5 September 2016

24 HOURS IN LONDON WITH NOVOTEL BLACKFRIARS

24 hours in London, chic hotel, Novotel blackfriars london, travel with kids

With the new school year beginning we thought it would be fun to squeeze in a mini adventure and soak up the last of the summer by spending a 24 hours in London with Novotel. We were invited to stay in one of my favourite locations along the River Thames, at Novotel Blackfriars hotel, just a few minutes walk along Southbank.
24 hours in London, chic hotel, Novotel blackfriars london, travel with kids
24 hours in London, chic hotel, Novotel blackfriars london, travel with kids
24 hours in London, chic hotel, Novotel blackfriars london, travel with kids
When we lived in London we would spend funfilled afternoons strolling along this stretch of the city, drinking coffee outside, people watching and occasionally catching a film event at the NFT, so I was excited to explore this strip with F and show him the sights. We arrived early in the morning and were lucky to have the weather on our side, and with gorgeous sun streaming down we pulled into the drop off bay at the side of the hotel and checked in our bags. Paul went and parked the car at a handy secure overnight carpark at Waterloo station only ten minutes walk from the hotel. The foyer was very contemporary and well designed, just what I expected from a smart inner city hotel and we loved the adjoining Jamboree restaurant, celebrating flavours from around the world with fun and eclectic interior design and some fab neon signs.

24 hours in London, chic hotel, Novotel blackfriars london, travel with kids
24 hours in London, chic hotel, Novotel blackfriars london, travel with kids, Jamboree24 hours in London, chic hotel, Novotel blackfriars london, travel with kidsWith a few hours to kill before getting our room key and rumbling bellies we thought it would be a treat to head over to the OXO tower for lunch with a view, especially as Paul has never been, and also checkout the Mr Men exhibition below with an excited F only a few minutes walk from the hotel. 

24 hours in London, chic hotel, Novotel blackfriars london, travel with kids, street sign, london24 hours in London, chic hotel, Novotel blackfriars london, travel with kids, oxo tower24 hours in London, chic hotel, Novotel blackfriars london, travel with kids, oxo tower london

24 hours in London, chic hotel, Novotel blackfriars london, travel with kidsWe enjoyed lunch as I savoured tasty scallops and F tucked into a hearty portion of fish and chips, memorised with the view of St Paul's cathedral. After we made friends with Mr Tickle – the kiddo's highlight of the day – we strolled a little further onto the outdoor book market stall under the bridge. 24 hours in London, chic hotel, Novotel blackfriars london, travel with kids, southbank book stall

Southbank has really got it going on this summer with fabulous food stalls and trucks, an urban city beach by a Copa Cabana beach bar *swoon* and of course the stunning backdrop of the National Film Theatre and the pebbly banks of the Thames. We didn't make it much further along the river as F was having so much fun splashing in the fountains, watching the skateboarders and playing on the beach with other kids, all the while parents sat back sipping cold beers and cocktails in the sun loungers. In fact it almost felt as if we had been transported to a beach in Rio.  
24 hours in London, chic hotel, Novotel blackfriars london, travel with kids, southbank
24 hours in London, chic hotel, Novotel blackfriars london, travel with kids, urban city beach24 hours in London, chic hotel, Novotel blackfriars london, travel with kids, street artAfter spending hours of fun just chilling out and making no particular plans, it was great to stroll ten minutes from the vibrant strip back to our hotel. Of course we could have explored the Tate Modern, London Eye, Trafalgar Square and all the other great spots all within the short walking distance from the hotel, but there was so much going on just along Southbank that it was easy to pend time soaking it all in.

24 hours in London, chic hotel, Novotel blackfriars london, travel with kidsBack at the hotel we checked into our stylish room on the 8th floor and F loved the glass wall between the bathroom and bedroom where he was able to practise his 'magic' as he switched it between normal glass and opaque glass.  We took a quick power nap on the comfortable bed before getting changed to meet friends. 

The room had fabulous views of the city, with iconic landmarks stretching across the horizon and although it was a little on the smaller side, the design was very well thought out and had all the amenities you could need, plus the location is amazing.

24 hours in London, chic hotel, Novotel blackfriars london, travel with kids24 hours in London, chic hotel, Novotel blackfriars london, travel with kids
In the morning we headed down to breakfast early as we had been advised it can get busy after 8am, and tucked into a hearty full english breakfast and hot croissants much to F's delight, before returning upstairs to pack and make use of the hotel pool and gym. F loved the pool and happily spent most of the morning jumping and splashing about with Paul while I used the sauna making for a happy mama.
 24 hours in London, chic hotel, Novotel blackfriars london, travel with kids

Soon it was time to checkout, made so much quicker with their fast checkout key drop system, and we made our way across London stopping off at the Barbican before heading home. I love short stays like this as it really feels like a mini holiday and it's so much fun exploring new places with kids. A stay I would definitely recommend.

*Thanks to Novotel Blackfriars London for our review stay. All words and opinions are 100% our own.
SHARE:

14 comments

  1. Oh wow, what gorgeous weather you had - it looks amazing! Also, scallops... YUM.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow, I had no idea the Novotel was so stylish!! We love Southbank - there's so much to do there with the kids. Looks like you had a ball with your lovely family x

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love the Southbank and it is a great day out for all the family. The Novetel looks like the perfect place to stay - it is rare to find a hotel in Central London with a pool.

    ReplyDelete
  4. That looks like a great example of a Novatel. I use them quite often if we are doing a quick overnight somewhere as they are so family friendly! :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Great looking hotel in a fab location (and how wonderful to have a pool). I love the South Bank - it's one of my favourite places to have a stroll.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh wow what a stunning and stylish hotel - Novotel has really stepped up the game over the past few years, especially with their interiors. Sounds like you had a fantastic 24hrs in the big smoke

    Laura x

    ReplyDelete
  7. That looks like a fantastic hotel, so incredibly stylish! Looks like you had a great time x

    ReplyDelete
  8. The southbank is really special in the sunshine. I wish we didn't live so far away from London now.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Such a cool hotel! Loved seeing what you got up to at the weekend x

    ReplyDelete
  10. What a fab hotel - it looks like somewhere we'd love to stay!

    Your photos are fab and really make me want to visit x x

    ReplyDelete
  11. Wow, is it wrong to say that I didn't expect a Novotel to be that good?!? We need to travel back up to London and Essex over Christmas so I'll have to check it out.

    ReplyDelete
  12. such a beautiful blog post, i love the southbank!

    http://fashionforlunch.net

    ReplyDelete
  13. Oh ww, I keep meaning to take my kids to the Southbank, I must try to get there soon. The Novotel looks amazing too.

    ReplyDelete
  14. What a fun 24 hours, love Southbank my boys have enjoyed the sand there and the hotel looks gorgeous! x

    ReplyDelete

© WILD & GRIZZLY

This site uses cookies from Google to deliver its services - Click here for information.

Blogger Template Created by pipdig