Rubens at the Palace Hotel, London

A review of Rubens at the Palace Hotel, London.

Our trips to London are usually jam-packed and full of excitement. It’s one of our favourite cities and we love taking the kids there.

One of our absolute favourite trips of the year is our one to Christmas with kids in London. This year we opted to stay at Rubens at the Palace.

It’s the closest hotel to Buckingham Palace (you can actually see the garden walls from some of the bedrooms).

It was the perfect choice, set on the edge of bustling Victoria with so many great restaurants a short stroll away. It’seasy to get to all the main sights of London too.

It was a wonderful trip to London with kids.

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Rubens at the Palace has 143 guest rooms, 8 royal rooms and 10 suites and is situated on Buckingham Palace Road, opposite the Royal Mews of the palace.

The hotel has an air of grandeur about it. Maybe slightly faded in places, but having enough luxury with uniformed doormen, plush interiors and rich fabrics to make you feel suitably pampered.

They’re famous for their afternoon tea and they really care about the families they have staying.

Sleeps – A review of Rubens at the Palace Hotel, London

We stayed in two of Ruben’s interconnecting double rooms which was the perfect space for a family.

There was a master bedroom for us with a lovely comfortable bed and that overlooked the front of the property.

There were tea and coffee-making facilities (no coffee machine unfortunately) and plenty of space to relax and feel at home.

I love that there was complimentary water and extra could be ordered for a really reasonable price so you don’t feel taken advantage of.

The bathroom was a little small with no bath. However this was more than made up for by the children’s bathroom which was really large and had a bath and separate shower and some lovely toiletries.

The children’s bedroom was great with two single beds.

There was also a sofa which turned into a bed which was perfect for our youngest.

The children loved their room and it was the ideal space to come back and relax after a long day out sightseeing.

The kids thought it was brilliant that all the channels were available on the tv. It was just the perfect space to relax in.

Best of all these two rooms opened onto a small hallway with its own front door so it really did feel like a suite rather than simply interconnecting.

Food

Breakfast at Rubens was a real treat with a large spread of pastries, juices, cheeses, smoked salmon and yoghurts.

We thought it brilliant that alongside cow’s milk they also had almond, coconut and soya milk in bottles ready to pour.

Service was attentive without being overbearing and we never had to ask for coffee to be topped up.

There was also an a’la carte menu for hot items and the children loved digging in to pancakes and waffles. And we also enjoyed the eggs florentine and smashed avocado on toast.

It really was the perfect way to start the day.

Rubens is also well known for its afternoon tea and they have a wonderful, family friendly ‘Prince and Princesses’ afternoon tea. This is a great way to start your children’s love for this very important ritual (who doesn’t love afternoon tea?).

While we stayed at Rubens we opted for their ‘Festive afternoon tea’ as we were visiting in the run up to Christmas. This was a delicious spread of cakes and sandwiches.

As we are a family of pescatarians and vegetarians it was wonderful to see them tailor ours to exclude the meat.

I loved the extensive tea menu with green teas alongside traditional blends and even Ruben’s own.

We didn’t eat dinner at Rubens as there are so many restaurants right on the doorstop and a really short walk away.

There’s also a Waitrose and Marks and Spencer food hall just around the corner if you want to pick up supplies.

The Best Bits about Rubens at the Palace Hotel

Rubens is such a friendly hotel. We found every single member of staff we came across ready with a smile and wanting to help.

It really does make a difference to a hotel stay.

It was great to find that children under 12 stay for free. And also that families get an extra late check out of 6pm on a Sunday which is amazing.

The location for us was ideal and we walked to everything we needed to.

Rubens is somewhere that makes you smile as soon as you step through the doors. When you’re staying it feels like you’ve come home.

We loved the pots of coffee in the morning to help yourself to or even better hot chocolate in the afternoon. All set up in reception.

Worth Bearing in Mind

Parking, like everywhere in London, is tricky.

The hotel can organise this for you but watch out, it’s not the cheapest.

We found parking in the road next to the hotel, Palace street which after 6pm on a Friday and for the whole of the weekend was free.

We still can’t believe that this is the case but it’s somewhere to definitely check for spaces if you’re visiting at the weekend.

Child Friendly?

Rubens at the Palace is somewhere that actively goes out of its way to welcome families. The children adored their stay here.

They were greeted on arrival by the concierge team who gave them their own pages to fill in to check in which they loved.

They were handed packs of activity books and also a little passport which they had to get signed by various members of staff like the doorman, the room service attendant and a receptionist, all of whom did so with a smile.

Once filled in at the end of the stay they were handed a small gift which they thought was brilliant.

I also loved the child sized dressing gowns, perfect for relaxing after long bubble baths.

In all Rubens is the perfect family stay in London if you’re looking for a little luxury.

My children keep asking when we can return which says something in itself.

Ready to book Rubens at the Palace Hotel?

You can find out more about the hotel and check availability here.

Check out our 50 things to do in London with kids here for more inspiration in the big smoke. And our list of the luxury hotels in London for families for more top places to stay.  

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