Chocolate eggs are rolling onto shelves, croci are stirring and roosters are getting glints in their eyes: it’s time to book that Easter-holiday getaway. With schools breaking up earlier in 2026, on 30 March, it’s best to jump to it, to ensure a break packed with Euro sun, endless distractions for kids and pampering for parents, too. So, get some spring-break inspiration with our pick of 10 boutique stays in Europe and beyond…
CHATEAU LES MERLES
DORDOGNE, FRANCE
Over the Easter holidays, you want somewhere the kids can go free-range — luckily, the Périgord is France’s backyard. Château les Merles sits in the region’s ‘Pourpre’ (‘purple’) part, named for its heaving-with-grapes vineyards. But come spring, it’s also coloured with lavender and has activities suitable for under-18s. They’ll thrill at the prehistoric Lascaux Cave paintings or canoe rides along the Dordogne River; fairytales come to life at châteaux such as Beynac and Bridoire (where they can dress up and play knights); and acting as captain aboard the dinky electric boats disembarking the miniature port of Bergerac. Meanwhile, parents can enjoy kicking back with bottles from Monbazillac’s vineyards in their 17th-century abode.
DOMES OF CORFU
GREECE
Corfu’s Glyfada Beach is what most would define as paradise: golden sands, water so blue you can’t believe it’s free of E-numbers, a buffer of cliffs bristling with pines… It fits the bill. Especially so for families at Domes of Corfu, the only luxury resort along this Blue Flag stretch. Options for stealing some parental alone time include a crèche, kids’ club and teen zone with an arcade room; little ones will play dress up, get messy with arts and crafts, take gentle yoga lessons and get a headstart on sustainable living, with growing sessions in the Greek vegetable and herb garden. And alongside sandcastle-building on the beach, there are dedicated pools for smalls and a piazza with fun food trucks for refuelling between paddles. Parents, when you’re not on sun-kissed days out all together, the Soma Spa, trio of bars and musical evenings — from live sax to DJ sets — are your remit.
FOWEY HALL
CORNWALL, UK
This very family-friendly Cornwall hideaway is pronounced ‘foy’, which rhymes with ‘joy’. And it’s big-grin central come Easter, when its programme of kids’ activities is as fully packed as the Easter Bunny’s basket. The Four Bears Den holds ‘wiggly dance’ sessions and has a lab for messy science experiments. Crafty activities include making ceramics, necklaces or pizzas; and there are also age-appropriate film screenings, marshmallow-toasting eves and wind-down story-time sessions, with cookies and milk. Adults will be happy at Fowey Hall too, once they’re sauna-ing and steaming in the spa or enjoying some romantic downtime over the restaurant’s fine Cornish classics.
MARTINHAL SAGRES
PORTUGAL
The quality of your time is often proportional to how high-calibre your hotel is — families will find that none of theirs is wasted at Martinhal Sagres, a hotel so caring it mothers all ages. Babes from six months will be told stories and played music at the crèche; juniors will enjoy painting, puppets, a playground and more at the kids’ club; and those aged seven and up will get out into nature or play team sports (there are tennis and football academies — for adults, too — on-site for your future stars). Bike tracks and a range of watersports up your fresh-air, togetherness quota; twosomes can peel off for seaweed wraps and other Ayurvedic couples’ spa treatments; and bossa-nova-soundtracked bar nights will make you feel young at heart.
DOMES OF ELOUNDA
CRETE, GREECE
Proving the hotel group’s mettle as expert child-whisperers, the classic Domes of Elounda resort in Crete also makes our cut for an Easter-holiday break. The kids’ club here has a sweet focus on sustainability, which is particularly potent in this environment: all tree-furred peaks and pristine sands on the sea-lapped north-east coast. Gardening, recycling and stargazing are some of the thoughtful pastimes; watersports and fitness classes get them moving; and drawing contests nurture their creative side. While they’re doing all that, you can take a time-out in the Chora, the adults-only village (for over-16s), complete with Jacuzzis, Italian eats and Negronis on tap, before heading back to your sizeable suite or residence for tuck-in time.
