AFTER a hard day's shopping and sight-seeing, Molly and Matilda swapped the bustle of Regent Street for the serene surroundings of The Landau and an early supper.

Settled in their private booth, they ordered bowls of Cream of Secretts Farm pea and mint soup and a glass of the finest, chilled, full-cream milk.

Well, they are only two and four!

Even so, they were welcomed with open arms into what has become one of London's destination restaurants and treated like mini royals, us parents didn't fare too badly, either.

This was one of a series of treats we indulged in while taking advantage of special weekend family rates at London's exclusive Langham Hotel.

They've introduced something called the Little Prince & Princess package, which basically gives you reduced prices, with extra treats for the little ones.

It's aimed at parents who want to weekend with their children but want more than the usual faceless hotel with cartoon colour schemes and chicken nuggets with everything - including breakfast.

Dinner, for example, was dazzling. The Landau, originally the Langham's ballroom, is a dramatic mix of Oriental meets Victoriana and is reached via a stunning glass corridor that also happens to be the wine store. Sounds odd on paper, but it works.

Head chef and occasional telly star is Andrew Turner and, over a glass of cold champagne - oh, and the milk - we perused his menu of simple but beautifully composed dishes, using seasonal goodies. It was Turner who introduced the sample or grazing' menu to the UK and here it is in big demand. It's no exaggeration to say that each dish we had was sublime. It's essentially traditional fare, with no pretension, but beautifully cooked and presented.

The girls, though, much preferred the sound of the Langham burger and special spag balls from the children's menu and who were we to argue?

But back to the hotel. Whether you're Christmas shopping, doing the sights or taking in a show, you'll be hard pushed to find a better location right on Langham Place, off Regent Street and opposite the distinctive BBC radio HQ.

Opened with great excitement back in 1865, it makes a lovely base with its understated, five-star elegance and distinguished heritage. It remains true to its glamorous origins while embracing the modern-day sophistication of the best boutique hotels.

Into all this opulence stormed two boisterous, Hamley's-bag-laden under fives and not a single eyebrow was raised.

The doorman smiled indulgently as our daughters marvelled at his top hat, the receptionists fussed them and the concierge suggested places they'd like to visit.

Add mini-me fluffy robes and slippers and a vast bowl of crisps, chocolates, cartons of juice and packs of hand-made Langham marshmallows in the room and the Little Princess Package was truly living up to its name!

The deal is good for two adults and two children sharing a family room or junior suite, and as well as the in-room goodies, it also includes a slap-up English breakfast in The Landau, no less, the choice of either a family pass to London Zoo or a £50 Hamley's voucher, and Oyster cards for all, for just over £400 a night.

So why put up with charmless, out-of-town boxes, when you can wallow in untold luxury?

We stayed two nights and, as well as shopping till dropping, mainly in Hamely's, we crammed loads in, using the Oyster cards to get from A to B with ease. Molly especially loved riding on the red double-decker, now an icon of the 2012 Olympics.

We took a flight on the London Eye (a must for spectacular views over the city). It's massively popular mind, so expect queues or do what we did and upgrade' to the Fast Track tickets which allow you to stroll straight on.

As we were down on the embankment anyway, we boarded the river cruise which lasted an hour and was great fun. The children enjoyed the thrill of being on a big boat and waving at passers-by on the bridges and we appreciated the time to catch our breath and do a bit of landmark-spotting. Least impressive to look at, but the cause of much excitement along the way was the This Morning studio, weekday home of Fern Britton and Philip Schofield!

Next up was the Science Museum with its mind-boggling gadgetry and interactive exhibits. We could have spent days exploring all its amazing sections, but with limited time and two dinosaur-obsessed moppets, it was time to head for the Natural History Museum. It didn't disappoint. More dino skeletons than you can shake a fossilised clavicle at, endless interactive beasty and bug stuff, and that ginormous blue whale, it was the stuff of their dreams.

As Christmas looms, an overnight stay in the capital is always top of my shopping list as it's unbeatable for luxury, high street present-hunting outlets. But if someone suggested that London can be just as much fun with a couple of toddlers in tow, I'd pour them a stiff Advocaat, laugh my head off and carry on solo.

Until I discovered The Langham.

FACTFILE

The Langham Hotel: 1c, Portland Place, Regent Street, London W1B 1JA

Little Prince & Princess package from £419.

Call 020 7636 1000 or visit langhamhotels.com

London Eye standard flight £15.50 adult, child £7.75 (under 5s free); Fast Track tickets £25 adults and children (under 5s still free); Christmas mulled wine flights £28 (under 5s free). Book online for 10 per cent discount.

London Eye River Cruise and Christmas cruise (with free hot chocolate) £15.50 adult, £7.75 (under 5s free). Visit londoneye.com

Natural History and Science Musems free entry (there may be some charge for seasonal exhibitions or shows).

For great information on family-friendly things to do and see in London visit kidslovelondon.com

4:46pm Thursday 30th October 2008

Print   Email this