London hotels, theatre shows and restaurants can be impossibly expensive. But it doesn’t have to be that way, says Claire Spreadbury.
I watch with delight as my daughters’ eyes widen like saucers and their mouths fall open in disbelief. We’re stood in world-renowned toy emporium Hamleys, watching a magician perform tricks, and I’m reminded how sometimes, the best things in life are still free.
We may be in a cost-of-living crisis, with the summer holidays making spends spiral, and that weekend escape seeming virtually impossible, but actually – even in London – you can get away on a budget.
Hamleys is a fine example of somewhere you can spend a couple of hours entertaining the kids and not actually spend a penny. Of course, they might well want to buy the Magnificent Bubbles you can create, blow up and stick together, the Hand Gliders that will always return no matter where you throw them and indeed, that very epic magic set – but there is absolutely no obligation to buy anything. My kids seem to have more money than me anyway, so if they’re really desperate for something, they can unzip their own wallets.
I love London, and bringing my girls here somehow seems to make them kids again. Rosie, 14, and Poppy, 11, are horrendously hormonal, desperate to be grown-ups and would prefer to spend every waking second with their friends, rather than me. But take them to the city and it’s a different story. Happy to hold hands or link arms in crowds, sing along at the theatre and generally lose the dark cloud of grumpiness that seems to follow us everywhere, there’s just something about central London that gives us all a lift.
But is it affordable?
The hotel is obviously going to be the main stumbling block. City centre stays are never cheap, but if you can make everything else surrounding that affordable, it means you can make it happen.
Post-pandemic, I vowed to take my kids to the theatre more often. It’s an experience we all absolutely love, but the reality is, most shows are simply unaffordable. Matilda? Worth every penny, but ouch. Hamilton? Same. A lot of the big shows are just out of reach if you want decent seats – and let’s be honest, when you’re taking small folk to the theatre, they need to be able to see.
There are, however, a few gems in the West End. You know they’re a great watch, but they won’t break the bank. Stalls tickets to watch Grease at the Dominion Theatre, for example, start at £25 in August – and you know you’re guaranteed a good time (especially if any of the celebrity names – Louise Redknapp, Peter Andre and Jason Donovan – are performing).
Day time costs can be kept down, too. Rosie and Poppy weren’t exactly enamoured at the idea of a sculpture trail, but Scenes in the Square at Leicester Square Gardens is like a mini Madame Tussauds with absolutely no price tag. We spot four of the 10 bronze statue stars of the big screen quickly and easily, but the rest of them require a bit more effort. The girls find themselves getting properly into it (eventually having to resort to asking for Google’s help to spot Batman and Wonder Woman) and it’s a great place to keep kids – surprisingly of all ages – entertained.
If you have beauty-mad teens and tweens like me, you can also lose yourself in Lush on Oxford Street. Spanning three floors, with a spa and café, it takes us all of three minutes before Poppy’s nodding enthusiastically and pulling up a pew with the resident make-up artist for a free makeover. Knowledgeable staff and an amazing ethos mean you can find out all about skincare, make-up, allergens and sustainability here. And as an experience-based store, there’s no pressure to buy, simply come in and try, ask for a free sample, get a makeover, or have a minute of calm.
Feeding the family can be another expensive part of a weekend away, so filling up on the hotel breakfast is a must (eat late and large is our motto, before heading out). Then, seek out any bargain summer holiday deals. If you’re heading to London mid-week, up to two children can eat free when one adult buys a main dish at Bill’s; the café at Marks & Spencer also offers a free kids’ meal deal if you spend £5 Monday-Friday; and kids eat free on Sundays when you spend £10 at The Real Greek. We head to Gordon Ramsay’s beautifully buzzy Heddon Street Kitchen, where children of all ages are welcome, and can receive a free main with each paying adult. And for dessert, they can go crazy at the ice cream bar upstairs, picking flavours, cones or bowls, and garnishing them with a choice of eight toppings, from Flakes and Maltesers, to Haribos, Oreo biscuits and chocolate sprinkles.
Of course, there are pricier attractions the whole family will love (the new Twist Museum on Oxford Street is an epic, interactive, selfie-snapping wonder, but it’ll set you back £74 for a family ticket, and you can try your hand at AR darts or axe throwing at Boom Battle Bar, from £40) but it’s very possible to seek out the free stuff and get your capital family fix for half the price this summer.
How to plan your trip
Rooms at the Treehouse Hotel, sleeping one adult and two children, start from £377.37, with breakfast. Visit treehousehotels.com.
