Nice hotel in somewhere pretty with childcare

[CountessDracula]

OK know this has prob been done before but lots of threads seem to have been archived.

DD will be about 21 - 23 months in the summer and want to take her on a bucket and spade holiday! We would like a bit of a rest too, so would like somewhere with the option of occasional childcare eg a couple of hours 2 days a week plus the odd night babysitting.

I hate the following

Big hotels
Anything organised eg activities, excursions, singers eurgh.
Buffets - I want my food cooked just for me.
Package holidays (but would do for right place)
Piped music esp in restaurant or lift

I like the following

Small cosy hotels with character
Fab food
Wonderful views
Pool as an option but not necessary
Must be walking distance to beach

Maybe somewhere like Corsica, Italy, Turkey? Don't really mind as long as pretty and not full of cafes serving fish and chips and full english.

What are things like Mark Warner like? Have always veered away from that sort of thing. Dd's godfather got asked to leave on his one and only trip to Club Med for lamping some idiot dressed as Scooby Doo who wouldn't leave him alone. If I got somewhere and there was someone dressed as Scooby Doo I would leave and go and stay in the local public loos as a better alternative.

Hope I have managed to convey my requirements!

How's the budget? Vila Vita Parc in Portugal was fab with gerat childcare and a Spa, but a bit pricey....

Money not an issue if place right!

Have just looked at Mark Warner website and all hotels are massive. Mo thanks will look at that xx

Mo2, too big and formal for me, sorry

Sounds like my kind of hol CD.

I went on a last min all inclusive once and was harrassed by the pool everyday by an annoying twat doing aerobics. In 36 degree heat, I ask you. Dh told him to f-off on day 6 and he surprisingly stayed away after that. Full of people complaining about the food like in Shirley Valentine as well 'oooh the bacons nothing like at home' etc.

Never again.

So Oliveoil did you find something better?

Try Babygoes2 . If you can't find what you want, you can contact them and they will either advise you (free) or put together a tailor-made for you (£35 I think).

Yes have been looking there, thanks BK. Didn't realise about the tailor made thingy

No, have not been on holiday with dd yet (no cash ). But would quite like to do something independent as me and dh like travelling.

There is an article in Eve mag this month and Claudia Winkleman (celebrity???) goes to Mariteous (sp!!) and the hotel sounds amazing - they run a baby bath for baby every night, free baby sitting, towels under trees in the shade for baby etc etc. Sounds like heaven to me.

where else have you been looking, cd? have you checked out the MN reviews?

here's the link to Tailor made at bbg2 .

I'd say a BIG no to Mark Warner. Powder Byrne has some okay places but expensive - great nannies and we were in a hotel where 90% Spanish/Italian. Have a couple of personal recommendations from the travel editor at (SORRY) ST. If you can bear to be recommended by someone from that newspaper I'll dig them out - somewhere on my e-mail system.

Just decided it would be cheaper to take SIL and niece along and get them to do some baby sitting in exchange for free holiday, then we can go where we want and not be harassed by scooby doo and the likec

Sykes I guess I could just about look at them (shudder at ST)

What's wrong with the Sunday Times? Apart from Style Mag?

Rupert Murdoch?

sunday times = full of chancer journalists who happen to write 'expert' columns and articles by virtue of who they know not WHAT they know.

(do I sound bitter?

well, it's owned by thet Nazi Murdoch. Need more be said?

hey Tinker, great minds at exactly the same moment!

Popular guy hey

Well I like it.

And the Travel section is good your Countessship..

CD - Elounda Beach Hotel in Crete. Immaculate, low key, provide the same lovely babysitter throughout your stay no matter how often/little you use her. No buffets. No children's clubs. And crete itself is beautiful. Better to fly charter non-stop to Crete than go through athens and do terrible middle of the night connection (generally true but particularly so if Olympics are on).

www.eloundabeach.gr

nope, wrong hotel, sorry. it is called elounda mare hotel and is at www.eloundamare.com. the bungalows are what you want. sorry!

Have already been to that one PPH! Yes v nice, didn't know they did childcare. Went about 3 years ago, had some friends who were getting married there but we couldn't make the wedding as had already booked to go 2 weeks before. Went there to leave them a pressie and was so nice we stayed there for 2 nights!

oh CD.... always one step ahead... sigh. will try harder!

no organised childcare as such but if you ask them they will provide. friends used the same really great girl two years in a row and loved her.

will rack brains now to think of somewhere you havent been