What's the easiest holiday with young children?

[Merrow]

DP and I are pretty burnt out and looking for the most relaxing break possible. We have DS1 (5) and DS2 (1). The youngest has a health condition that means we're staying in the UK and prefer to be within a few hours driving distance of paediatric intensive care units, which basically means within a few hours of major UK cities.

Our fantasy holiday would be a two bedroom apartment in a hotel that did excellent food and had a swimming pool to rival centre parcs. However, I don't think this actually exists (in the UK). In the absence of this I'm not sure what we should be looking for.

DS1's requirements are a pool, a good playground and daily ice cream. He once stayed in a hotel that had a breakfast buffet and has talked about it for years since.

DS2 seems to require being outside at all possible opportunities. He only naps while being walked in the pram, so somewhere with walking on the doorstep would be good.

DP and I would like to shut the door on them in the evening, and then eat fantastic food.

Has anyone been somewhere with young children that just suited everyone? We had a great time on the Isle of Wight when DS1 was younger, but that doesn't work from a hospital point of view (and we're now based in the North West, so quite a trek to get there). We're contemplating throwing our money at centre parcs just because it would make DS1 so happy, and then our lives are easier from that perspective, but I would really like to eat food that is cooked by someone good at cooking. I thought we had a very healthy budget of around £2000, but that doesn't seem to put interconnecting hotel rooms into consideration.

Butins bognor has an amazing pool it does have a hotel not sure about food quality or connecting doors but might be worth a scan of the website

At those ages my kids thought butlins was amazing! Sorry OP, probably not want you want to hear!!

It might be too far away, but look at the Ickworth Hotel in Suffolk (near Bury St Edmunds and Addenbrooke's hospitals) It has a pool, playground, creche, decent food, cafe (with ice cream) in beautiful grounds with free hire bikes. Their Lodge has 2 bedrooms apartments and are a walk/cycle from the main hotel. They have a buffet for breakfast! They do kids cinema and other daily activities and I believe will organise evening babysitters.

It's in the Luxury Family Hotels group. We've also stayed at Moonfleet Manor (nr Weymouth) and that has a pool and a huge indoor play set up.

Good luck!

The best holidays I've had with little children have been Haven and Butlins.

I know CP is expensive, but it does seem to fit the bill for what you’re looking for?

Sherwood Forest has Hucks American Diner which I know does a children’s buffet in the evening, not sure if other sites have the same? It’s also around 30 minutes drive to Queens Medical Centre, with another major Hospital (King’s Mill) around a 15 minute drive away.

Another vote for Haven and the like. Caravan holidays really are the easiest at that age. Some holiday parks have chalets as well.

There would have been one holiday park I could have highly recommended but they shut down during Covid, demolished all the lovely traditional chalets and stuffed a load of caravans in their place. It is a shadow of its form self now, sadly.

Already recommended above. When DS had to be close to a hospital, we enjoyed lovely breaks at The Ickworth. It’s pretty close to Addenbrookes, where DS and I spent two nights of one week long holiday! https://luxuryfamilyhotels.co.uk/locations/the-ickworth/?gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAo_cSG79M0PXHBssSf-RK03hilAv4&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIp9jCmICGhwMVvJpQBh0QbgDnEAAYASAAEgJ_9fD_BwE

Center Parcs at Elvedon was also fun with little ones. I was expecting to hate it, but it was very, very easy. Again, it’s near Addenbrookes.

If you don't mind driving about an hour north of Glasgow, look at Crieff Hydro. It's pretty much what you describe, although the pool doesn't rival CP! We went 6 years running, from the dc being 5 and 2, to lockdown. We'd get an SC cabin in the grounds, and use all the facilities of the hotel, including the childcare, soft play, pool, cinema and diner (as well as other restaurants). They used to do a choosers high tea buffet, but I don't think they do any more. It's about 30 to Perth and an hour to Glasgow for hospitals.

The Luxury Family Hotel Group.
The Grove hotel near Watford.
Centerparcs and eat out/order in food/take lovely M&S meals.
Bluestone resort South Wales.

Agree that Crieff Hydro is a good option. Re: hospitals it is about 45 minutes from Dundee which has a bigger hospital than Perth and a children's A&E. Had the unfortunate experience of being blue lighted there in an ambulance from Crieff Hydro when DD was a baby (allergic reaction).

Butlins at Skegness was a massive hit at those ages, great pool and excellent shows. The Skegness one is right near the beach and you can walk along the path all the way to Skegness I believe and there is also a little land train. However the Skegness one may be too far from a major hospital for your liking.
You could consider an Airbnb in somewhere like tynemouth, Sandhaven or Whitley bay, great beaches, access to a decent pool, tynmouth has an aquarium plus not far from Freeman and RVI hospitals.

Agree that Crieff Hydro is a good option. Re: hospitals it is about 45 minutes from Dundee which has a bigger hospital than Perth and a children's A&E. Had the unfortunate experience of being blue lighted there in an ambulance from Crieff Hydro when DD was a baby (allergic reaction).

Alton Towers maybe?

McDonald resort Aviemore.

Away resorts, the Sandy Balls resort in the new Forrest. Plenty to do, fabulous posh lodges and a plethora or restaurants locally and on site..

I was going to suggest Crieff (it has the added bonus of a kids club too!!)

Celtic Manor in South Wales.
They have small lodges in the grounds. High ropes, mini golf, pool etc
It’s about 15 minutes from The Children’s Hospital for Wales

Centre Parcs has always been an easy first holiday for us.

And continued to be until DC were school age.

I was also going to suggest Crieff Hydro

Agree that Centre Parcs ticks literally all your boxes (with one proviso) and if you upgrade from the basic cabin the accomodation can be quite nice.

The only thing on your list that is less easy is the excellent food for you and DH but: the chain restaurants in most parks - belle italia and cafe rouge - are reasonable and the Indian restaurant is really excellent. Also remember you don't have to stay onsite! We often drive out to a nice pub or similar in the local area (we have been to all the CPs in England).

Thank you! The Ickworth (and the other sites they have) look amazing, and while we couldn't afford a week I'll have to talk to DP about whether a shorter time of purer luxury is worth it.

Creiff Hydro also looks great - we're in Glasgow visiting family fairly frequently, so might see if we can tag on some extra leave around then.

Centre parcs definitely still on the radar, but we've definitely found the food just fine. I hadn't actually thought of going off site though. @OvenRed, are there any that you think have particularly good places locally?

As for Butlins, I have suggested it to DP! DS1 would absolutely love it. It might be pretty overwhelming for DS2 though, and me to be honest. I can only handle the intensity and noise of places like that for so long. For DP it just doesn't have the escapism of the holiday we're currently looking for right now.

I'll check out the other suggestions too once DC are asleep.

It's probably too far from the nearest hospital, but when DS was little, our easiest holiday was in Cornwall. We booked the Saillofts apartments in St Ives, just by one of the town beaches, so could nip home in a second for snacks, naps, whatever, plenty of food options, rockpools, places to potter, art and the coastal path for me etc.

@LinseedCrackers St Ives was DP's first choice, but the closest hospital of the level we'd need if something went wrong is Bristol.

The one where you leave them with their grandparents.

Crieff hydro or Ribby Hall Resort