This page is no longer current

Survey updated: May, 2005

Below we list the weekend breaks with children that scored highest amongst mumsnet members.

As you will see it was a close run thing and all the places mentioned in the survey are recommended. Look carefully at the scores and the nutshells. It may be that a hotel was marked down in a category that you're not particularly bothered about for example food, or childcare. Those categories may not be that important to you, so it's worth having a good look at all the ratings to find the break that suits your family. What's more some places may score badly on location but be very convenient for you. Cornwall's not particularly accessible for most of the country, but if you live in Devon...

To see the scores for each category, click on the name of the hotel/resort below.

The list is by no means exhaustive, so if you don't agree with the verdicts or have been on a weekend break with children that you'd like to recommend you can help to make this survey even more thorough by sending a review.

Calcot Manor, Gloucestshire 8.60 Woolley Grange, Wiltshire 8.31 Bedruthan Steps Hotel, Cornwall 8.26 The Evesham Hotel, Worcestershire 8.25 Moonfleet Manor, Dorset 8.23 Saunton Sands Hotel, Devon 8.22 Normandy Barriere, Normandy 8.21 Ickworth House, Suffolk 8.20 Peebles Hydro, Scotland 8.19 Crieff Hydro, Scotland 8.02 Babington House, Somerset 7.96 Butlins, Lincolnshire 7.94 Centerparcs, Suffolk 7.90 Centreparcs, Wiltshire 7.89 Sands Resort, Cornwall 7.84 Watergate Bay Hotel, Cornwall 7.80 Oasis Lakeland Village, Cumbria 7.57

The beginner's guide to choosing a weekend break with children

It is always great to escape, but sometimes you can come back from a weekend break with the kids more shattered than when you left. That's why childcare - although it might at first sound a bit indulgent - is worth considering. Many of these places think of everything for you but a bit of forward planning will help you make the most of your weekend

Things to consider when choosing a weekend break

1. Location, location, location
A weekend break spent mostly on the motorway is not much a break - for anyone. Where possible we've tried to give distances for cars as well as train/plane/taxi links. The accessibility score is a difficult one to judge - and has been judged on the availability of good road/rail links and distance from central England - but it doesn't take a genius to work out that Cornwall will be more accessible to you if you live in Bristol than if you live in Blackpool. However trains (once they are back to ‘normal') are always worth investigating. Travelling anywhere by road on a Friday or Sunday night is pretty grim, but a pre-booked seat on a train, with games, books, snacks etc., is much more relaxing for everyone and for most kids a train ride is all part of the treat.

Many hotels will either arrange to collect you or at least advise on how much a taxi or hire car will cost. You're only there for the weekend and most of these places have so many facilities in house or nearby you shouldn't need a car. If you do decide to let the train take the strain - it's probably worth investing in a family rail card - you can usually save the cost of the card plus on the first trip.

2. Timing
If possible an extra half day or full day either side can make a weekend feel like a week. Not only will you avoid the crowds when travelling, you'll just make the whole time a bit more relaxed and ending the working week early or starting it late, always feels like a treat. Of course school age children can make this tricky depending on how understanding the school is. Some hotels won't accept weekend break bookings during peak season/school holidays.

3. Planning ahead
Reserve childcare and other facilities well in advance (this is particularly advised at the Centerparcs resorts.) A lot of the facilities in these places are oversubscribed at weekends - particularly things like spa treatments if the health club is open to members as well as guests.

4. Childcare
Almost all our recommended venues have some kind of crèche in operation (The Eversham Hotel is the exception but they do offer kids’ teas, babylistening and babysitting.)

Most crèches were highly rated but the best according to mumsnetters were to be found at Calcot Manor, Wooley Grange and Sands Resort. Many encourage booking childcare in sessions, which can mean a nice compromise between having a bit of adult time and still seeing the kids. If you're going to be spending time with the children make sure you can still use all the kids' club facilities, playrooms etc., or ask what other facilities are available to you. Please don't feel guilty about taking some time off from your precious ones - just think how much nicer and more patient you will be with them after that massage/sleep/swim etc.

If you do find you're missing them too much there's no law against taking them out of the kids' club, though the experience of many mumsnetters was that the kids often didn't want to leave.

If you have small children you might want to check ratios of carers to children. Whatever the age you will certainly want to check eating arrangements - e.g. do the children have lunch in the kids' club or with you? If there's high tea, are they obliged to have it, and if so who looks after them while you have your evening meal. Some places (eg Bedruthan Steps) don't allow children to dine with the rest of the adults, which may not be what you want if you haven't seen them all day. Look out also for baby listening facilities that will allow you to dine in peace but also with peace of mind.

5. Catered or self-catering?
Most of the places recommended for weekend breaks are hotels, which have that wonderful ability to transport you away from the daily grind of making the bed, cooking and washing up. On the downside, your children may not like the food, you can't just rustle up a favourite snack and you may be self-conscious about the noise of a crying baby/tempestuous non-eating toddler. There are some self-catering options offered and these provide flexibility and freedom. Indeed mumsnetters advised some level of self-catering at Centerparcs venues all of which have “everything you need in the chalet, including a barbeque in many.” (For self-catering weekend breaks in our survey, the food rating is for local/ onsite restaurants.)

6. Special facilities
Many of our recommended places offer all sorts of extra facilities for families -microwave sterilisers/ baby food/ access to Postman Pat videos - whatever it is that would make your stay easier and means you don't have to pack the kitchen sink. Woolley Grange and Bedruthan Steps scored particularly highly in this regard but there's a contact telephone and/or website address in "the basics". If you have any anxieties or queries, try and sort them out before you go either by asking the hotel or posting a query on Talk and seeing if other mumsnet members can help. As one member observed: "Check what baby-stuff they have on site. We lugged all our sterilising equipment and baby food, only to find it was provided."

Finally it’s worth saying don’t be put off by the packing/journey. However offputting it seems it’s usually worth it when you get there: "Make the effort. It can seem an expensive folly at 5pm on a wet Friday - but it's lovely to get away and make time for yourselves and the kids."