PUENTE ROMANO BEACH RESORT
MARBELLA, SPAIN
Marbella’s Puente Romano bills itself as a ‘Mediterranean playground’. La Casita kids’ club is like a little village of play, with a treehouse, mini heated pool and seasonally themed activities: come spring, the Easter Bunny hops in for a treasure hunt, eggs are painted and magic shows held — little ones will find a sweet surprise in their room, too. You can also watch the striking Santa Semana processions in nearby Málaga, where celebrants wear distinctive pointy hats (more religious than right-wing) and carry icons on huge floats. Teens can do their own thing with DJ lessons or tennis matches, and for those who want to sprinkle some glitter on their stay, Marbella’s glamour is evident in the hotel’s upscale boutiques, Six Senses spa and yachting opportunities.
ANNABELLE
CYPRUS
We’re not sure who Annabelle was, but we’re pretty sure she’s someone who’s heard a few ‘are we there yets?’ in her time. Which is maybe why this Cypriot stay is so very welcoming to those with newborns in arms or juniors needing to let off steam. The ‘Baby Go Lightly’ service lets you order all the kit you need (bottle-warmers, strollers, nappies…) in advance of your stay; English-speaking babysitters are easily booked; restaurants hold early sittings; and the kids’ club takes good care of four-month to 11-year olds. While they’re crafting clay pots, finding treasure or learning about Paphos’s culture, you’ll be equally edified by history tours of the island’s Old Town, sound-bath soothing or languid wine-paired meals.
SIX SENSES KAPLANKAYA
BODRUM PENINSULA, TURKEY
The Six Senses group is known for its green credentials, but sustainability feels especially soulful in this Turkish outpost. The Slow Food Project gives local growers their flowers (herbs, vegetables etc); The Alchemy Bar provides all the natural ingredients you need to make products that suit your skin; and ‘reconnection journeys’ include hikes into leafy scenery, meetings with local villagers, market tours, fire circles and feasts. And you needn’t wait for your ethical learnings to trickle down to the next generation: here, they’re already getting environmentally conscious in the Earth Lab; making their own gentle, organic potions; meditating, and expressing themselves at art classes.
THE LASLETT
LONDON, UK
Sneaking off for a bank holiday à deux? London won’t let you down. It may not be Notting Hill’s most vibrant season, but the community-fostering founder of the Notting Hill Carnival, Rhaune Laslett, gets her due in namesake hotel The Laslett. Hidden away in the boho ‘hood’s Easter-bonnet-hued streets, it’s a stay that fittingly reps its locality with a signature rum-lashed cocktail, named after Carnival co-founder and jazz musician Russ Henderson; outré objets from Golborne Road curiosity shop Les Couilles des Chiens; and illustrations by fashion magnate Barbara Hulanicki (who opened her first Biba store in nearby Kensington). When you’re not reposing in your elegant, dove-grey room, you can mingle with West Londoners in the lively lounge. And if you really want the kids to come too, they’re welcome, as is the family dog.
THE LAKES BY YOO HOTEL & RESIDENCES
COTSWOLDS, UK
The Lakes by Yoo is a collection of cabins at the edge of man-made (but you’d never guess it) lakes, surrounded by picturesque Cotswolds woodland. However, these cabins aren’t so humble as your typical wooden abode — all are sleek and modern with unique interiors (some designed by Philippe Starck) and most fit a family comfortably. Which is ideal because there are distractions for days for little ones, especially come Easter, when there are egg hunts, flower-crown workshops, and nature-themed excursions (pond-dipping, walks with hawks), on top of bushcraft, treetop adventures, zip-lining and more pulse-quickening pastimes.
No need to go hunting: explore all our hotels with Easter availability