having also been to the original in Hampshire, can safely say this is no less fabulous.

Shabby Chic Country Style.

In a land where country house hotels can equate to dreadful carpets, dark hallways and squeaky old beds (not to mention Walls’ bangers for breakfast), the up-to-date and effortlessly cool way in which The Pig has redefined the classic English country house hotel is a breath of fresh air. The rooms are hand-curated with a wonderful mix of silky smooth wooden floors, beds that hug you and sweeping bathrooms (our room had a roll top bath at the foot of the bed which delighted Lola and I, no end). The soft furnishings are a sensational array of soft tweeds, velvets, silks, corduroys and linens, all thrown together in effortless perfection.

Garden-to-table dining.

The aim at The Pig is that at least 90% of what you eat is from the grounds of the hotel itself and, at the very least, from a local supplier. The dining area of The Pig near Bath is a sort of outdoor-indoor eating experience, because the recent renovations included adding a conservatory to the back doors of the house. Having filed it with terracotta pots bulging with delights such as lemongrass and rosemary, lots of inviting wooden tables and a home-from-home sense of space, the views across the Somerset fields are gorgeous and one finds it easy to forget the area recently suffered devastation from near Biblical weather. Children can enjoy a very well-curated “Menu for Piglets” (think home-smoked ham, homemade ice cream and apple jelly) or they can order a half size portion of anything on the adult menu. The menu for grown-ups is a beautifully designed array of delectable dishes that read so beautifully it’s nearly impossible to choose, and all ingredients come from within a maximum local radius of 25 miles. Under the “Literally Picked This Morning” section of the menu you’ll find kale, quail eggs and home cured pancetta. There are delicious small plates of slow cooked pig cheek, beetroot and garden walnut soup, or home soused sardine fillet, to name but a few. The wine list is seemingly endless and I slowly sipped on a beautiful Domaine De Muret Syrah from Languedoc while Lola gulped down the locally pressed apple juice with equal enjoyment.

The Pig with kids.

Lola hasn’t stopped talking about The Pig since we left. Not only are the staff incredibly inviting no matter what your age, but the general sense of relaxation and informality made it a delight with a nearly three year old. Though she was the only toddler dining that night, no one cared and I sensed that the other guests expected children to be there, rather than simply tolerating them. She awoke the next day (late I’m delighted to add, thanks to the blackout curtains in our stunning room), raring to head outside and meet the local pigs (one of whom is suitably named Truffle), see if the quails had laid eggs overnight and explore the adjacent deer park. Breakfast was no less impressive than supper (the personalised Pig milk bottles were a lovely touch) and the surroundings of green grass, fresh air and gardens in which to roam make it an utter delight with children.

Next month promises the opening of The Pig at the beach, very close to where we live in Dorset, just on the edge of Studland Bay, and I’m extremely excited to see what gorgeous touches that will add to the already beautiful Jurassic Coast. Now, if only I could entice the owners to come and decorate my house, À la Pig, while they’re down here renovating the newest Pig premises……

For further info on The Pig see here.

Barcelona will long hold a very large part of my heart. I moved there back in 2006 with my now-husband and a considerable expense account with which to research the city’s hotspots for The Hedonist Guide’s on-line version of the city. For three extremely entertaining (if a little exhausting) months, there wasn’t a bar, club, restaurant, tapas joint or all-night swinging hotspot I didn’t experience first hand. So it was with slightly mixed feelings I boarded a flight last weekend from Gatwick to revisit that spectacular Catalan capital. Jamie and I hadn’t visited together since we left there for Madrid seven years ago, and I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I knew those few days would be loaded with nostalgia and memories, but would it be a very different experience returning as a married mother? Of course, I knew I wouldn’t be tottering along the cobbled lanes in my stilettos as the sun came up, but I wasn’t sure how accessible I would find this notoriously naughty city. Well, I can safely say it is an astonishing city no matter what your age. Whether you’re a teen or towing twins with you, Barcelona is as unique as it is fabulous and there are some wonderful ways to enjoy the city’s very best bits as a family.

The Hotel Claris

As places to stay go, The Hotel Claris, (a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World), is ideally located and has everything one could want if traveling as a family. Just a brief walk north of the Placa de Catalunya (Barcelona’s most central spot) along Pau Claris, and you’ll find this gorgeous and intimate hotel. Thanks to a recent refurbishment, it is very much up-to-date in terms of decor but it is far more spacious than a lot of Barcelona hotels that are extremely narrow and have to remain so thanks to the city’s strict laws around development. The two-storey apartment style family rooms make travelling as a pack very do-able and the hotel runs along the lines of helping with whatever they possibly can. So rather than getting a list of amenities and services that are available on arrival, feel free to ask and, if the concierge can do it, they absolutely will. Whether it’s booking restaurant tables or suggesting things to do with children, the lovely staff will help. The rooftop swimming pool makes a fabulous respite from the heady summer heat that, quite literally, envelopes Barcelona and the hotel will arrange babysitters should you need one.

