This spring and summer has seen a wave of exciting new UK hotel openings, from grand country estates and luxury treehouses to stylish London launches and coastal stays. While some have undergone major renovations and relaunches, others are entirely new additions to the family travel scene.
What stands out is the focus on family-friendly design. Several of the hotels below have invested in larger accommodation, dedicated children’s spaces and interesting extras designed to make travelling with younger guests easier, while others offer exciting new bases for city breaks, countryside escapes and UK staycations.
Whether they opened earlier this spring or are welcoming their first guests over the summer months, these are some of the most exciting new family-friendly hotels to book in the UK this season.
Countryside
The Ickworth, Suffolk
Location: Ickworth Estate, near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
Opening: Reopened May 2026 after full renovation
Luxury Family Hotels’ Suffolk property has reopened after a top-to-bottom renovation by StudioJill, covering all 37 rooms, the public spaces, wellness facilities and restaurants of this Italianate palace set within 1,800 acres of parkland. Family touches run through the redesign rather than sitting alongside it: cinema and activity spaces for play and discovery, a partnership with Scandiborn for premium toys, and Bugaboo-supplied highchairs, pushchairs and cots on request. The Dower House and Butler’s Lodge offer private multi-bedroom suites a short walk from the main house, useful for multigenerational groups, while the two-bedroom Hervey Suite – a master bedroom with lounge space plus a separate twin room – suits larger families wanting their own footprint within the main building.
Best for: Multigenerational families wanting a grand country-house base with proper family kit laid on, not just borrowed for the occasion. Find out more.
The Ickworth, Suffolk
Calcot & Spa, Cotswolds – Treehouses
Location: Calcot Manor & Spa, near Tetbury, Cotswolds
Opening: Opened June 2026
Calcot’s new treehouses are tucked into woodland across the estate’s 220 acres of rewilded countryside. Each sleeps up to four across two bedrooms – a calming main bedroom with natural textures and a loft-style second bedroom designed with children in mind – plus a cosy living area with a woodburner and a private deck with its own sauna. Guests get full access to Calcot’s award-winning spa alongside the estate’s existing family offering, which includes dens, a crèche and woodland trails, plus complimentary breakfast and use of the tennis courts. It’s a step up from a standard family room: a private woodland retreat with all of a destination spa hotel’s facilities a short walk away.
Best for: Families wanting a private, nature-led stay with full access to a proper spa and established children’s facilities alongside it. Find out more.
Treehouse at Calcot & Spa, Cotswolds
The Candover, Hampshire
Location: Preston Candover, near Winchester and Alresford, Hampshire
Opening: Opened June 2026
One of the more understated UK hotel openings of the year, The Candover has transformed a former coaching inn in the Hampshire countryside into a stylish pub with rooms that’s equally welcoming to families and couples. Set in the Candover Valley, around 90 minutes from London, it offers a relaxed base for exploring the South Downs, Winchester and the surrounding villages.
The restoration has preserved much of the building’s original character, with antique furniture, log fires and thoughtfully designed interiors throughout. There are 10 bedrooms in total, including three family rooms, while younger guests have access to a dedicated playground in the garden. The restaurant focuses on seasonal British ingredients, and nearby attractions include Jane Austen’s House, Winchester Cathedral and family-friendly countryside walks.
Best for: Families looking for a stylish countryside pub stay with plenty of outdoor space and easy access to Hampshire’s attractions. Find out more.
The Candover, Hampshire
Mad Swans, South Downs
Location: Alton, Hampshire
Opening: Opened June 2026
A former Hampshire golf club has been transformed into Mad Swans, a boutique countryside retreat in the South Downs offering eco-cabins, lodge rooms and plenty of outdoor fun. Families can choose cabins or Signature Lodge Rooms with space for an extra child’s bed, while activities go well beyond the golf course to include padel, pickleball, shuffleboard and acres of countryside to explore. With an emphasis on getting outdoors, relaxed dining and flexible accommodation, it’s an ideal choice for active family staycations.
Best for: Families looking for an outdoor escape packed with activities in the South Downs National Park. Find out more.
Mad Swans, South Downs
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South Coast
THE NICI Newquay
Location: Newquay, Cornwall
Opening: Opened June 2026
Inspired by the Italian Riviera and perched above Newquay’s famous surf beaches, THE NICI Newquay brings laid-back luxury to the Cornish coast. The 82-room hotel offers stylish family rooms sleeping up to four, an indoor spa, clifftop dining at Amalfi and easy access to some of the UK’s best beaches. Families are a major focus, with complimentary surf lessons, Nico’s Kids Club, beach adventures, splash sessions in the pool, a private cinema, games room and a programme of activities ranging from arts and crafts to rock pooling and bodyboarding. It’s all designed to help parents relax while keeping children entertained.
Best for: Families looking for an activity-packed luxury beach break in Cornwall. Find out more.
