Hotels • July 2014
Six surprisingly family-friendly hotels
Picture the scene: you’re enjoying a romantic cocktail together, admiring the coastal or country views and wishing you did this more often. Wait – did we mention you’re on a family holiday? You’re not dreaming, you’re at a child-friendly hotel. Juliet Kinsman, editor-in-chief of boutique hotel specialist Mr and Mrs Smith, picks six stylish hotels where the kids can have a ball too…
Lesic Dimitri Palace, Korcula, Croatia
Five self-contained, family-friendly apartments have been fashioned from a former bishop’s residence and mediaeval cottages, and are located within the ancient walls of this city off the Dalmatian coast. Korcula is a quirky destination for culture-loving adventurers: the clear waters of the Adriatic are a short walk from the front door of Lesic Dimitri Palace. The hotel also has a sailing boat for island hopping.
Memmo Baleeira, Sagres Bay, Portugal
On the Algarve’s windswept coast, the ocean rules this budget boutique resort with its own surf centre. The hotel’s pared-back 1960s spirit has been revived with modern details, and warm hospitality includes steering guests to nearby Sagres’s best restaurants and shops, via the hotel’s discount-touting guidebook. In August, sneak in extra time as a twosome – children aged three to 10 are supervised in the kids’ club for free.
L’Albereta, Lombardy, Italy
The glamorous five-star Franciacorta villa, high on a north Italian hilltop, invites you to sample the two wineries to its name, as well as an award-winning spa (where Members can get a free massage, see below) and a nine-hole golf course. Meanwhile, Maty’s Club – named after Matilde, the owners’ daughter – keeps children aged three and up (younger ones can play here when they’re with a parent) as happy as can be. A dose of la dolce vita for all.
Finca Cortesin, Marbella, Spain
It’s the Costa del Sol, but not as you know it. Moorish archways, Andalucian tiling, salvaged castle doors – it’s hard to believe Finca Cortesin opened in 2009. Its 67 rooms are set in pretty gardens resplendent with plumbago and bougainvillea, and its beach club is a short shuttle bus ride away. Enjoy tranquillity in palm-framed, adult-friendly pockets such as a slate-tiled pool, or sneak into the sleek unisex spa while your four- to 12-year-olds hit the mini club, open from mid July to mid September.
Jnane Tamsna, Marrakech, Morocco
Explore this Moroccan hideaway’s tranquil, perfumed gardens in search of one of the many swimming pools, or escape the north African sun amid hand-woven carpets and sophisticated artworks. Sound rather grown up? In fact, Jnane Tamsna is a relaxing paradise for all ages, with front-office staff who are happy to help with booking tagine-making classes, Palmeraie camel rides and children’s activity weekends.
Château les Merles, Dordogne, France
A handsome, honey-stoned retreat in Tuilières near Mouleydier, here is one for oenophiles, gastronomes and golfers – and their tennis-loving nippers. There’s no crèche as such, but parents might not even notice with the glorious grounds of this Dordogne château promising wholesome simple pleasures for little ones, such as splashing in the pool or playing on the swings beneath the trees. Parfait.
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