recommendations for resort with excellent youngish children childcare

[goingbacktowork]

We are trying to book a summer holioay with 5 and 3 year old with excellent childcare. We have been on a Sunsail holiday (where childcare was superbe). Neilsons have literally nothing left which is not at extortionate prices and Mark Warner did not appear that great (happy to be corrected though). Is there anywhere that has really good structured childcare - where it will amuse them all day with super activites (and not just chuck them in a room and ask them to amuse themselves) so they have great fun and want to stay there, take them to lunch, dinner or where you can do this bit (which we did). My children has such a fantastic time at sunsail we would like to go somewhere with that sort of set up again. Any ideas?

Esprit offer this kind of arrangement but they will be holidays in the mountains rather than beaches.

Simply Travel used to be very good. We stayed at Mousses in Lefkas with them one year and my DC had a fantastic time.

Also in the mountains but Kinder Hotels or Familien Hotels offer all in child care and nice spas etc.

Someone I am sure I have bookmarked a similar set up but on the beach in Croatia. I will search.....

Croatia and here

I have stayed at this resort and the childrens club is run by PB kids where staff are all trained to Ofsted standards, they even do a babe watch service on the beach so you can get half an hour a day of free babysitting on the beach by a nanny whilst you read your book or go for a swin without the kids. There is a lovely marina area for a choice of resturants etc and all within walking distance to the kids club.

www.takethefamily.com/stay/porto-sani-village

It does get booked up quite early though so its recommended to book as early as you can to avoid disappointment.

portofino aren't you the lady that knows about Halkidiki?

I'm more Siblu than Halkidiki, unfortunately

Julie, just above seems to know more about it.....

Hope you don't mind if I hijack this. We are looking for something similar - beach holiday with childcare for 2 and 4 year old dcs at the end of June. DD is 2.5 and hates sitting still, so we don't really want to fly anywhere more than 3 hours away or go anywhere with a long transfer.

Any ideas? I've not heard great things about Mark Warner and it seems expensive for what you get. Neilson looks nice but the resorts are a bit too far away for us this year, and we don't really need full days of childcare - mornings would be fine.

The Croatia hotel looks lovely but the kids club is only from 3 years. Maybe next year... Does anyone have the perfect holiday for us? Anyone know anything about the kids club at Pine Cliffs?

Scarletbanner - depends on your budget -Mark Warner have Pine cliffs now. I did a price for the end of summer came out over £12,000!!!

Powder Byrne? Once again ££££££.

Lots of clubs dont start until 4 yrs old unless its a specific proper kids club.

Problem with young children is evening meal - most dont serve until 7pm which is pathetic for young tired children. I found by 8pm both boys were desperate for bed. Then you have to pay for a baby sitter so you can go out.

What about Bahia Del Duque in tenerife? I did the Anthelia - lovely resort. I used "Lisa2" for childcare. Tenerife is great for many reasons - you can go in winter, fly from regional airports, short flight and quick taxi transfer. I booked all mine indepentantly. Not great for culture but the resorts are excellent for children.

Budget is going to be in excess of £4000! so be warned (you'll have to book 2 interconnecting rooms).

12k! bloody hell, is that to buy timeshare there!

Thanks bacon. I hope the £12k included your own private nanny and butler!

Have you tried La Manga club in spain? They have lots of accomodation to choose from and a kids nursery/club? We went to the resort, but didn't need to use the kids club. But seem to remember you could book them in for am pm sessions or all day etc..

Flight is only a couple of hours away to Murcia or Alicante so lots of options with airlines...

www.lamangaspain.com/family-holiday-in-spain.htm

That company rent out private villas and apartments

Or there is the Hotel and Apartments here

www.lamangaclub.com/Love-to-Stay.html

Sorry messed up the links

www.lamangaclub.com/Love-to-Stay.html

www.lamangaspain.com/family-holiday-in-spain.htm

Try Falkensteiner Hotels, no personal experience but recommended by friends.

Ops, Portofino beat me to it.

If you are willing to try the alps Sporthotel Achensee in Austria is fab.

