Family holidays needn’t mean primary-hued decor, pool time punctuated by shrieks or chicken nuggets ad infinitum. No, the best family hotels in Europe are style-forward, serve whims of all ages and provide edifying entertainment, with not a pair of mouse ears in sight. Read on to find child-friendly, half-term and summer-holiday hotels — with spectacular kids’ clubs or activities galore — that please parents and little ones alike, from Scotland to Santorini.
Another Place, The Machrie
Islay, Scotland
Whisky, that’s what kids drink, right? Actually, there’s more to Hebridean island Islay than drams and distilleries; for juniors to teens, it’s an adventure-a-minute place from the moment you board the ferry from the mainland and see its moss-flocked cliffs come into view. Base yourself at Another Place, The Machrie and you’ll be poised for kayaking with elephant seals, eagle- and otter-spotting on nature walks, and fat or e-bike sojourns to ridiculously beautiful picnic spots.
Wild swim off sparsely populated beaches in waters surprisingly warmed by the Gulf Stream, stroke a highland ‘coo’ (carefully) and extend bedtimes to gaze up at skies heavily embellished with stars. Or cosy up indoors for movie nights at the house cinema and board-game battling. For parents, there are higher-proof pursuits, serious golfing and hyper-local fine dining to enjoy.
The family room Lodges provide flexibility for family getaways. Each has two bedrooms, a kitchen and pantry, living room for socialising and outdoor space too. Lest you’re wondering where the romance is, well, just pull back the bedroom’s curtains to let nature dazzle you.
Family meal plan The casual Courtyard lunch menu, with mac’ and cheese, burgers and curry, is perhaps more suited to younger tastes than the venison in juniper jus and maple-glazed pork belly of 18 Restaurant. There are pizza and pasta restaurants within a 15-minute drive of the hotel too.
Watergate Bay Hotel
Cornwall, England
As crowd-pleasing as they come, coastal breaks in Cornwall feel blessed with ‘piskie’ good fortune. Families will certainly luck out by booking Newquay’s Watergate Bay Hotel, where all conceivable needs are met and boredom is banished. The bookable or drop-in Kids’ Zone busies six-month to 12 year olds with crafting, science experiments, baking, messy play, music, quizzes, board games and so much more.
Or they can attend the seasonal Beach School (for six to 15 year olds) — funner than its IRL counterpart, here they’ll cook over fire pits, whittle and learn bushcraft basics. And there are nature-themed family pop-ups in school holidays too. If parents want a candlelit meal or spell in a beachside sauna, baby-monitors can be borrowed or sitters booked, and there’s ample baby kit to hand.
The family room There are various configurations of family suites and apartments (they’re pet-friendly too, if you have fur babies to bring), featuring bunk-beds and cots, kitchenettes interconnecting rooms for older young ‘uns.
Family meal plan Of the three eateries on-site, The Beach Hut and Living Space both have kids’ menus, with waffles, sliders, and simple pasta and meat dishes (and more casual, all-rounder fare — flatbreads, healthy bowls, steak frites — on their regular menus). Zacry’s is a touch more sophisticated for date nights, with the likes of brill with caramelised cauliflower purée and sea purslane; or hand-rolled truffle cavatelli.
Abbaye des Vaux de Cernay
Yvelines, France
The South of France might be school-holiday heaven, but you needn’t venture far from the French capital to find a leafy, child-friendly hideaway. Despite its fairy-tale Gothic look — all pointy stone arches and vaulted ceilings — Abbaye des Vaux de Cernay, an hour’s drive from Paris, isn’t a wizarding school; but it brims with magic when it comes to family breaks in France. Designed in collaboration with chic kids’ clothing brand Tartine et Chocolat, the kids’ club is a voguish hangout (with its own play épicerie and café) where they can cultivate their insouciance.
But kids aren’t confined to one area — they can collect eggs; pet donkeys, alpacas, rabbits and goats on the little farm; and go free range themselves on bikes or pedal boats. God knows what the Cistercian monks who founded the abbey would think, but nowadays there are two games rooms (one for arcade-style play; the other more traditional), a cinema, playground and lawn games too. Even the spa caters to smalls, with mini massages and mani-pedis.
The family room It depends just how big your brood is; a small family of three or four could comfortably share the family room or some suites in the abbey itself (watch wayward little ones around the antiques on display). Tucked into the forest, Les Pavilions are a little larger and more private; or for grandes familles or multigenerational getaways, hire out the 10-person Cottage, a bucolic hideaway a five-minute drive away on the farm.
