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OK know this has prob been done before but lots of threads seem to have been archived.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

nonono, will suggest to dh, nice place!cc

CD, haven't got to my e-mails - at work and now, thank god, at home, but remember one place in Tuscany/Sardinia that haven't done, but was small, not lux, but had a nice private beach, you could walk into the local village, only problem was flights - ie, v expensive or you had to change somewhere bizarre like Switzerland - will ask my friend who went and really liked it. Heard the nannies/creche was exceptional and my friend is very fussy. The food wasn't brilliant - but if you can walk into the village (five mins) then that shouldn't be too much of a pain. I'm so fussy it's ridiculous - hate big hotels and all the nonsense, just v hard to get it right. I'll ask her tomorrow. She is nearly as fussy as me.

Yes pls sykes, I want to hear about that place!

However, CD, I have to tell you she works for ST too. AND SHE is LOVELY. Can you bear it???

Of course if is in my best interests

Okay, I'll call her tomorrow, and promise you she is so nice - was going to defend her, but dear me she's one of my best friends. Unfortunately, or not, quite a few of my friends work on that/other broad sheets. Doesn't necessarily make them bad peopel. But I do understand the reasoning behind peoples' loathing for the paper. Lots of my friends feel the same way. Sorry, just feel that it's slightly unfair to tar everyone one wth the ST brush. Yes they work for Murdoch, but - how many choices do we have sometimes?

sykes I don't think because someone works for a paper they share the political sympathies etc.

My SIL works for Daily Star for god's sake!

Any luck Sykes?

I have ahem been known to take Murdoch's shilling but felt it was better in the pockets of inferiority

Not for ST, though, for Nursery World...