Child-friendly hotels

Gorah Elephant Camp

Addo, South Africa

Best for   Adventurous youngsters from eight to 15

SAFARI COLLECTION Embraced by the enchanting wilderness of Addo National Park, this luxury safari lodge merges Victorian colonial style with modern creature comforts, offering a harmonious blend of relaxation and adventure. With opulence at every turn, and nature around every corner, this is the most pampering campsite in South Africa.

Amankila

Bali, Indonesia

Best for   Adventurous under-12s or layabout teens.

From the top of the hill, you can sprawl in a traditional Balinese bale, admiring views of the Lombok Strait; from the bottom, you can sun yourself on the sand. Halfway up, you’ll find the walkway-linked villas of Amankila, each one equipped with terraces for sun-soaking and day-beds built for losing days on.

Waka Gangga

Bali, Indonesia

Best for   Adventurous five- to 11-year-olds.

Sea breezes, mountain views and stepped green paddy fields surround Waka Gangga, a modest collection of just 12 rustic wooden villas. Despite the all-natural simplicity – hardwood floors, no TVs or DVD players – you still feel spoiled here, with a soul-pampering spa, cosy canopy beds, and amazing views by day and night.

Amanusa

Bali, Indonesia

Best for   Beach babies.

A Balinese boutique resort close to the airport, Amanusa is a monument to high-life luxury. The sweeping green of the golf course divides the 35 freestanding private villas from the chalk-white beach – which is where you’ll spend most of your time, when you’re not lingering by the pool soaking in the scent of bougainvillea and sipping sundowners.

The Merchant Hotel 

Belfast, United Kingdom

Best for   Babies and up – children of all ages welcomed.

Occupying the former headquarters of the Ulster Bank, the Merchant Hotel is a grand neoclassical building with vaulted ceilings, kitted out in rich colours and fabrics. This boutique creation makes you feel like a VIP from the minute you walk through the door. Bedrooms are opulent and complete with all the modern-day add-ons you can think of. The hotel bar, the Cloth Ear, used to be the bank's customer branch, while the fine restaurant occupies the former banking hall.

Turtle Inn

Belize, Central America

Best for   Adventurous under-12s or beachy keen teens.

Brightly coloured hammocks slung between slanted palm trees, Balinese-syle beach huts capped in thick thatch, and the sun-sparkled waters of the Caribbean are at the heart of this boutique hotel in Belize. One of Francis Ford Coppola’s trio of Central American resorts (its siblings are Blancaneaux Lodge and La Lancha in Guatemala), Turtle Inn is a rustic retreat with a sprinkling of glamour.

Cliveden 

Berkshire, United Kingdom

Best for   Babies and up - children of all ages welcomed and catered for.

Ever since John Profumo first laid eyes on Christine Keeler as she basked in Cliveden’s pool, it’s been clear that this Berkshire boutique hotel was destined to be a Mr & Mrs Smith retreat of choice. As well as being a celebrated haunt for politicos and literati, this majestic neoclassical manor is the proud birthplace of the £100 club sandwich – worth every penny, we’re relieved to add.

The Miller of Mansfield

Berkshire, United Kingdom

Best for   Babies and up – children of all ages welcome and catered for.

Red-brick, tile-roofed and originating in the 18th century, the Miller of Mansfield inn stands proud, sidled up to a flint cottage and opposite a Tudor-topped corner chapel, a stone parish church and a lovingly tended green: in this Berkshire-borders village, even the post office is worthy of a watercolour. Inside the pub, real ales, cosy fires and hearty food are backed up by the comfortable, contemporary rooms upstairs.