Read about Mumsnetters favourite things to do while on a family break away with Luxury Family Hotels

[LucyBMumsnet]

This sponsored discussion is now closed. Thank you to all who took the time to post below.

We all need some rest and relaxation every now and again. A short stay away might just be the break that you and your family need to recover from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, and can provide the perfect opportunity for the whole family to do activities that you wouldn’t normally get the chance to. Whether you’d like to spend your time playing board games, hiring bicycles, exploring the local towns or enjoying the facilities at the Hotel Spa, Luxury Family Holidays would like to hear from you.

Here’s what Luxury Family Hotels have to say: “Here at Luxury Family Hotels we know how important family time is and so our aim is to create places for families to make life-long memories. Whether it’s a family swim or bike ride, adventures in the gardens or exploring many of the wonderful days out near any of our hotels, every family will find something to enjoy together.”

Where in the UK would you like to go on a break away? What would your typical day look like on your family holiday? Do you have a perfectly planned schedule of the activities you plan to do? Would you rather go on a coastal stroll or a walk through the open fields of the countryside? Are there any activities that you would like to do together as a family on a UK break away which are not currently offered by hotels you’ve stayed at in the past?

Everyone who shares their favourite activities on this thread will be entered into a prize draw where one lucky MNer will win a two-night bed & breakfast stay at the Luxury Family Hotel of their choice*.

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw!
MNHQ

Insight T&Cs apply

*The prize is valid for redemption until 11 December 2020 (excluding school holidays and bank holiday weekends). The prize is valid for two adults and up to three children and is subject to availability at the time of booking. It is non-transferable and cannot be exchanged for cash.

[MessyJ87]

We love to go anywhere near the coast! Our days involve chilling out on the beach, having fun in the pool and exploring the area. We take a relaxed approach and see where the day takes us!

[caringcarer]

We always choose to go to a coastal location and one with a sandy beach. We like visiting places of interest such as a chateau, the children like go ape, bike riding on green routes and mini golf as well as swimming in the sea, body boarding and learning to wind surfing. We like nice places to eat out at lunch time and evening with a few shops and markets to potter about. We tend to holiday in France for good sandy beaches or Italy close to lakes. When we holiday without children we go for a city break with a spa and enjoy unwinding in spa after day sightseeing and eating out.

[ThinkAboutItTomorrow]

Getting outside is key. Living in a city means we really need nature when we go away. Even just fresh air in a big garden with a playground. But something wilder like the new forest or the dales is perfect.
That said a pool is always a hit too. Ideally a kid friendly one where they can stand up in the shallow end (rare in the uk).

Activities the kids can enjoy - movie nights or parties. Mine are very sociable and love making new friends so any play sessions that encourage or help that along is good.

What's most important is being able to relax knowing they are safe, happy and not trashing anything. So a safe but chilled atmosphere is perfect.
We love new manor and Woolley grange for all of this.

[BristolMum96]

Definitely prefer a mix of structure and free flowing. Think it's good to arrange some activities but also have downtime where you can just do what you feel like, such as a coastal stroll

[cannotmakemymindup]

We love to visit Cornwall but anywhere with impressive views is good!! Definitely lazy start to the day with breakfast together is a great way to start our day. We would go sightseeing together taking photos along the way of maybe flowers we find interesting. It is always fascinating to see a childs perspective of where you are visiting. They experience things at a whole other level to us adults. Love my Dds photos. A relaxed schedule for the day but with meals planned, nothing worse than getting over hungry on a day out. Not really sure if I could pick between a coastal walk or countryside as they both have there merits in different weathers and circumstances. Maybe a simple photo course for the family just using devices you use already for a different kind of activity.

[sharond101]

We like to keep active but enjoy relaxing on the beach and in the pool also.

[munchbunch12]

Before a holiday we'll always look into the area and decide on a few things (2 or 3) that we want to do whilst we're there (like a theme park, a castle, a particular town or beach) and just decide on the rest when we are there, taking into consideration the weather and what we feel like doing. We like seaside breaks with plenty of sandcastles and walks on the promenade or cliff tops, and also an indoor swimming pool for when the weather's bad but we want to do something active.

[ChristopherTracy]

We like to hang out and have some down time but also plan a few activities around the meals. Eating is something we can build a whole day around.

We do plan though so that everyone has input into the activities. The rule is that we do have to do someone else's activity without too much moaning and then they return the favour!

Activities with a bit of fear always go down well - water slides, kayaking, ziplines, tree climbing! But equally if there is somewhere with a warm pool then they will stay in there for hours. Ditto an amusement arcade.

[ChristopherTracy]

In terms of what we would like to do on holiday but often can't: family cooking sessions that work for teens and not just young children, any watersports like paddleboarding, surfing, jetskis, under 17 driving experiences, escape rooms.

