Best London Hotels with Indoor Pools for Families
5 family-friendly hotels with indoor pool in London . Handpicked for families who want the best.
London has the weather you know about — grey, damp, unpredictable — and the hotel prices you also know about. An indoor pool is the one amenity that genuinely changes the trip with kids: when the rain rolls in at 3pm, you don't argue about another museum, you go swim. The problem is that less than 15% of central London hotels have an indoor pool, and half the ones that do are adults-only or booking-required. This page lists the five we'd actually book with a 5 and 8-year-old, with real pool sizes, kids' swim times, and prices from 444 EUR per night. Three are luxury, one is upper-mid, one is mid-range. There is no budget indoor-pool option in central London — that's just the reality, and we'll be honest about it throughout.
London with kids is easier than most people expect. The Tube covers everything, under-11s ride free with an adult, and buggies fit through most stations with lifts (check the TfL step-free map before you go). Covent Garden, the South Bank, and Kensington are the three neighbourhoods we'd pick first for families — all walkable, stroller-friendly, and loaded with parks. The Science Museum, Natural History Museum, and V&A are free entry and within 5 minutes of each other in South Kensington. Food is easier than you'd think: most pubs do a kids' menu until early evening, and you'll find Pret, Leon and Franco Manca on every other corner for quick lunches. Skip Oxford Street with a buggy — it's chaos. For greenery with kids, Hyde Park, St James's Park, and the Diana Memorial Playground in Kensington Gardens are all worth a morning. If you need more family activities in Paris later in the trip, London is on the Eurostar 2h20 away.
🏊Why London hotels with indoor pools are worth it for families
Here's the truth about indoor pools in London: they exist, but they're overwhelmingly in 4 and 5-star hotels. The reason is space — central London hotels are carved out of Victorian and Edwardian buildings where pools were a later add-on, usually in the basement or on a dedicated spa floor. Most 3-star properties simply have no room. That means indoor-pool hunting in London is really price-tier hunting, and the cheapest proper option starts around 440 EUR per night. If you find something cheaper claiming to have a pool, check the photos carefully — it's often a spa plunge pool, not a swimmable one.
Pool sizes in London are modest by European standards. A 15-metre pool counts as large here. The Landmark's 15m chlorine-free pool and the Marriott County Hall's 25m pool are the two biggest that welcome kids. Pan Pacific's 18.5m infinity pool is longer but has strict children's hours (9-11am and 3-5pm only). Expect lap swimming to be impossible during kids' windows, and expect kids' windows to be limited — hotel pools in London are shared with spa members and business guests, so peace is non-negotiable outside the family slots.
One more thing to know: the London heated pool is not a summer thing. July and August are actually the worst months to book for the pool, because the kids will be outdoors in Hyde Park and you'll be wasting the amenity. The sweet spot is October through April, when weather days are common and the pool genuinely saves the afternoon. If you're here in summer, you might be better off with an outdoor pool in Barcelona or a pool in Nice instead — those cities were built for sunshine.
Parent's take
We booked Park Plaza Westminster Bridge in November with the kids, expecting to be rained in. The first afternoon it was freezing and grey, we dumped everyone in the pool at 4pm, and the kids swam for 90 minutes while we sat on the side eating crisps from the snack bar. That day saved the trip. The second day was dry and we did Hyde Park and the Natural History Museum until we dropped. The kids still talked about the pool on the way home, not the dinosaurs. In London, an indoor pool is not a spa extra — it's the weather insurance that lets you book the trip at all.
Our Top 5 Picks
Hotels in London with indoor pool, sorted by guest rating.
Pan Pacific London
City of London/Bishopsgate
Wonderful
1,870 reviews
Pan Pacific London has an 18.5-metre heated infinity pool on the dedicated SENSORY wellness floor, heated to 30°C year-round. Kids under 16 can swim during published windows (9-11am and 3-5pm weekdays, 7-9am and 4-6pm weekends). The hotel sits above Liverpool Street station, which gives you a direct underground link to the Tower of London and the Natural History Museum.
From
€774/night
Why families love Pan Pacific London
Pan Pacific is quiet — you wouldn't guess the pool floor has a playroom vibe during the 3-5pm window when every kid in the hotel is swimming at once. The infinity edge looks out over the City rooftops and the kids were obsessed with the view. Rooms are business-slick but family rooms have real separation between the sleeping and sitting areas, which we needed with early bedtimes and dinner out. Breakfast in Ginger Lily is included for the kids. One negative: the hotel is in a work district and there's very little around at night.
