Cafe Bebe Family rock the City Inn Westminster

Mar 24, 2010 by cafebebemama

Last week was a special week for the Cafe Bebe household.  We had hubby’s birthday on Monday and our wedding anniversary on Thursday (4 years thank you very much).  I decided that in honour of these special events, we deserved a mini-break in London.  Finding the right place to stay in London is tricky.  Personally, I love character-filled, quaint B&B’s as opposed to high-tech, modern obelisks that lack warmth and comfort.  However, despite my usual preferences the Cafe Bebe family chose to rock the City Inn Westminster, courtesy of City Inn.

The City Inn Westminster is very conveniently located on John Islip Street between Vauxhaul Bridge and Horseferry Road.  You are within a short stroll of many major tourist attractions and the neighbourhood is safe and clean.

The check-in was exceptionally efficient and the staff were most accomodating and helpful.  I met the 2 Managers on Duty who informed me that they were having an internet upgrade so the Wi-Fi was a bit unpredictable.  The Guest Services members were so helpful by putting through our Congestion Charge by phone and even handing out a children’s DVD for Little Miss.  Now that’s service!  As our car was a bit bigger than the average London compact car we were given a place to park the car in the loading dock which was VERY convenient as a family with Little Miss in tow.

When we arrived in our room I was amazed.  We were on the 12th of 13 floors and while we didn’t have a view of the Thames, we had a lovely view of London which included the back of Westminster and the Houses of Parliament.  The room was a City Suite which was ideal as a family.  We had a dining area with seating for four and a lounge area with a very comfortable and stylish couch and a floor-to-ceiling view of London.  Little Miss was quite impressed!

The bedroom/sleeping area was equally impressive with a giant King+ bed for Mummy & Daddy and a lovely (and very clean) travel cot for Little Miss, complete with sheets and blankets.  The bathroom boasted a full-size bath, a separate power shower and vanity/sink and toilet.  There were plenty of towels and even little “rescue” kits with shaving and toothbrush kits!  How convenient!  I was most impressed with the iMac computers in the rooms.  We had one in each room and you could watch the telly through it as well as DVDs and CDs and of course, use it as a computer.  The only challenge I had was continually having to re-size the viewing screen when we changed the channel.  I did end up unplugging the keyboard from the screen, however, as it was at the PERFECT height for Little Miss to do what Mummy is always doing on the ‘puter!  She had a great time and was none the wiser.  As the managers had said, the internet connection was patchy at times but that was due to the upgrade that they are going through and I’m sure that will be sorted very soon.  I was able to use the iMacs to Tweet, check emails and check the blog.  I chose not to do a post as I didn’t want that to get “lost” just in case.  It’s so handy to have a computer that comes with the room!  Bringing the laptop is not always feasible so to find a hotel which provides you with FREE Wi-Fi AND built-in iMacs is pretty impressive.  As we were heading to Canary Wharf on Saturday afternoon, I was able to get online and search for parking and shopping areas before we took off.  Exceptionally convenient.

We had a phenominal breakfast on Saturday morning in the City Cafe and found ALL of the staff, from the hostess to the waiters, to be extremely friendly and accomodating.  They even asked us how we wanted our scrambled eggs!  You could have a full English or just a continental breakfast but there’s no way that anyone will leave a City Inn breakfast being hungry.  They were properly kitted out with a high-chair for Little Miss as well.

Finally, I have to say how impressed we were with the family- friendliness of the City Inn Westminster.  There were high-chairs in the City Cafe, wipe clean surfaces in the rooms, comfortable furniture and no real breakables or unrealistic knick-knacks in the room for toddler hands to wreck.  The travel cot was comfortable, clean and well prepared and there was a variety of DVD choices for the whole family on loan from the Guest Services desk.  Thanks to the handy refrigerator we were able to keep Little Miss’ night-time milk cold and keep her usual bedtime routine with a bath and bed.  As we were in a suite we easily put Little Miss down for bed and sat watching Sport Relief in the lounge area without bothering her.  Ideal for families!  The City Inn Westminster is also running a special meal this Easter in the City Inn Cafe:

Easter Sunday at City Café: This Easter Sunday (4th April) gather the family together and celebrate a traditional pastime in contemporary style. Sunday Lunch.

City Café represents exceptional quality, made with the finest ingredients at a great price. From only £19.95 in Westminster) you can eat as much as you like over three courses and kids under 5 eat free (under 8 half price) when accompanied by an adult.

On Easter Sunday we are providing kids with complimentary chocolate eggs and lots of yummy treats which they can use to decorate them.

In my humble opinion, the City Inn Westminster and City Cafe restaurant would be the pefect place in London to celebrate Easter (or any occasion for that matter).

Room rates vary for Double Rooms and Suites.  City Rooms (doubles) range from £169/night midweek to £99/night on weekends while Suites range from £100/night midweek to variable rates on weekends.  Parking costs £30 per 24 hours midweek and £20 per 24 hours on weekends.  There are special offers and deals throughout the year so it’s worth keeping your eyes open and checking the website.  I have already told my Mom, back in America, about the City Inn Westminster in anticipation of her next visit.  I know, the next time we have an opportunity to spend a bit of time in London, we’ll definitely return to the City Inn Westminster.  It’s well worth your hard-earned money…just ask Little Miss!

I give you a bit of a hand-held tour of our room (1218) at the City Inn Westminster.  I wholeheartedly recommend that you make it your home away from home the next time you are in London.  We loved every minute.