Family meal plan La Trattoria di Bambini wins over fusspots with pizzas, pastas and ice-creams; or go Gallic at L’Auberge, where the ‘enfants’ edit includes grilled chicken and salmon, chocolate mousse and crème brulée. All the family are welcome at brunch at Le Réfectoire des Moines; while escapee parents can up the amour by the fireplace or on the terrace at Les Chasses.
Viceroy at Ombria Resort
Algarve, Portugal
Tucked into the verdant Algarvian hills, stylish hideaway Viceroy at Ombria is more ‘resort collection’ in feel than ‘resort’, but has the all-encompassing perks of a vast stay, making it easy-breezy for family holidays in Portugal. It also has a desirable dash of authenticity in its dedication to local craftsmanship, evident in its aesthetics and promotion of the Algarve’s artisans.
This extends to the V Team Kids’ Club (from age four up; €48 for a half day with snacks, €80 for a full day with lunch and snacks), where crafting comes to the fore in tile painting, comic drawing, sculpting, bookbinding, weaving and puppet- and papier-mâché-making workshops. Babysitters can be booked, bikes can be borrowed, and activities like sheepherding, honey harvesting and rustic picnics immerse you in the wild surrounds. Meanwhile, plentiful viniculture and a chef’s table with live music will keep parents happy.
The family room If you don’t mind sharing one room as a three or four, the Deluxe Double Queen Room has views over the valley, and a deep soaking tub and twin sinks in the bathroom; some have a terrace too. The Two-Bedroom Suite with Jacuzzi and Terrace offers more privacy and has its own kitchenette (and a sofa-bed for larger families). And of the many two-bedroom Residences, older kids will appreciate the ones with a private pool.
Family meal plan Of Viceroy at Ombria’s six eateries, four have menus catering to all-age tastes. Save swisher small-plates eatery Solalua and cheese-and-wine grazing spot Bellvino for date nights.
Octant Évora
Alentejo, Portugal
At the northern end of Portugal, there’s the remote yet fertile Alentejo region, where farms and vineyards thrive, and the holiday pace becomes all the more leisurely. Here, Octant Évora is a low-key, family-friendly hotel, with mod, white-cube accommodations and indoor-outdoor living on sun-kissed terraces or beside one of several pools. Activities are quite literally a breath of fresh air, as you take your little ones to meet the animals on the farm, learn about plant life, and ride horses, bikes or go-karts (minimum ages apply).
A kids’ club (for four to 12 year olds) hosts sweet pastimes such as animal-accompanied yoga sessions, treasure hunts, pottery or mocktail making, and pyjama parties (some activities are charged); and there’s no leafy corner on the estate that isn’t picnic-ready. Water babies can while away hours of fun in the child-friendly pool (don’t worry, adults: there are three pools just for you, with views of the plain); and lessons on eco-friendliness are gently imparted through planting and harvesting outings.
The family room The Bunk-bed Terrace Room, styled with a minimalist take on Alentejo tropes (white walls, wood accents, splashes of blue) comfortably sleeps four and sits beside the pool. If your kids are clamouring for their own room, book a villa, which has a private pool and plenty of outdoor lounging space.
Family meal plan Dining is a laidback affair here, whether you’re in A Terra restaurant or out in the wilds with a basket packed full of tasty treats. The array of small plates and pizzas fired fresh in the oven will be appreciated across the board, and the kids’ menu has the likes of pastas, burgers and fish sticks.
Domes Novos Santorini
Greece
The Domes group’s stable of resorts has long been the go-to for luxury family holidays in the Mediterranean (its Crete and Corfu outposts being some of the most wanted). But even on honeymoon island Santorini, it’s carved out a niche for quality family time together; and that quality is high, with glamorously modern and minimalist suites and bungalows (many with their own pool) and a seasonal crèche, kids’ club (for 4-12 year olds) and teen zone, where your youngsters will learn about Greek culture in creative ways.
Activities also teach a healthy respect for the environment through planting and harvesting in the on-site gardens, identifying bugs and birds, and recycling rubbish into art. Beyond the hotel, there’s a thrill to navigating Santorini’s maze of staircases, hopping back in time with Akrotiri’s ruins and building goth sandcastles on black-sand beaches. And babysitters can be booked should parents want to visit volcanic vineyards or toast the sunset as a twosome.
The family room You’re spoilt for choice here, with various configurations of Bungalows and Villas to fit families of all sizes, all sporting a private pool.
Family meal plan Vatanee Restaurant continues your kids’ education in the art of Grecian living, with dishes such as olive-oil-slugged, chilled tomato soup and calamarata pasta with sweet pumpkin, alongside more commonly loved favourites.