I've just been to La Manga, lancashirewife, and I'd definitely recommend it for slightly older kids. Our three year old twins loved it as they could go in the pool every day, though if the weather isn't good you're a bit stuck. If your kids are big enough to swim, play tennis, golf or football you probably won't see them while you're there.

The "junior club" is great but, like much else at La Manga, it is pricey, as is the babysitting and eating out. The nearest beach it about 15 minutes drive, but it's ideal for toddlers, the La Manga beach is attractive but no good for them.

I'm now searching for all-inclusive places, with a beach, with free childcare, no chavs, few Germans and not much over 2 hour direct flights with a "proper" airline. I don't expect to find anything.

Tots Too specialise in luxury hotels with creches and kids clubs, etc. You can browse their site (here) to see if there's anything you fancy but much better to speak to them as they really know their stuff and can make recommendations to suit you.

Peetle, did you book your trip independently, to go through the main la manga club?
My DC would like this type of holiday i think - but might have left it too late for this year.

what kind of prices for eating out?

We originally found the place through James Villas and then saved about £600 by booking an identical appartment through www.lamangaspain.co.uk/

There are many different companies with places in La Manga as it's huge. We were in the Los Olivos development which I'd recommend as it's central without having pubs under your appartment (like Bellaluz) and has one indoor and two outdoor pools. Try some googling and see what happens.

We only had one "proper" restaurant night out which was about ?100. We went to a British owned pub called Si a few times - free kids evening meals and a large astroturf outdoor playground - where mains were about ?10-?15, which I think is a lot for basically a pub. It is "Sky Sports and pints of John Smiths" but La Manga is very British, making it easy for a first family trip abroad, and not the sort of thing we'd even consider if not for the little ones.

Considering the number of places for sale and the size of the resort I doubt it's filled up, even if you're looking for July/August.

We booked our la manga holiday through 'sovereign' and stayed at las lomas apts which were great. BBQ on the balcony so we had lunches out, then put kids to bed in the evening and ate lovely tapas and seafood thrown on the bbq in peace

~Scarletbanner:

re Neilsons, the cost of the childrens club for age 2 and over are included in the holiday price, they don't have to go all day they can literally pop in and out as you want to. You can go for 15 mins or all day or half a day or an hour -(NB when booking the holiday you need to ensure that they have places in the childrens club) on arrival you don't need to book the kids club or say when your kids will be going, you go in and out as you choose. the activities they do are fantastic, even 2 year olds are out on boats, kayaks, playing tennis, swimming etc. It is very very flexible indeed, they carry a signing in book around with them and you sign in/out as you want to.

I would highly recommend it.

sorry - when I said 'you can go for 15 mins or all day etc' those are not designated times for the kids club, I was trying to say that they can go as much or as little as they want to for whatever time period they want to. they can pop along to do an activity they want to and then pop out again

Hi there.
If i can help in any way just let me know as i live in Tenerife and have a childcare buisness.
If you need hotel recommendations just ask :)

Hi Lisa,

I'm looking for bungalow-style accommodation with plenty of grounds for the kids to run around in. A playground. One, but preferably two children's pools.

Is there anything like that in Tenerife?

I'm looking for something comparable to our hol in Gran Canaria that had all this and we got all inclusive for a family of 4 for £1300 which included flights. (We went the week before Christmas and the following Half term for that price) It had a kids club and entertainment but we never used either.

The GC was perfect in all ways but one. There were no English speaking people there. All Nordic. Not an issue in general but ds has a communication disorder and it was sad to see him try to talk to other children and get blank looks.

We are just back from the Anthelia in Tenerife, after Lisa recommending it.

Had a fab holiday, beautiful hotel, fantastic location, wonderful food, kids club etc etc.

They offer half board and all inclusive, we did AI, which was definitely worth it, as the cost if soft drinks/ice creams etc soon adds up.

There is a lovely beach nearby, and loads to do for kids.

Re childrens' tea time- Mark Warner had an early dinner sitting from 5pm for children when we went with them a few years ago.
We have also come across this in minorca a couple of years ago ('twas a fab hotel, but no childcare, sorry)