Visit Nottingham: Half term at the Hilton Nottingham Hotel

Despite all the places we’ve been over the years, before and after having children, I’ve never been to Nottingham. I’ll be honest with you, when we’ve been choosing holidays in the past we have always gone with the more obvious holiday destinations within the UK, worried to try anywhere new incase they didn’t compare. It was only when I started researching for the best places to holiday with children within a two hour radius of our home I discovered that actually Nottingham had so much to offer and I couldn’t believe I had got to the age of thirty nine without realising that!

When the Hilton Nottingham Hotel offered to host my family and I for the February half term it seemed like the perfect chance to learn more about the city and we couldn’t have chosen a better location. The Hilton Nottingham Hotel is right in the centre of Nottingham, situated on the main road and a stones throw from a multi storey car park with discounted daily rates for those staying at the hotel.

We were lucky to be offered two adjoining rooms within the hotel – one double and one family room – so we had plenty of room as a larger family to make ourselves at home for the week.

The family room was absolutely perfect for our family with four single beds for each of the children, a lovely seating area by the window, plenty of wardrobe space, a large desk and, much to the children’s excitement, a large television.

The family room also had one of the biggest bathrooms of any hotel we have ever stayed at! There is nothing worse than trying to bath three small children in a small en-suite and so this was a real bonus. With a bath and shower it was great to have the option of the two and later we discovered that not only was it lovely and warm, but the bath filled so fast it made bath time easier than ever!

With such a large bathroom and bedroom, it felt as though we had such a huge area to really spread out and, when you’re holidaying with children, it’s so important to feel that you still have your own space.

The second bedroom was just through the connecting door which we left open for the duration of our stay. As a parent it’s so important for me to make sure that my children are close by on holiday, whatever the accommodation, and so it was lovely to know that, whilst they weren’t in the same room, they were still close enough to call out to me should they wake and need me.

I can’t fault the bedrooms, the bed in our room was absolutely huge and perfectly lit to create a really warm and relaxing environment. Despite being a city centre hotel, when we closed the curtains at night it felt as though we were a whole world away from the daily grind which was exactly what we needed after a rough start to the year health wise.

Again, the en-suite was a really good size for two people with a bath, over head shower, a sink and vanity area. It was also a real bonus to have our own adult bathroom and for the kids to have their own, something we have at home but miss when we are on holiday!

As lovely as the rooms were, for me it was all of the extras which really made it stand out. Having stayed at Hilton Hotels in the past I was already familiar with their high standard and yet I felt as though they really excelled themselves during our stay. From the snacks left for the children to the fresh water provided each day, those little touches make a real difference.

In the bathroom there was a huge selection of toiletries which were fully replenished each day as and when we used them. I love that about the Hilton and how they really look after their guests.

In the bedroom I thought the pillow spray on each bedside unit was one of the most thoughtful touches I’ve ever seen in a hotel. Not only did it smell amazing but a deep sleep is exactly what we were hoping for.

And for the children, particularly given their excitement over Robin Hood, there were little Robin Hood teddy bears and now and arrow pencils which I thought was just adorable. One of the things we particularly love about the Hilton is that they are particularly welcoming of children and that is something we felt both instantly and throughout our stay.

Every day as we passed by reception the concierge would engage with the children, ask questions about their day, offer us advice on things to see and do in the area, and even hand out little sweets and chocolate which, of course, the kids were over the moon with!

The Hilton Nottingham Hotel also has an impressive 60 foot pool with sauna and steam room, as well as a fully equipped gym. Unfortunately, with Gaz having to return to work and leave me riding solo with the kids, we weren’t able to take advantage of it – I may be brave but I’m not that brave!!

For me, my favourite thing about the Hilton will always be the breakfast and every single morning the children and I took full advantage! With an amazing selection of waffles, pancakes and muffins, not to mention a huge choice of fruit, fresh meats, yoghurt and cereals, the continental breakfast alone was delicious.

The hot breakfast is one of the best we’ve ever had and there was even a chef cooking fresh omelettes to order – something which Eva enjoyed every morning! With us having such a packed itinerary it was really important that the children had a good breakfast to see us through til lunch and it was lovely for me to see them tucking in each morning. Even Harry, the worlds fussiest eater, found plenty of his favourite foods to eat!

We can’t fault the Hilton Nottingham Hotel, the service we received, and the staff who work there, and for anyone looking for somewhere to stay in Nottingham there is nowhere I would recommend more than here. And for anyone thinking about visiting Nottingham with their children I can honestly say, hands down, it’s the most amazing city with so many fantastic days out right at your fingertips. I am already planning our next trip back to see and do all of the things we didn’t get time for.

I’ll be sharing all of our adventures on the blog this week – make sure you pop back to see exactly what we got up to!

** We were guests of the Hilton Nottingham Hotel for the duration of our stay. All words and opinions are my own **