After a trip to London this summer, I couldn’t wait to review the Residence Inn London Bridge. A part of the Marriott Bonvoy family, this hotel ranks as one of the best family-friendly hotels in London. It provided an excellent place from which to base myself and my two toddlers during our quick trip to the city.

Location of Residence Inn London Bridge

The Residence Inn London Bridge is located in the Bermondsey neighborhood, part of the London Borough of Southwark. Bermondsey is a trendy area known for its restaurants, bars, and markets, including Borough Market. The hotel lies within walking distance of Tower Bridge and The Shard, and the area connects well to the rest of the city via the London Underground.

A great playground located right across the street was perfect for my toddlers. It’s fully fenced in and it has swings, slides, climbing structures, and grassy areas where the kids could run around. My toddlers happily spent quite a lot of time there during our stay.

The Room

Our room, a One-Bedroom Open Plan, offered tons of space and lots of natural light. It had one very comfortable double bed, one sofa bed, and a separate full kitchen area. The kitchen included a table and chairs, a refrigerator, a stove and oven, a dishwasher, and was fully stocked with dishes, silverware, coffee, and tea. 

I requested a crib during our stay and received the largest and most comfortable (nicely padded) Pack ‘n Play I’ve ever received in a hotel. We also used the sofa bed for my toddler, which came with a £10 cost per day (this seems to be typical for European hotels).

This particular room has an occupancy of three, but other room types at the hotel accommodate up to 5 guests – something that can be hard to find in London. This is great for families with several kids!

Check out a room tour here!

Hotel Amenities

The general decor of the hotel feels much trendier than other Residence Inns I’ve stayed in. It was very clean and well-kept. The staff were so incredibly friendly and helpful. We were treated as if we were the most important guests there.

While the hotel doesn’t have it’s own restaurant, it does offer a free buffet breakfast every morning in the lobby. This breakfast was by far the best free breakfast I’ve ever had in a hotel. There was a huge selection of food that changed daily, and everything was fresh, delicious, and plentiful. We arrived very early in the morning after a red-eye flight from the United States and were invited to enjoy breakfast even though it was too early to check into our room.

Another incredibly helpful amenity was the free laundry facilities. After having already been traveling for almost a week with toddlers out of a single carry-on suitcase, this was invaluable!

Staying with Toddlers: Pros and Cons

I stayed at this hotel solo with my 1.5- and 3-year-olds. Here’s a breakdown of the pros and cons:

Pros of Staying with Toddlers:

• The room felt very clean, so I didn’t worry about the kids crawling around on the floor.
• Toddlers produce a lot of laundry, so the free laundry facilities were a huge help.
• The free breakfast offered many toddler-friendly options. Having one meal taken care of each day in such an expensive city felt like a lifesaver.
• The central location allowed us to easily pop into the hotel for rest while exploring the city.
• The kitchen table provided a great spot to feed the kids without worrying about getting the rest of the room dirty.

Cons of Staying with Toddlers:

• The room wasn’t designed with toddlers in mind. Everything was situated low and was easy to grab—I spent a lot of time stopping little hands from grabbing the phone, the coffee supplies, the pictures above the couch, etc.
• The bathroom only had a shower stall, so giving the kids a bath wasn’t an option.

The Bottom Line

We truly loved this hotel and would definitely stay here again. I’ve already recommended it to several other people. With its friendly staff, central location, and amazing breakfast, the Residence Inn London Bridge stands out as one of the best family-friendly hotels in London. It made for an incredible trip to the city with toddlers in tow!