[YesThisIsMe]

As Londoners we prioritise mountains and rock pools, even now the DC are teenagers.

[Backhometothenorth]

We love to swim, walk, explore, relax, play games and eat nice food together. It would also be great to have some organised activities for the kids so we could enjoy some adult time

[purplepandas]

Love being outside and just chilling. Also like some idea of some things to do before we go but don't like everything planned. Walking on the beach, a nice lunch in a relaxed cafe.

[flowerycurtain]

One of my favourite places is your hotel - Polurrian Bay. We've had some lovely family time in the restaurant with the most stunning view

[We3kingsoforientareandabump]

We like to visit national trust properties

[janney3]

We like to be in or near water for our rest and relaxation on holiday. Swimming, surfing, fishing and water sports. Then long coastal walks with a pub lunch.

[Mirackleeus]

Where in the UK would you like to go on a break away?

We've been to Norfolk and Somerset before and enjoyed both of them pre kids so would like to see what there is for kids.

What would your typical day look like on your family holiday?

We always have a long list of places we've researched before we go away then we each get to take our turn a day at a time to choose an activity. It means it's fair (oh so important with children), vetted (so less likely to have dud days out) and an element of spontaneity to give the holiday a more laid back feel.

Do you have a perfectly planned schedule of the activities you plan to do?

We're also open to local advertising for things e.g. we spotted a sign for a circus nearby so booked it for a later afternoon.

Would you rather go on a coastal stroll or a walk through the open fields of the countryside?

We would enjoy both but for the DC there needs to be a purpose. A walk TO somewhere, not just a walk for walking's sake (4 & 6).

Are there any activities that you would like to do together as a family on a UK break away which are not currently offered by hotels you’ve stayed at in the past?

DH and I love spa breaks; it's how we spend our one night away each year. A family spa break with us and our 2 DDs would be brilliant.

[lorka]

We always like to take our bikes away with us so we can spend fun days exploring the area with picnics. Somewhere safe to store our bikes would be a great facility that is sometimes lacking.

[Dandelion1993]

Anywhere near a castle!

My eldest dd and I both love history and we all enjoy visiting them.

[Peoniesandcats]

We like the countryside where there's kid friendly activities nearby as well as places we can eat out. We do like a bit of luxury for our accommodation wherever we go so we can enjoy nights in as a couple while the little one is asleep.

[Asuwere]

We like to have a few activities booked in advance but then have plenty free time to be spontaneous. It's just nice to get away from the usual routine and do something different in a different place.
Going on a pedal boat or horse riding are favourites.

[snappycamper]

Where in the UK would you like to go on a break away?

We're in the north west of England and would love to have more luxury options within 2-3 hours drive of Manchester. Willing to pay for high end accommodation but we really struggle to find it within a couple of hours. It all seems to be south or west of London. Northumberland, Yorkshire or Cumbria would be perfect. I gave up trying to find a quality family hotel in Northumberland last year and camped instead.

What would your typical day look like on your family holiday? Do you have a perfectly planned schedule of the activities you plan to do?

We don't like to plan too far in advance. If a hotel had a schedule of activities I think we'd probably find ourselves doing one or two over the course of a break but would mostly be unstructured. A typical day for us starts early, something fun in the morning, pub or packed lunch, and a trip to the beach in the afternoon.

Would you rather go on a coastal stroll or a walk through the open fields of the countryside?

Coastal stroll every time. We love to holiday by the sea.

Are there any activities that you would like to do together as a family on a UK break away which are not currently offered by hotels you’ve stayed at in the past?

Would love some crafty classes for parents and children, or something useful and constructive like cooking or creating something.

[DorotheaHomeAlone]

We have 2 small kids and a baby do we like a mixture of activities that the kids can do without us, with one parent or all together. Indoor swim pools are a massive bonus given the unpredictable uk weather, especially if floats and towels are provided at the pool. Really flexible sleeping and eating arrangements (adjoining rooms and early dinners) are also key.

[DorotheaHomeAlone]

Any supervised interactions with animals and nature are particularly lovely. Would love somewhere that offered pony riding or animal feeding.

[Nquartz]

We always love a holiday at a classic British seaside town. as long as there's a park, beach, some geo caches and ice cream we are guaranteed to have a good time.

[silverlace]

We love coast and countryside and found the perfect combination last summer in the New Forest. We stayed in a lovely hotel with spa and did one of the best activities I have done with the family - hired electric mountain bikes.

We cycled a route through forest on rough tracks past wild ponies down to the sea. Stopped for lunch at a pub then sat by the harbour for an ice cream.

It was a perfect day out and there's no way I would have cycled so far on a conventional bike but the electric ones made is so easy.

Back to the hotel for a swim and lovely dinner in a pub.

Short breaks together are an excellent chance to relax and do something different.