Family-friendly hotels and apartments in Dijon

Alfred Suites is an aparthotel in Dijon's historic centre with recently renovated family rooms, each with a fully equipped kitchen, a dining area and a work desk. Cooking in the room keeps meals easy with children. Saint-Philibert Church is a five-minute walk away and the train station 1 km, so a family can arrive by rail and do everything on foot. Rooms are air-conditioned with free WiFi, and pets are accepted. Guests rate it 9.1 out of 10.

Chapeau Rouge occupies a former private house in central Dijon, close to the historic centre, museums and shopping streets, so families can explore without a car. Rooms are smart and functional with en suite bathrooms. The spa, with hammam and sauna, is included for guests, a treat for parents. The hotel's two-Michelin-starred restaurant is a highlight for adults, though young children may find a long gastronomic dinner challenging. I would book it for a city break with older kids.

A seasonal outdoor pool and a family-friendly restaurant make the Holiday Inn Dijon Sud Longvic easy with children. Family rooms are air-conditioned, the restaurant serves French cuisine, and the sun terrace is pleasant in summer. Adults can use the sauna and fitness centre, and there is a bar for the evening. Free private parking on site is useful for touring Burgundy by car, pets are welcome, and over 6,400 reviews give a strong 8.8.

Hotel du Palais Dijon has air-conditioned family rooms with private bathrooms and city views, which makes it a practical choice for parents travelling with children. A continental buffet breakfast is served each morning, and the concierge can help plan outings. The hotel is near Saint-Philibert Church and the Exhibition and Trade Center, useful if an event brings you to Dijon. WiFi is free. Guests rate it 8.8 out of 10 across 181 reviews.

Grand Hôtel La Cloche is a five-star MGallery hotel in central Dijon, within walking distance of the Ducal Palace and the city's museums, and I recommend it to families who want to explore on foot and come back to real comfort. Rooms and suites are spacious and well equipped. The restaurant serves gourmet French cuisine, parents can use the fitness centre and sauna, and valet parking takes care of the car on arrival.

Hôtel des Ducs is 50 metres from the Palace of the Dukes in Dijon's historic centre, and for a family that wants to see the old town on foot I would find it hard to beat. The hotel welcomes families and pets, and the terrace and bar give parents a place to pause. Rooms are spread over a main building and two annexes, and only some have air conditioning, worth checking for a summer stay. An 8.7 score over nearly 3,000 reviews is reassuring.

Oceania Le Jura Dijon is a four-star hotel in Dijon city centre, 200 metres from the train station and a short tram ride from the Palais de Congrès, so family logistics are easy. Rooms are comfortable, with garden views and free WiFi. An indoor heated swimming pool is the highlight for children, and a hammam and a fitness room are there for the adults. The hotel is family-friendly and welcomes pets.

Hôtel des Halles sits in Dijon's historic centre, 50 metres from the pedestrian streets and 300 metres from the Halles centrales covered market. For families that means short walks everywhere, and a tram stop 30 metres from the door covers longer trips. Rooms are air-conditioned, with private bathrooms and free WiFi, and a buffet breakfast is served every morning. It is a practical three-star rather than a characterful one, but more than 3,500 reviews give it 8.6.

Families get a central base here: the Palais des Ducs de Bourgogne is a short walk away, so the old town can be explored on foot without a car. Rooms are air-conditioned and look over the city, an interior garden or a Gothic courtyard, which helps light sleepers. Pets are welcome. Note that La Closerie is a gourmet restaurant, better suited to an evening with older children than a quick meal.

Mama Shelter Dijon offers comfortable, air-conditioned family rooms with private bathrooms and modern amenities, and I find its relaxed, social spirit works well with children. The hotel has a family-friendly restaurant serving French and barbecue cuisine, a bar and a coffee shop. Yoga classes, film nights, live music and a terrace give the stay some life. It is just seven minutes from Dijon Train Station, which makes arrival easy.

Hotel Le Jacquemart sits in Dijon's antique dealers' district, a short walk from the Palais des Ducs de Bourgogne, the art museum and Notre-Dame church, where children can look for the famous carved owl on the wall. Its 31 rooms range from economy to premium, including family-friendly options, so parents can match the room to the trip. Everything in the old centre is reachable on foot.

Located at the gates of Dijon, this modern Holiday Inn Express has an outdoor swimming pool and a sun terrace, which children enjoy after a day of visits. Rooms are air-conditioned with flat-screen TVs and private bathrooms, and Wi-Fi is free. Secure parking is a plus for families with a loaded car, the front desk is open 24 hours and there is a bar for parents. Pets are welcome, and more than 4,600 reviews give an average of 8.5.

Aloft by Marriott Dijon has an indoor swimming pool and family rooms, and for a family visiting Dijon in any season I would rate that pool as the main draw. Rooms are air-conditioned with private bathrooms, and the wellness area adds a hot tub, sauna, steam room and hammam for parents. A continental buffet breakfast is served daily and pets are accepted. The bar hosts evening entertainment. An 8.5 score over nearly 3,000 reviews is reassuring.

Teritoria Hôtel Wilson occupies a 17th-century post house on Place Wilson, a 10-minute walk from central Dijon, and I like it for families who want calm after a day in the city. Rooms look either onto the square or onto the quiet inner courtyard, so ask for the courtyard side if children go to bed early. The spa and thalasso centre is an unusual extra at this level, there is a bar for parents, and pets are welcome.