The Sagrada Familia

Gaudi’s never-ending cathedral wouldn’t previously have landed on any list of things I wrote relating to kids but, having just been back for the first time since the interior was completed, I would highly recommend this if you’re in Barcelona with older children. What was, quite literally, a construction site last time I visited is now a completed and utterly breathtaking space with giant carved stone pilars that resemble tree trunks (it’s like walking into a surreal ceramic forest). The light is ethereal and this is far beyond the requisite cultural “must” with kids. There is nowhere like it anywhere in the world and it’s the perfect place to introduce older children to architecture and Spanish history.

The Parc Guell

If you want to instil some Gaudi in your children but the Sagrada Familia is a tad too grown up, the artist’s Parc Guell to the north of Barcelona is a far lighter, and almost entirely outdoors alternative. The surrounding gardens are idyllic picnic spots (and there are lots of shady sections so don’t be put off if you have young ones and it’s very hot). The large mosaic lizard will thrill little ones and the views out across the city are unrivalled.

Castelldefels and Sitges Beaches

Barcelona may have a beach that fringes its edge, but it’s not the most family-friendly. While children are certainly welcome it is littered, often invites young adults who spend the day drinking in the sand and the sea water, thanks to its locality to the city’s port, is pretty polluted. There are, however, some lovely beaches just a short train ride away. Two such examples are Sitges and Castelldefels. A short jaunt out of the city centre by train, they are both totally doable as day trips and well worth considering if you or your little ones need a change of scene.

La Bodegueta

While the Spanish are very family-friendly and all restaurants welcome children, there are a lot in Barcelona that fail on the high chair front and children’s menus seem to be found most often in hotel restaurants. If some cheap (but seriously good) tapas is what you crave, La Bodegueta, a brief walk up Rambla de Catalunya from Place de Catalunya, is the one I recommend the most. The outdoor seating is shaded, the jamon bellota is mouth-watering, and the staff adore children. The inside space is the Spanish equivalent of a greasy spoon (and smoking is permitted) so the outdoor section is, of course, a better (and far prettier) alternative. In terms of tapas, you won’t find better.

Rambla de Catalunya, 100. +34 93 215 48 94

One top tip: most exhibitions and places of interest can be booked in advance on line, including the Sagrada Familia and the Parc Guell. If you can commit to a time and date it is highly recommended, Not only is it usually cheaper but it will, invariably, save you a good hours(if not more) of waiting in line for tickets.

Superior Rooms at Hotel Claris with Small Luxury Hotels of the World™ (SLH) are from £135 per night based on two people sharing. To book, visit www.slh.com or call 0800 0482 314

For more information on the hotel, visit www.slh.com/hotels/hotel-claris/

Paris… the epitome of romance, of glamour, of fashion. Not exactly the first place you might associate with a toddler-friendly weekend away.

But after a trip with my own 19-month-old, I discovered that the French capital is actually a great place to holiday with kids.

Even after half a dozen pre-baby visits exploring the city, I got a completely new look at Paris – including an unexpectedly soft side to Parisians when confronted by a baby. Here are my top five spots to visit with a toddler.

The supercharged park

Carousels, crepes, farm animals, a puppet theatre and a playground – even the entry to the Jardin d’acclimatation is child heaven. We took the ‘petit train’, complete with buggy trailer, from Porte Maillot metro into the garden itself and, while my daughter was too young for most of the rides, there was still masses to entertain her.

The landmark

Looming over the skyline, the Eiffel Tower is the one landmark everyone associates with Paris. And while I knew she wouldn’t care about heading to the top yet – certainly not enough to bother pre-booking timed tickets – we couldn’t miss it out altogether. Armed with her Babar book featuring the tower, we walked to the Trocadero for the best real-life views across the river, then watched the fountains in the gardens below.

The mini zoo

Tucked away in the Jardin des Plantes, the Menagerie is another toddler-sized treasure. Small enough for short attention spans, she was so fascinated by the inhabitants of the monkey house that only the thought of brightly coloured parrots, flamingos, kangaroos and red pandas would tempt her away.

The accessible art

With all its fantastic museums and some great child-friendly activities and exhibitions, you needn’t pay a single entry fee to see some of the city’s most accessible art. In the square behind the Centre Pompidou – itself a great stop for slightly older kids – are the Stravinsky fountains, with bright bold sculptures. Adults can appreciate the designs based on the composer’s works; toddlers will love the primary colours and quirky shapes, as well as the water splashing around them.

The other waterfront

A walk along the Seine is one of Paris’ big pleasures, but head a little further out of the centre and you’ll find somewhere most tourists miss. The Canal St Martin is known as one of the city’s trendy areas, but it’s also home to a lot of families. So as you wander the waterfront with a buggy, you’ll not only feel like you’re experiencing real Parisian life, you could spot anything from a game of petanque to a tightrope walker on the way.