What if I told you that your family could stay the night in a luxury family-friendly hotel in a building originally built for the prestigious guests of King Charles II in 1665 but with roots back to Henry VIII? The Mitre Hampton Court is a historic hotel on the banks of Thames that overlooks of London’s top attractions, the Royal Palace of Hampton Court. It ticks all the boxes for a stay with your own mini princes and princesses.
I took my youngest son Noah away for a mum and son getaway at this luxury hotel. If you’re new here, I’m a mum of two boys and it’s my mission to find hotels that are great for kids but that parents will love too!
What is The Mitre Hampton Court
The Mitre Hampton Court is part of the Signet Collection, a group of hotels with history. With a story dating back over 350 years, this is definitely the case of The Mitre which has it’s own royal connection as well as the ideal location opposite Hampton Court Palace. The East Moseley address makes it perfect for Londoners looking for a mini break from their hometown (it’s very near Hampton Court Palace railway station too) or visitors wanting to immerse themselves in British history.
It is also part of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World.
A complimentary glass of wine is pressed into your hand on arrival and children collect a bag of madeleines from the door on entry – it feels more like being welcomed into someone’s home than a luxury hotel.
The Design
In 2020, The Mitre Hampton Court was beautifully redesigned by Nicola Harding, blending modern cottage-core style with the hotel’s rich history. Fun and colourful modern upholstery sits alongside wooden floorboards, fireplaces and winding staircases and there are playful nods to its Tudor past and the perfect blend as old and new. There are portraits of Henry VIII dotted around and several of the rooms are named for the king’s history such as Catherine Parr Suite and the Thomas Wolsley Suite. Henry’s face also appears on every door sign! As someone who studied Tudor history for A-Level, I really loved the theming!
There’s a library is great for bookworms and it comes complete with board games and a jukebox.
The striking white rotunda and idyllic river views from the windows give the hotel a special and unique feel. It’s actually quite a mix of different styles but it just works!
History-loving kids will love imagining the stories of this centuries-old hotel, just steps from Hampton Court Palace. If these walls could talk…
I would say with that with the building being so old, some of the corridors are narrow and there are lots of staircases, while there’s a lift I would say there may still be issues with accessibility for some.
The Room
Each of the 36 rooms is individually designed and the hotel is home to several family rooms, ours was named Walter. It was spacious and practically designed with lots of storage space and the comfiest of beds – the ground floor location made it easier with a buggy.
There’s a fridge packed with water and facilities to make coffee.
There was a hidden kids area behind a curtain with bunk beds like a secret den making the room perfect for families. Noah loved being gifted a toy lion and a lion king colouring book as well as a whole library of books and toys in his room.
There was a lot of attention to detail even down to the rotating TV which can be watched from the kids side or the adults
Adult Bramley toiletries sit alongside baby ones in large full size bottles. I would say the only negative was the shower above the bath which was quite small and not very powerful.
Activities
A trip wouldn’t be complete without visiting Hampton Court Palace itself and kids will love the famous maze along with the Magic Garden where kids can scale Royal Towers, climb the dragons, sliding down the slide, play in the sand or explore aerial walkways.
You can book a self-drive boat from the hotel’s own jetty for a drift along the Thames.
Bushey Park with it’s roaming deer is nearby too.
Food
Food is a real star at this hotel and the 1665 Brasserie is the real heart of the hotel. Named for the year of the building, which is a charming attention to detail.
When we arrived we had afternoon tea on the sun-drenched Riverside terrace with finger sandwiches (bottomless) including smoked salmon and dill and lemon cream cheese, chopped egg mayonnaise, coronation chicken and cucumber, mint and whipped feta. Pastries are red velvet sponge sandwiches, vanilla sponge, raspberry and lemon, chocolate and salted caramel cake and poppy seed scones.
We returned for dinner, again excellent food using British produce.
And we enjoyed calamari, Cornish crab crumpet, smoked chalk stream trout and crudites for Noah. Kids eat free during the school holiday! Another lovely family-friendly touch.
Main course were pan fried Cornish halibut and Severn and Wye salmon with purple broccoli, puffed rice, bonito butter. Noah’s sausage and chips was every bit as good as our food. This isn’t a hotel the scrimps on the quality of children’s food.
Lemon posset with spring fruit garnish and chocolate and hazelnut mousse plus ice cream for Noah finished us off nicely.
Breakfast is served in the pretty surroundings of The Boathouse with views out to the Thames and once again I couldn’t fault the food. There’s a small but perfectly formed continental buffet and Noah had a mini full English whereas I had smoked salmon. Again the quality was excellent.
Adjacent to the hotel is the causal Coppernose Cafe, serving coffee and pastries.
The Mitre Hampton Court is a brilliant luxury family hotel with a boutique-style, history and friendly service. It’s a hotel that caters so well for both parents and children with beautiful designs but thoughtful family rooms and gourmet food that suits kids too!
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