Shangri-La The Shard, London
London Bridge/Southwark
Wonderful
1,716 reviews
Shangri-La at The Shard has the highest indoor pool in Western Europe — the Skypool sits on level 52 with panoramic views over St Paul's and Tower Bridge. Kids can use the pool only during strict windows (9-11am and 3-5pm), outside those times the pool is adults-only. The hotel also has the Horizon Bar and Ting Restaurant open to family guests at lunch.
From
€929/night
Why families love Shangri-La The Shard, London
This is a splurge hotel and the pool is part of why you book it. We got to the Skypool at 9am on a bright morning and the view was genuinely breathtaking — the kids went silent, which never happens. The 3-5pm window is more crowded because other families come in at the same time. Standard rooms are small by luxury standards, you need a Deluxe or Executive Suite for a family of four. The check-in is on level 35 and the view on arrival sets the tone. The staff brought milk and cookies to the room when the kids went to sleep.
The Landmark London
Marylebone
Excellent
4,295 reviews
The Landmark's 15-metre indoor pool is one of the only chlorine-free hotel pools in London, which matters for kids with eczema or sensitive skin. The pool sits in a tiled spa floor alongside a Jacuzzi and sanarium, and kids get dedicated swim windows twice a day. The hotel also runs a Family Escape package with kids' amenities in the room.
From
€577/night
Why families love The Landmark London
We booked the Family Escape package in December after three days of London rain. The check-in team had a welcome kit waiting with colouring books and hot chocolate, which my 5-year-old talked about for the rest of the trip. The pool is smaller than the Marriott's but the water feels different — the chlorine-free system is noticeable after a few minutes, no red eyes, no hair smell. Kids' swim hours are 9-10:30am and 3-4:30pm, which actually worked well around our museum visits. Marylebone is quieter than the South Bank and walking to Baker Street with a stroller was stress-free.
London Marriott Hotel County Hall
County Hall/South Bank
Excellent
649 reviews
The Marriott County Hall is set inside the Edwardian County Hall building next to the London Eye. Its 25m indoor pool is the largest family-accessible hotel pool in central London, in a hall with original columns and a vaulted ceiling. Kids can use the pool throughout the day with no time restrictions.
From
€712/night
Why families love London Marriott Hotel County Hall
The location is absurd — we walked out of the hotel and were at the London Eye in 90 seconds. The pool is huge by London standards and it actually feels like a proper swim, not a plunge. We went in early on a rainy Saturday and had it mostly to ourselves until 10am. Family rooms are spacious but rooms facing the Thames cost a premium. The staff held our luggage on checkout day and let the kids use the pool again after breakfast. That saved our afternoon.
Park Plaza London Westminster Bridge
Waterloo/South Bank
Very Good
22,350 reviews
Park Plaza Westminster Bridge is the only London hotel in our list with a separate kids' pool alongside the main indoor pool. The main pool is about 15m, heated to 29°C, with a glass wall looking into the spa. Time slots are booked at reception — usually no waiting outside school holidays.
From
€444/night
Why families love Park Plaza London Westminster Bridge
We stayed four nights in November and the kids (5 and 8) were in the pool every afternoon. Booking a slot took 2 minutes at reception and the staff were friendly about rebooking when we needed to change. Family rooms are genuinely 40m² with a sofa bed that works for kids under 10. The buffet breakfast is free for kids under 12, which matters when you have two of them. Five minutes walk to Big Ben and the London Eye — you don't need the Tube once.
💡Tips for picking a London hotel with an indoor pool
- 1Book a hotel where kids' pool hours are clearly published on the website, not a vague 'family-friendly'. Pan Pacific London publishes exact windows (9-11am, 3-5pm weekdays) and so does the Landmark (9-10:30am, 3-4:30pm). Hotels that won't commit to times usually restrict kids heavily in practice.
- 2Avoid July and August for indoor-pool trips. London averages 22°C in summer and Hyde Park or the Diana Memorial Playground are free and outdoors — you'll regret paying 600 EUR a night for a pool you barely use. Book October to April instead when rain days actually earn the room.
- 3The South Bank hotels (Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, Marriott County Hall) are 10 minutes on foot from Big Ben, London Eye and the Southbank Centre playground. If this is your first London trip with kids, this area makes everything walkable without a Tube ride.
- 4Don't book the cheapest pool room — in most of these hotels, family rooms and suites are a 50-80 EUR premium and they come with a second bed or sofa bed, which you will desperately need after day 2. Park Plaza Westminster Bridge has genuine 40m² family rooms; the Landmark's Executive King fits a rollaway.
- 5If you're coming from France and want to extend the trip, the Eurostar from St Pancras to Paris takes 2h20 and under-12s get discounted fares. Pair London with a few nights in a kids club hotel in Paris for an easier second leg.
More hotels with indoor pools across Europe
Explore hotels with indoor pool across Europe.