"Best for: quick access to the park Closest tube station: Knightsbridge There are few things more fascinating to children around the world than Buckingham Palace’s Changing of the Guard. This formal ceremony, which sees marching soldiers dressed in bear skins and scarlet uniforms, is right on Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park’s rather imposing doorstep. As is its namesake, get ready for an inner-city oasis: acres of fountains, wild meadows, and swans, which are always a hit with families. Back in the hotel, interiors riff on the park’s bucolic scene with botanical carpets and vast framed nature prints. Complimentary extras for little guests run the gamut from mini umbrellas to cots and beds that cleverly fold out like origami. Once children have exhausted splashing around in the enormous indoor pool, it’s off to Harrods’ fourth floor (a treasure trove of toys mere seconds away) or Zuma, once the babysitter is settled into the interconnecting room." - Rosalyn Wikeley
