We pride ourselves on the breadth and depth of our pioneering Kids Collection, now just shy of 900 hotels and hideaways, where families are warmly welcomed, and where they can create wonderful memories together.
For me, there’s nothing better than finding new and interesting places for families to stay, and 2024 was no exception. Read on for some of our favourite stays to join our Kids Collection this year.
1 GK Beach Hotel, Crete, Greece
An extremely family-friendly yet intimate beachfront retreat with its own taverna, 18m swimming pool and a host of eateries within walking distance; just half an hour from the airport.
Rooms: Stay in simple spotless suites, each with a kitchenette, private balcony or terrace, and long sea views. For larger families there are sofa beds, interconnecting rooms and a penthouse for 6.
Best for: All ages; smaller families.
Family rating: There’s a 4m kids pool, a safe, shallow, sandy beach, and a Beach Life programme (water games, crafts, tournaments and socials) in July and August.
2 The Pyrenees Mountain Hideaway, France
A charming family-oriented eco-farm with astonishing panoramic views of the Pyrenees, a large swimming pool, an organic vegetable garden, plunge pools and a sauna.
Rooms: There are four rustic stone gites (for 2-7), each with wood-burning stoves and incredible views; the two largest are best for families with private terraces and wood-fired hot tubs (you can book both smaller 1-bed ones together too).
Best for: All ages; outdoorsy families.
Family rating: Kids love the pool, playground with trampoline, playhouse, swings and sandpit, egg collecting, meeting and feeding the animals, wild swimming in the river, donkey rides in season.
3 The Helford River House, Cornwall, UK
This grand old manor (sleeps 10) is set in splendid seclusion just inland from the pretty Helford estuary. It is perfect for house parties with a large kitchen and dining room, drawing room and library, opening onto a sprawling, secret 1-acre garden.
Rooms: There are five spacious bedrooms including a twin room for kids, and three of the four bathrooms come with tubs.
Best for: Primary school ages and older; extended family gatherings.
Family rating: The lovely walled garden comes with a trampoline and table tennis, there are board games, books and toys plus a large TV in the library, and beaches nearby.
4 Green Bay Phu Quoc, Phu Quoc, Vietnam
Not only does this rustic-luxe beach resort offer a private stretch of golden sand, two restaurants and two good-sized swimming pools, it’s also pretty good value. Phu Quoc island is off the south-west coast of mainland Vietnam, an unspoiled oasis of tranquillity and national park.
Rooms: Choose from ocean or forest- view villas, including family villas with two or three bedrooms. Some villas come with private pools, and there are extra beds available in all.
Best for: All ages; back-to-nature families after laid-back adventure.
Family rating: They offer a complimentary kids club (arts & crafts, outdoor games), shallow sections in both pools, beach games, watersports, cooking classes, bikes to borrow and kid-friendly dishes.
5 The Olive Houses, Istria, Croatia
A pair of new stone villas, each sleeping 8, set in olive groves and vineyards, with hilltop gardens and wonderful views across bucolic hills and farmland to the Adriatic – Istria is often referred to as Croatia’s Tuscany for the quality of its produce and rolling countryside.
Rooms: Each villa has four bedrooms (including a twin room apiece), and all are ensuite with shower bathrooms.
Best for: Babies, primary schoolers, tweens and teens; two families travelling together or multi-gen gatherings.
Family rating: Each villa has a 12m private pool with a terrace and pool house, board games, table tennis and gardens to roam around. There are beaches nearby and you can hire bikes locally.
6 Ergon Beach House, Halkidiki, Greece
These effortlessly cool stone villas, cabanas and tents are situated a stone’s throw from a golden beach. This, the latest venture of from Greek brand Ergon Foods, with a focus on seafood and sustainability, serves great fare in the sociable restaurant set under fragrant pines and eucalyptus.
Rooms: The residences and suites can take families of 4 and 5, there are also options for families of 3 and 4 in the lodge tents and medium cabanas; all can take a baby cot; all have private exterior spaces.
Best for: Babies, kids and teens; ideal for beach-loving families.
Family rating: Many of the larger units have small private pools; you’re right on a safe, shallow, sandy beach; there’s a playground and starlit cinema plus bikes to borrow.
7 The Specchia Hideaway, Puglia, Italy
This enchanting boho two-storey villa (sleeps 8-12) is perched on a Salento hilltop, with a wraparound top-floor terrace and long covered veranda. You also get a superbly kitted-out kitchen, a gorgeous semi-wild garden with hammocks and day beds, a sparkling pool and al fresco dining.
Rooms: Two of the four bedrooms upstairs can be set up as twins, there’s also a sofa bed in the studio for additional kids.
Best for: Older kids and teens; ideal (and great value) for extended family groups.
Family rating: The huge shady grounds are utterly delightful, with a free-form pool and terraces, cooking classes available; Adriatic beaches, horse-riding and cycling nearby.
8 Azul Singular, Faial, The Azores, Portugal
Glamping at its best: a cute eco-collection of tented cabins and yurts hidden in a dense plantation on the lower slopes of a volcano, close to the rugged Atlantic coast on the Azores island of Faial.
Rooms: The larger cabins sleep 3-4 in comfort.
Best for: Kids; it’s magical for nature-loving families.
Family rating: The grounds are shaded by palm trees with hammocks, and a back-to-nature vibe; rock pools and a beach nearby, whale- and dolphin-watching trips.