THE NICI Newquay
Premier Inn, Bognor Regis
Location: Bognor Regis seafront, West Sussex
Opening: Opened June 2026
Premier Inn’s newest seaside hotel sits just moments from Bognor Regis beach, making it an easy base for traditional family seaside holidays. The new property offers modern Premier Plus and family rooms sleeping up to four, complete with king-size beds, sofa beds or pull-out beds, plus free travel cots on request. Families can fuel up at the hotel’s new all-day restaurant, The Social, before exploring nearby attractions including Bognor Regis Pier, Hotham Park, the Alexandra Theatre and the town’s sandy beach, all within easy walking distance.
Best for: Budget-conscious families looking for an affordable seafront stay with spacious family rooms and classic seaside attractions on the doorstep. Find out more.
– READ MORE: Why families love The Esplanade Hotel on Cornwall’s famous Fistral Beach –
Scotland
Dunalastair Hotel Suites
Location: Kinloch Rannoch, Perthshire, Scottish Highlands
Opening: Reopened March 2026 under new ownership
Following an extensive refurbishment under new ownership, Dunalastair Hotel Suites has reopened as a stylish five-star retreat in the heart of Highland Perthshire. The 32-suite boutique hotel blends its Victorian sporting-lodge heritage with contemporary Scottish interiors and is home to The MacNab restaurant, showcasing seasonal Scottish produce, alongside the cosy Tipsy Stag bar. Families will appreciate the spacious suite-style accommodation, giving everyone more room to spread out, while complimentary access to the nearby Loch Rannoch Hotel, Estate & Spa opens up even more facilities, including a swimming pool, spa and expansive grounds to explore. With hiking, wildlife spotting and loch adventures on the doorstep, it’s a great base for an active family escape in the Highlands.
Best for: Families looking for a luxurious Highland base with spacious suites and easy access to outdoor adventures. Find out more.
Dunalastair Hotel Suites
– READ MORE: The UK family walking holiday that even teenagers will love –
London
The Ampersand Hotel – Science Family Suite
Location: South Kensington, London
Opening: Opened June 2026
The Ampersand has launched a science-inspired family suite just in time for the summer holidays, sleeping up to four and drawing its theme directly from the neighbouring Science Museum and South Kensington’s cluster of museums. The children’s bedroom is built around a bespoke rocket-style bunk bed with celestial detailing and interactive elements, while the adjoining master bedroom takes a more restrained approach – rich textures and the hotel’s signature velvet headboard – so it doesn’t feel like a theme park bolted onto a luxury hotel. There’s generous shared space, an en suite bathroom with a bath-and-shower combination and Malin + Goetz amenities, and the location puts the Natural History Museum, Science Museum and V&A within easy walking distance.
Best for: London-based families wanting a themed suite with the Science Museum and South Kensington’s museums on the doorstep. Find out more.
The Ampersand Hotel, Science Family Suite
The Newman, Fitzrovia
Location: Fitzrovia, London
Opening: Opened 1 February 2026
This 81-room Art Deco hotel from Lind + Almond is one of London’s standout new openings, combining stylish accommodation with Brasserie Angelica, the intimate Gambit Bar and a Nordic-inspired wellness centre complete with a halotherapy room, ice lounge, Finnish sauna and hydrotherapy plunge pool. Families are well catered for too, with connecting rooms sleeping up to five available as part of the hotel’s Family Together offer, which includes up to 50% off a second room. Alternatively, spacious apartments feature fully equipped kitchens, separate living areas and space for cots or additional children’s beds. Books and games for younger guests, flexible all-day dining and a central Fitzrovia location within easy reach of The Cartoon Museum, Regent’s Park and the Science Museum make it a stylish and practical base for a London city break.
Best for: City-break families drawn to the design and location, though it’s worth confirming family-specific facilities before booking with children. Find out more.
The Newman, Fitzrovia
Six Senses London, The Whiteley
Location: Bayswater, London
Opening: Opened 1 March 2026
Occupying the beautifully restored Whiteley’s department store, Six Senses London brings the luxury wellness brand’s first UK hotel to the capital. The property features 109 rooms and suites, 14 branded residences, the seasonal Whiteley’s Kitchen, Bar and Café and an impressive spa with cryotherapy, flotation therapy, a Finnish sauna, steam room, fitness centre and wellness experiences. While the hotel is primarily wellness-focused, families are welcome, with larger rooms sleeping up to three guests, a two-bedroom Whiteley Suite sleeping four and a Family Plan available. Its location also puts Hyde Park, Notting Hill and many of London’s top attractions within easy reach.
Best for: Families looking for a luxury London base with spacious accommodation and world-class wellness facilities. Find out more.
Six Senses London, The Whiteley
– READ MORE: New family-friendly hotels opening this summer 2026 around the world –
Northern Ireland
Aloft Belfast Titanic Quarter
Location: Titanic Quarter, Belfast
Opening: Opened May 2026
Marriott’s new Aloft Belfast Titanic Quarter gives families a stylish base in one of the city’s most popular sightseeing districts. Just a short walk from Titanic Belfast and the waterfront, the hotel offers spacious loft-style rooms, relaxed social spaces and Camp Aloft activities designed to keep younger guests entertained. Its location also makes it easy to explore Belfast’s museums, restaurants and waterfront attractions without relying on the car.
Best for: Families planning a Belfast city break with Titanic Belfast and the city’s major attractions on the doorstep.
Aloft Belfast Titanic Quarter
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