Adagio Access Dijon République suits families who like to cook: the air-conditioned apartments and studios come with fully equipped kitchens, so meals can follow children's timetables. A buffet breakfast is available on lazier mornings. Place de la République and the Fine Arts Museum are a short walk away, and the old town is easy to explore on foot from there. The 24-hour reception helps with late arrivals, and pets are accepted.

Each unit at Residhome Dijon Cité des Vignes has a fully equipped kitchenette and a dining area, which suits families who want to eat together at their own pace. The accommodation is air-conditioned and soundproofed, family rooms are available, and a continental buffet breakfast is served daily for easy mornings. Free Wi-Fi and a 24-hour front desk add comfort, and paid private parking is on site. Saint-Philibert Church is under 1 km away, and guests rate it 8.4.

Mercure Dijon Centre Clemenceau is a four-star, non-smoking hotel opposite the Auditorium and Convention Centre, and I like it for families travelling by car, thanks to its secure on-site parking. Rooms are spacious and air-conditioned, which gives a family room to move. The restaurant, Le Château Bourgogne, serves traditional and gourmet regional dishes, and in summer meals move out to a peaceful terrace beside the pool, a pleasant setting with children.

I would consider Appart Hotel Montchapet Dijon Centre for families who want an apartment with a kitchenette. The air-conditioned apartments each have a dining area, a work desk, a private bathroom and soundproofing, with free WiFi. A bar, a concierge service and bicycle parking are available, and a continental buffet breakfast is served. Pets are welcome, so the dog can travel too.

For a family of four, the room to ask for is the Sublime Twin: 22 to 25 m², laid out like a loft, with two suspended double beds for two or four guests. The 50 m² Magique suite is the other option, adding a double sofa bed to its king-size bed. The indoor pool in the vaults is the draw on a rainy Burgundy weekend, but the spa page publishes no age rule or family hours, so I would plan it as a treat for the parents rather than as the children's activity of the weekend. The missing restaurant matters more with children than without: dinner means jars brought to the room or a table in town. The common areas and two rooms are accessible to guests with reduced mobility, which also helps with a pushchair. With DJ nights at the bar on weekends, I would pick Vertigo for parents of older children rather than for babies.

City Loft suits families who like their independence: each of the 53 air-conditioned apartments, from single to quadruple, has a kitchenette with hobs, a fridge and a microwave, so breakfasts and simple dinners are easy. The aparthotel is in Dijon's pedestrian quarter, a short walk from the Palais des Ducs, which means children can explore the old centre without traffic. Book a quadruple unit if you travel as four.

Located in the Toison d'Or Technological Park, just outside Dijon's historic centre, this Holiday Inn is a calm base for families exploring the city. The spa is a real asset for parents, with a sauna, a hammam and a fitness centre. Rooms are air-conditioned with free Wi-Fi, and the hotel welcomes both families and pets. With more than 5,100 reviews averaging 8.3, guests consistently find it comfortable and well run.

ibis Styles Dijon Nord Valmy is 5 km from Dijon station, on the north side of the city, and I recommend it to families travelling by car who want an easy base with free private parking. Rooms are air-conditioned, with an LCD TV, a safe and free WiFi, and some are adapted for guests with reduced mobility. The buffet breakfast is included, the 24-hour reception helps with late arrivals, and the bar and terrace give parents a calm end to the day.

B&B HOTEL Dijon Centre is a two-star in the city centre, about 2 km from the Dijon Congrexpo exhibition centre. Rooms are air-conditioned, with free WiFi and views over the city, and some have a balcony, a welcome extra when travelling with children. A buffet breakfast is served each morning. The hotel welcomes families and pets alike. Facilities are basic, as the category suggests, but more than 3,000 reviews give it 8.2, a good score for a budget address.

Hotel Victor Hugo is a family-friendly two-star in Dijon with its own garden, and I like that children have somewhere calm to rest after sightseeing. Rooms have a flat-screen TV and a private bathroom, and some look over the garden. A continental breakfast is served in a dining room with wooden furniture or in your room. The historic centre, Place Darcy and the cathedral are all within walking distance, as is the train station. WiFi is free.

ibis Styles Dijon Central sits in a pedestrian street of Dijon's historic centre, 1 km from the train station, and for a family visiting the old town on foot I would find it well placed. Rooms are air-conditioned and soundproofed, which helps children sleep in the centre, and two on-site restaurants, one of them gastronomic, keep dinner simple. The 24-hour reception handles late arrivals. An 8.2 score over nearly 3,000 reviews is reassuring.

Hôtel République occupies an 18th-century coaching inn on a quiet street in Dijon's historic centre, and for a family that wants calm nights within walking distance of the sights I would consider it a good fit. It welcomes families and pets, offers free WiFi and a terrace, and public transport is close by. It is a two-star, so expect comfortable rooms rather than extras. An 8.2 score over more than 2,600 reviews is reassuring.

B&B HOTEL Dijon Valmy Toison d'or offers family rooms and accepts pets, and for a family travelling by car I would see it as a straightforward stop near the Zénith de Dijon and the exhibition centre. Rooms are air-conditioned with private bathrooms, a lounge gives a little space outside the room, and housekeeping is daily. It is not in the historic centre, so plan transport for sightseeing. An 8.1 score over more than 3,000 reviews is a decent sign.