Luxury Family Resorts

Jeanette Coughlan 21 May 2014
A skip and a hop away…..

Druids Glen Resort, Newtownmountkennedy, Co Wicklow Surrounded by Wicklow’s rolling hills, and voted “Family Friendly Hotel of the Year 2014” by the Georgina Campbell Guide, this 5* hotel provides an array of activities including complimentary resort bikes. Families will love the summer BBQs and ice cream cart on the deck!

Parknasilla Resort, Sneem, Co Kerry Overlooking Kenmare Bay, Parknasilla is a beautiful resort with something for all the family. Families can choose a suite in the hotel, a 2 bed Courtyard lodge or 3 bed Woodland villa. Kids will love the new fairy and nature trails. The pool and spa are the ultimate in luxury.

Just a plane away….

Princesa Yaiza Resort, Playa Blanca, Lanzarote Located on the promenade in Playa Blanca, you can stroll to shops, bars and restaurants. The rooms here are fantastic, 1 and 2 bedroom suites all with kitchenettes. The beach is sandy and safe and the kids will love Kikoland, a super kid’s club area offering pool, playground and supervised activities.

Forte Village, Sardinia This world renowned resort is set on the edge of Sandy Bay and hidden amongst 55 acres of pine trees, with 8 luxurious hotels and 44 suites. There is a nursery for 0-2 year olds and the complimentary ‘Children's City’ for kids aged 2-12 is a super facility with play parks, shady areas and shallow pools. Creative workshops allow kids to model clay, cook pizza, play instruments, dance, learn Italian and even paint on canvas. There is a dedicated children’s restaurant and fun will be had at ‘Leisureland’ with trampolines, bowling and go-karting. A Teen Club keeps 13-17 year olds busy, along with the Chelsea football academy, 8 other sporting academies, watersports of all types and diving too.

Martinhal Beach Resort & Hotel, Sagres, Portugal Martinhal is where luxury meets nature and is one of the best luxury family resorts in Europe. Positioned on a stunning sandy beach within a natural park near the old fishing port of Sagres, the hotel has a small number of rooms with the resort mainly made up of various house type accommodations. Kids will love chilling on the bean bags by the pool, there’s tennis, a sports club, gym, spa, water sports, kid’s clubs, gated playground and a crèche from 6 months.

Sheraton Algarve Hotel & Pine Cliffs Resort, Albufeira, Portugal Nestled upon 72 acres of landscaped gardens and pine groves, this resort is situated on a stunning cliff top overlooking Praia da Falesia beach to which there is direct access via a lift no less! The 2 and 3 bedroom Pine Cliff Residences are perfect for families. Two giant pirate ships anchor the incredible Porto Pirata, a vast children's village for kids aged 6mths- 8 years and the junior’s club keeps kids aged 6-12 years well entertained too. The resort has countless relaxation and sports facilities and the new Annabel Croft tennis academy is sure to prove popular.

Worth the effort…..

Sani Beach Resort, Halkidiki, Greece There are 4 hotels set in a 1,000-acre ecological reserve made up of forests, olive groves and white sandy beaches. Superb facilities include a yacht marina, over 30 bars and restaurants, a state of the art sports complex, a football academy, diving centre, and open air cinema. The Melissa Crèche is for children 4mths-4 years (payable locally), the Melissa mini club for kids 4-11 and the teenagers club for 13-16 years are complimentary. On the beach, the Babe Watch nannies will take care of babies and toddlers while you enjoy a swim!

Carlisle Bay, Antigua A member of ‘The Leading Hotels of the World’, this luxurious boutique hotel is set on a perfect sandy beach. The crèche and Cool Kids club are set in the hotel's tropical gardens, an air-conditioned centre with large shaded terrace, jungle gym, sandpit, pool and mini tennis courts. For the older kids things get more adventurous with raft-building in the mangroves, star-fish hunting and zip-lining, while teens can chill out at Crush, playing pool, shooting basketball hoops or wake-boarding.