Almyra
Cyprus
It’s a rare family-friendly resort where you can pick up Prada sandals, Pucci bikinis and Gucci sunglasses on a whim — but Almyra, on Cyprus’ west coast, is that kind of chic. It’s threaded through the tasteful blue-and-white rooms, the adults-only spa with its waterfall pool, and beach club days punctuated by cocktails served in coconuts. It takes a sophisticated tack when dealing with family getaways too, with its lifesaver ‘Baby Go Lightly’ service, where you can order all manner of kit (walkers, wipes, bouncy chairs, buggies…) in advance of your stay.
The Mythos Kids’ Club (for kids aged four months to 12 years; open from March till December) is design-forward too, with many Scandi-style wood playsets and pastel-hued rooms set out around a tree-studded courtyard. Parents can have one-on-one time as kids learn to bake, make pottery and hunt for treasure (English-speaking babysitters are available out of hours) but five of the hotel’s six eateries have kids’ menus for end-of-the-day togetherness.
The family room Sea-view suites and terrace-toting rooms sleep up to three in a cot or extra bed; or choose a connecting room or two-bedroom suite to sleep up to six.
Family meal plan Alongside simple sandwiches, pastas and burgers, there are healthy local options such as grilled seabass and souvlaki; plus puréed and mashed dishes for very little ones. Through the hotel’s Baby Go Lightly service, you can order jars of baby food to stash in your room plus free milk and cookies for bedtime.
Oasyhotel
Italy
With its where-the-wild-things-are setting and cabin-style lodgings, Oasyhotel isn’t as precious as Tuscany’s statelier stays, so you can rest easy knowing there are no antiques to knock over. It’s an out-all-day adventuring kind of place for older kids (best for ages eight and up), where kids can bike (each lodge has an e-bike per guest) and trek about with abandon, ticking off sightings of boar, deer, foxes, porcupines and more.
The hotel’s impressive dedication to conserving the local flora and fauna — and its partnership with the World Wildlife Fund — ensures that an eco-friendly ethos is threaded through experiences, whether they’re learning how to orienteer, feeding Limousin cattle on the on-site farm or kayaking the glassine waters of Lake San Vito. And view-blessed porches and bunk-beds make lodgings as country cosy as can be.
The family room The Double Twin Lodge sleeps up to four (two adults, two children) — they’re simple, but primary-hued throws, cushioned reading nooks and prints of maps on walls add flair to these remote outposts.
Family meal plan In true Italian style, there are both primi (simple pasta dishes) and secondi (cheeseburgers, fillets of meat or fish) options for kids and adults here.
One&Only Portonovi
Montenegro
One&Only Portonovi leans into its Baltic bayside setting. Its kids’ club (for three to 17 year olds) is themed around Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and trains smalls in all things nautical: stick-raft building, telescope making, fashioning pirate swords and hats, flag designing… While those confident in the water can engage in all manner of watersports.
A vast stash of baby kit — from nappies to changing mats to car seats — can be borrowed and babysitters are bookable (try to arrange pre-stay where possible). And, if your child’s extra curious, they might also enjoy building an erupting volcano, exploring space, and playing beach detective.
The family room With its terracotta accents and luxe finishes, the Portonovi Family Room is a cosseting two-bedroom option — staff will even set up a toy teepee on request. Or splash out on a villa stay, which comes with a spa area, private hydrotherapy pool and fireplace-warmed lounge.
Family meal plan Italian Sabia, Montenegrin La Veranda and and Japanese-Peruvian Tapasake all have children’s menus, with simple yet tasty fare: nuggets, sliders, seabass, pastas and pizzas, including a sweet take topped with Nutella and caramelised bananas.
Six Senses Kaplankaya
Turkey
People-pleasing group Six Senses give little guests service with gusto at Turkish outpost Kaplankaya. A playroom is filled with toys and crafting materials, there’s a boldly coloured playground, the beach is safe for swimming and the ‘Grow with Six Senses’ programme hones in on wellness and cultural immersion, so kids can get a stamp on their ‘passport’ as they partake in yoga, trampolining sessions, yarn-doll crafting, seed planting or learning how to cook local delicacies.
And there’s enough to distract them from check-in to check-out, with watersports, courts for tennis, badminton and basketball, plus the Alchemy Bar for mixing up potions. But you could really ramp up the fun for an extra-extra-special stay that includes helicopter rides, private-island-hopping cruises, or gentle massages in the spa (for seven to 14 year olds). But even keeping it simple here results in a trip that will long stay with the whole family.
The family room For small families, the Ridge Terrace Family Sea View has a soothing panorama from either of your beds, the private terrace or rooftop. If your head count is higher, choose a larger Residence.
Family meal plan Even the pickiest gourmands wouldn’t turn down a mini pizza, spaghetti and meatballs or a slice of brownie cake, we’re sure.
See our family favourites for hotels that’ll make you all holler ‘are we there yet?’