Finding a hotel catering to both parents and children alike doesn’t have to mean compromising on style or comfort.
Gone are the days of plastic pools, tatty rooms and lukewarm buffets. A new generation of family-friendly hotels around the world is pushing the boundaries to ensure guests of all ages have a holiday to remember.
Some hotels now have family wings with nappies, bottle warmers and baby monitors, while others offer complimentary nurseries and restaurant menus designed by celebrity chefs.
Here’s our pick of the best from across the globe, from cheerful mid-range options to ultra-luxury retreats.
Singapore: Shangri-La
The Shangri-La’s themed family rooms are next level. Your kids can embark on a safari, sleep in a castle, explore the galaxy, or dive into an underwater world – with rooms boasting slides, sleighs and spaceships. If you need your own space away from the kids, book an interconnecting room for a ‘normal’ place to sleep.
There are supervised play spaces for young ones too, and for guests with babies, there’s a family pantry stocked with sterilisers, bottles, strollers, Stokke highchairs, nappies and bouncers.
Similar rooms are available at Shangri-La Hong Kong.
Book it: From £730 a night, sleeping two adults and two children (shangri-la.com).
Spain: Iberostar Waves Cala Domingos, Majorca
If you want cheap and cheerful but good fun too, this all-inclusive is a solid choice. Yes, it can feel slightly chaotic – but only because the kids really are enjoying themselves.
There’s a children’s pool, mini discos and crazy golf to keep them entertained for hours. If the shrieking gets too much, you can always walk down to the beach and listen to the waves.
Book it: From £139 a night, all-inclusive, sleeping four (iberostar.com).
US: Cheeca Lodge & Spa, Florida
Picture your child reeling in a baby shark with a bit of help from Dad off a pier in the Florida Keys (before releasing it). It’s an experience neither of them will forget. This beach resort, visited by everyone from Bing Crosby to Jack Nicklaus, offers exactly these kinds of moments.
Book it: Two-bedroom suites sleeping four from £470 a night (cheeca.com).
Greece: Porto Sani, Halkidiki
This hotel takes parenting support seriously, offering a ‘baby consulting service’ to help you adapt to a new environment and navigate sleep, food and temperature changes. It provides everything you might need: purified baby food, sterilisers, baby baths and more.
The children’s menus are designed by kids’ nutrition expert Annabel Karmel MBE, so even the fussiest eaters stay happy and full.
For older children, there are Lego robotics lessons, Bear Grylls survivor courses and various sports academies.
Book it: Two-bedroom family suites from £600 a night, full-board (sani-resort.com).
Fiji: Blue Lagoon Beach Resort
Rooms here are basic but perfectly serviceable – and the staff absolutely love kids. What makes this Yasawa Islands resort special? Manta rays. These graceful giants are often spotted here – and diving with them is an experience the kids will talk about for years.
Book it: Two-bed suites for four from £213 a night (bluelagoonresortfiji.com).
UK: The Athenaeum, London
This luxurious Mayfair hotel understands what families want. Kids can fly kites over Green Park and listen to Roald Dahl stories in their rooms while cuddling teddy bears.
The 18 townhouse residences come with kitchens and sitting rooms. With easy access to the West End and Bond Street boutiques, the adults get properly entertained too.
Book it: Townhouse stays for four from £786 B&B (athenaeumhotel.com).
Japan: &Here, Tokyo
If you’re OK with your kids sleeping in bunk beds directly above your bed, this relatively affordable option is perfect for families of four or five. The hotel has minimalist rooms and high-tech toilets that will entertain all. Located in the heart of Tokyo, it’s an ideal base for exploring.
Book it: Superior triple rooms with bunks from £318 a night, sleeping four (andherehotels.jp)
Thailand: Four Seasons
Located on the north-west tip of Koh Samui, this 42-acre tropical retreat has 60 villas built into the hillside, each with a pool. The Secret Garden Spa offers children’s facials, massages and pedicures, and some claim the Koh Thai restaurant serves the best hotel breakfast in the world.
Book it: Family pool villas from £1,851 a night, for four (fourseasons.com).
UAE: Rixos The Palm, Dubai
Perched on one of the world’s most iconic man-made islands, Rixos The Palm offers conventional rooms as well as two to five-bed suites, ideal for multigenerational trips.
The Turkish-inspired Anjana Spa is the perfect retreat for adults while kids can enjoy art workshops and a water park.
Book it: Seven nights in a two-bed family suite with Gatwick flights and transfers from £8,808 all-inclusive for a family of four (tui.co.uk).
Cyprus: Parklane, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Limassol
The Explorers Kids Club at this Blue Flag beach hotel might just be Europe’s best.
Children can become Captain Jack Sparrow on a pirate ship, chill in a huge castle, or get active with beach volleyball and kayaking. History buffs will appreciate nearby ancient sites such as the Kourion amphitheatre.
Book it: Two-bed family suites sleeping four from £668 B&B (parklanecyprus.com).
Maldives: Gili Lankanfushi
Just 20 minutes by speedboat from an airport by the capital Male, this laidback luxury resort offers overwater villas and barefoot elegance. Snorkel with sharks in the Indian Ocean, serve up aces on the tennis court, or simply float in the lagoon.
Book it: Two-bed villas from £1,020 B&B (gili-lankanfushi.com).
Costa Rica: Arenas Del Mar, Manuel Antonio
This jungle-meets-beach resort offers something different: genuine eco-adventure without sacrificing comfort. Kids can zip-line through rainforests, search for sloths and toucans, then retreat to rooms with ocean views. The resort also teaches children about conservation while parents unwind.
Book it: Suite sleeping four from £785 a night (arenasdelmar.com).
Turks and Caicos: Beaches
This all-inclusive family resort on one of the Caribbean’s most exclusive islands has multiple pools, kids’ clubs, water sports and dining options galore. It’s the kind of place where parents can relax knowing the kids are entertained, fed and happy.
Book it: A week in a concierge suite from £11,038 all-inclusive for a family of four (beaches.co.uk).
UK: Calcot Manor, Cotswolds
This 14th-century manor is a game-changer for parents seeking respite. The dedicated Playbarn looks after kids (any age) for up to four hours daily, at no extra cost. While they’re occupied, slip off to the spa, or explore the hotel’s 220 acres on bikes.
In the evening, ask for a baby monitor and head to the brasserie for a meal while the kids are in bed.
Book it: Family suites from £909 B&B, sleeping four (calcot.co).
Majorca: Jumeirah Mallorca
Perched on a clifftop above the charming seaside town of Port de Soller, Jumeirah Mallorca is a breathtaking hotel that’s bound to please everyone in the family.
Take some bikes out for a ride in the Soller Valley, hop on the tram to nearby shopping hotspot Soller or just relax by the infinity pool while little ones are taken care of at the kids’ club.
For a special treat, get booked in for August 12 and admire the best view in the Med of the next solar eclipse.
Book it: A Deluxe Mountain View Room starts from £520 a night (jumeirah.com).
Alternative: Caribbean cruise
Sometimes a ‘floating hotel’ is exactly what families need. Royal Caribbean’s cruise liners have suites with their own slides, as well as surf machines, escape rooms, flumes and pools. Expect multiple restaurants and endless entertainment shows.
Book it: Seven nights beginning and ending in Orlando from £1,051pp for four, from July (royalcaribbean.com).
