The Cavendish Hotel London - a review

Two weeks ago, we were invited by The Cavendish Hotel London to see how family-friendly their hotel really is. The Cavendish Hotel is located in the heart of Piccadilly & Mayfair and is within walking distance of fabulous shopping areas and famous sightseeing landmarks such as Piccadilly Circus or Buckingham Palace. The four-star hotel has great transport links, which make exploring London very easy, but that’s not the only plus point that the Cavendish Hotel London has. Read on for our opinion on service, family-friendliness, food and, of course, our room.

Our executive room at the Cavendish Hotel London

During our time at the Cavendish Hotel London, we stayed in a king-size executive room on the third floor. It was spacious, and had the biggest and comfiest bed I have ever slept in. No lie! Amy slept on a pull-out double sofa in the lounge area of our room. It was big enough for two children, so if you travel with two young children, this room might be a great option for you. The room was also equipped with two TV sets with Sky TV and movie channels (one in each room), a good-sized desk as well as a Nespresso Coffee Maker and further tea and coffee making facilities. The bathroom featured a walk in shower and bath and the complimentary toiletries and robes were finishing touches that really made us feel at home. Amy enjoyed both the bath and shower while we got ready for dinner - as you do when you are a toddler on their first hotel testing mission.

Food at the Cavendish Hotel London

We had dinner and breakfast at the Petrichor Restaurant at the Cavendish Hotel and the quality of food and service was outstanding. Ben and I chose a starter and main each and Amy enjoyed a dish from the kids menu, which was really reasonably priced considering that we were dining in the restaurant of a four star hotel in the centre of London. Unfortunately, we had to skip dessert as Amy got tired, but the dessert menu looked lovely and I have no doubt that it would have been just as nice as our starters and mains.

For dinner we had:

• Slow cook Aylesbury duck legs, pickled cucumber, spring onion, sesame seeds, orange reduction
• Pan-fried Scottish scallops, pepper coulis, crushed peas, compressed apple saunce
• Chicken and smoked bacon roulade, chorizo, rocket dressing, sauteed red chard and truffle puree
• Wicks Manor pork belly & tenderloin, pumpkin puree, savoy cabbage, potato and black pudding gratin

Breakfast was served as a buffet and you could enjoy:

• a seletion of five fresh fruits, organic flavored, fruit and natural yoghurt, homemade marmalade or strawberry jam
• a range of Kellogg’s and other popular breakfast cereals, muesli, homemade granola and dried fruit
• Ham and Milano salami, smoked Scottish salmon, variety of British cheeses
• Freshly squeezed orange juice, apple juice, grapefruit juice, water, milk
• Freshly baked breads, croissants, assorted muffins and Danish pastries
• Wet cured, smoked back & streaky bacon, Cumberland & old English sausages, pan fried button mushrooms, baked beans, free range scrambled egg
• as well as a selection of freshly prepared breakfast options

Service at the Cavendish Hotel London

The service that we received at the Cavendish Hotel was second to none. No matter who we dealt with, each member of staff was friendly, attentive and went out of their way to make us feel welcome. The concierge team looked after our car and luggage when we arrived and although we had to run back and forth because we forgot bits and bobs in the car, they never seemed annoyed or put out by any of our wishes and questions. Check-in was quick and easy and the reception staff came up trumps when I remembered that I had forgotten to print out tickets for the Tower of London. I phoned them from our room and within minutes, someone slipped an envelop with the printed tickets under the door.

The restaurant staff at The Petrichor were no exception. They helped us with our menu and drinks choices and got us a second highchair, after Houdini aka Amy managed to escape the first one. The restaurant manager Amanda was exceptionally friendly and told us how delighted she was to see a young family dining out with a child. She brought Amy an activity pack and some crayons while we waited to be served and had a smile for her whenever she passed our table.

In fact, there were a number of small touches that made the Cavendish Hotel London (there are a number of Cavendish hotels around the country) stand out as the luxurious hotel that it is. Our room surprised us with a selection of glossy magazines as well as different coffee pods for the Nespresso machine and bottled water. The bath room was stacked with sumptuous toiletries from Taylor of Old Bond Street and when we checked in, we received a VIP envelop that allowed us to choose from a list of gifts. We picked the homemade chocolates and they were divine. Flavour combinations I had never before tasted, infused into rich ganache and pralines that melted on our tongues. Beautiful!

How family-friendly is the Cavendish Hotel London?

Initially, I was a little skeptic about taking Amy to a luxury hotel like the Cavendish, however there was no need to worry. We were made very welcome and no one bat an eye lid when Amy got a bit louder during dinner or threw her crayons around. In fact, Amy was a bit of an ice-breaker. The receptionists started chatting to her while we checked in, the restaurant manager brought her an activity pack and smiled at her whenever she walked past us and the lady from room service gave her a biscuit when she ran across the corridor. She really enjoyed all the attention she got.

Our room was also perfect for families traveling with children. It was child-friendly and Amy absolutely loved running around and exploring it without being restricted by bulky furniture. The restaurant was prepared for families with young children too. There were two different types of highchairs available and activity packs kept kids entertained while they waited for their food. Travel cots were also available upon request.

All in all, we had a fabulous time at the Cavendish Hotel London and would thoroughly recommend it for a city break with or without children. Despite being in the centre of London, the Cavendish is a beautifully quiet hotel that allows you to put your feet up and relax after a long day exploring the British capital. It’s immaculately clean, spacious and the staff are beyond friendly.

I know that older kids of blogging friends received a welcome pack and kiddie dressing gown when they stayed, so I thought there would be something similar available for younger children, but unfortunately there wasn’t. A nice idea for toddlers and pre-schoolers would be a welcome pack with crayons or some stickers, as I could imagine there would be sad faces, if you travel with two children and only the older one receives some goodies. Saying that, had I not heard about the welcome pack from other bloggers, I really wouldn’t have missed it.

Disclosure: We were guests of the Cavendish Hotel London for one night and also received complimentary dinner and breakfast. My opinion however is 100% mine!