To still want luxury holidays with a young child

[Hadenough1234567]

DH and I have become used to holidaying in 5 star hotels. Usually Jet2 indulgent escape type places as an indication. We now have a 16 month old. We’ve been to Greece and long haul holidays with DD.

We still want to have high end holidays but need to tailor them a bit.

We like hotel facilities and our own outdoor space with sun beds. We like to be at the beachfront and avoid high rise hotels. (This is why we like the Greek islands) We like a good sized room, a junior suite at least but ideally a separate living area and bedroom.

We’d like places that tick these boxes but possibly aren’t aimed at families, so the place isn’t necessarily over run with kids.

All inclusive is preferred because we like breakfast and lunch buffets - ideal for DD. We still like high standard food and drinks, some all inclusive can be a bit questionable quality.

We like a bit of room service too.

Any tips?

We have a decent budget - about £10K for 10 nights but a bit of flexibility here.

We’d like places that tick these boxes but possibly aren’t aimed at families, so the place isn’t necessarily over run with kids.

So you want to go to a resort that isn't aimed at people with kids so you can avoid other people's kids, whilst subjecting other guests who've chosen that resort hoping to avoid kids to your kid?

Came to say Sani, the closest we have found to holidaying pre-children

The cove suites at Blue Waters in Antigua are nice.

I have a colleague who uses this excuse to book the quiet coach with her 3 under 6. It’s more common that people think.

I don't think you'll necessarily have a good time at a hotel that's not family friendly, even though they may allow kids on paper.

Er. The quiet coach has absolutely nothing to do with being child free. It means you shouldn't make calls or be very loud.

Trains are not the same as holidays either !

To be fair, 3 under 6s are probably as likely to be quiet in the quiet coach as many adults who use public transport these days.

I read it that the OP is looking for somewhere not specifically aimed at young families, and therefore pretty much exclusively has young families there. She is looking for somewhere more mixed, which has a different vibe to everything being aimed at kids. Plenty of people choose places like this. We do now our DC are older. No objections to young children, we just don't want exclusively young children.

I wouldn't take a 16mo old to a family oriented hotel either. They won't make use of the playgrounds and kids clubs, and pools will be full of older children splashing and throwing balls around. Doesn't mean she will let her toddler be a total pain for everyone else.

And if someone wants to avoid children entirely, adults only hotels exist.

zafiro palace Alcudia

www.mitsis.com/en

These have some bigger family suites, some with own outside space

Kind of a step down from Ikos but less expensive and still quality

Sani

We take ours to normal luxury hotels as long as they accept children. Our children are immaculately behaved when they need to be. They have as much right to be there as anyone else but genuinely I don’t think they’ve ever disrupted anyone. There is normally one or maybe two other families there max and they can always sort childcare at reception (we sometimes ask and book in advance)

We tried Sani once and it was not what we were looking for. It was a south london NCT group decamped to the middle of nowhere Greece.

Would you have wanted a room next to someone else's small child on your luxury holidays?

Don't be selfish, family friendly places exist for a reason.

£10k on a holiday? Blimey. Spend £2k and give the rest to a food bank...

Anyway. Luxury = freedom from irritation. Kids are inherently irritating, even with their many good points. What you're looking for only exists if someone basically takes your kid off you the whole time. Which is quite a sad way to spend a holiday.

Luxury places also cause stress if kids break something. They're not made for kids.

But so do adult only resorts for those who are really bothered?

We love a luxury holiday too. But one thing I'd say is don't book too far ahead. The kind of hotel that worked with my 16mo is very different to what worked with a 2 or 3 year old. E.g. trying to contain an active toddler to a nice private balcony with a few sunbeds and/or keeping them from drowning in the private pool are very different to entertaining one who is just on the mood.

I'd say that business and first class are definitely worth it for long haul with little ones, but pick your hotel carefully so there's enough to entertain them or it won't be a very relaxing holiday for you.

@pinkyredrose

Book adults only if you want to guarantee no children.

I’ve never once been disturbed by a child in the room next door. In decent hotels you can’t hear anything at all from the other rooms.

And why would a well behaved child disturb anyone, what do you imagine the child is doing?

The only time I’ve been bothered was at a 5 star hotel when someone started playing clubbing music at full volume at 6am. Adults are usually much worse behaved than children.

Likewise the only bad behaviour I’ve seen on flights is from adults

As other have said IKOS. Lots of forums on Facebook where people really drill down into specifics. Greece or Spain.

Well the child is very young so not really " doing" things yet. And maybe they don't want to be surrounded by loads of other kids

If you are happy to travel to the UAE I can highly recommend the Rixos in Abu Dhabi.

With 10k I’d go to Bali and book my own villa (and a perhaps a local nanny for the stay, they are lovely).

Check out grecotel lux me resorts, tick all of your boxes

Fine to want luxury holiday but need a child friendly hotel. There's tonnes of them if you're willing to pay £££. Be wary of splurging as with a 16mo you won't be chilling on a sun bed. Kids clubs not much fun and potentially not very good staff looking after very young dc so be wary there.

Rixos Premium Seagate Egypt I'm there now the a la cartes are amazing