Summer holiday help needed please!

[Rindercella]

I had a great holiday booked up for this week, for myself and my two DDs (3 and 5 years old). Unfortunately DD2 got chickenpox and I had to cancel it - thankfully it looks like the insurance will cover it. I took a long time choosing the holiday - it was in Tenerife, a one bedroom apartment, fairly small hotel (about 150 rooms I think), all inclusive, and a kids' club that took children from 3 years old, relatively good Tripadvisor reviews...

I am now trying to find another holiday for beginning of July/early August and it's proving to be tricky! Of course, so many good places were booked up long ago. My criteria are pretty much as above, but I don't mind where (within a 4-5 hour flight). A kids's club from 3 is important - there will just be me & the girls, and so if I can get a couple of hours to myself most days, I will be happy . Most of the hotels seem to have a minimum age of 4. I don't mind if it's all inclusive, or even self catering.

Does anyone please have any suggestions? I am being driven slowly mad by looking at travel agent websites!

We stayed at a great apartment in Andalo near Lake garda. The apartment was self catering so not sure if it fits your criteria?

Islands&tuiCtryCode=L00041&tuiDestCode=&tuiResortCode=&tuiAccomCode=&numAdults=1&numChildren=2&childInfantAges=3-4&searchPageName=HomeSch&searchFlag=FHPISearch&maxPartySize=9&moreDestinations=false&moreResorts=false&holiday_type=&timestamp=1373892156672&day=3&monthYear=8%2F2013&displayDay=03&displayMonth=Aug&displayYear=13&departureDate=2013-8-03&departureMargin=4&duration=7&dayTripSearch=false&checkOutDay=10&checkOutMonthYear=8%2F2013&checkOutDisplayDay=10&checkOutDisplayMonth=Aug&checkOutDisplayYear=13&departureAirportCode=*LN&countryDestCode=301&countryCode=301&destinationCode=&resortCode=&accommodationCode=&departure=&accommFeaturesBitValue=10&accommodationType=0&rating=0&numberOfRooms=1&roomConfigurationFormBean.room%5B0%5D.adult=1&roomConfigurationFormBean.room%5B0%5D.children=2&roomConfigurationFormBean.room%5B0%5D.childAge%5B0%5D=3&roomConfigurationFormBean.room%5B0%5D.childAge%5B1%5D=4&numRemSearch=9 This looks nice

Islands&tuiCtryCode=L00041&tuiDestCode=&tuiResortCode=&tuiAccomCode=&numAdults=1&numChildren=2&childInfantAges=3-4&searchPageName=HomeSch&searchFlag=FHPISearch&maxPartySize=9&moreDestinations=false&moreResorts=false&holiday_type=&timestamp=1373892156672&day=3&monthYear=8%2F2013&displayDay=03&displayMonth=Aug&displayYear=13&departureDate=2013-8-03&departureMargin=4&duration=7&dayTripSearch=false&checkOutDay=10&checkOutMonthYear=8%2F2013&checkOutDisplayDay=10&checkOutDisplayMonth=Aug&checkOutDisplayYear=13&departureAirportCode=*LN&countryDestCode=301&countryCode=301&destinationCode=&resortCode=&accommodationCode=&departure=&accommFeaturesBitValue=10&accommodationType=0&rating=0&numberOfRooms=1&roomConfigurationFormBean.room%5B0%5D.adult=1&roomConfigurationFormBean.room%5B0%5D.children=2&roomConfigurationFormBean.room%5B0%5D.childAge%5B0%5D=3&roomConfigurationFormBean.room%5B0%5D.childAge%5B1%5D=4&numRemSearch=9 Blimey proper link....

I give up

Corfu?

The other link is Ibiza

www.firstchoice.co.uk/fcsun/page/details/details.page?packageNumber=046925HVMMAJ137481480000013748277000002532137543700000013754430000002533&fhCurrentSelectedDate=26/07/2013&linkName=&sttrkr=mthyr:07/2013_durT:7/w_ls:false_tuidesc:000122_day:27_mps:9_isvid:false_dufp:0_pconfig:1|1|0|2||5-3-/_tchd:2_rating:0_act:0_jsen:false_hffp:0_attrstr:||||||||null|null_mdest:false_tinf:0_mnth:07_desc:671_bc:17_margindt:7_tadt:1_numr:1_atfp:0_spp:mainSearch_depm:7_dur:7_dtx:0_df:false_dxsel:0_ratfp:0_dac:MAN_imgsel:0_loct:0_tsnr:0_bbfp:0_year:2013_dta:false__uc:046925_pid:046925HVMMAJ137481480000013748277000002532137543700000013754430000002533_sd:26/07/2013

majorca
going next saturday from manchester
all inclusive with kids clubs etc

the one that gets talked about on this forum is caserio del mirador and they have a two bedroom cancellation 3rd august. flights would be to alicante. you get a kitchen but meals are available almost every day. no kids club but day care can be arranged and prob 3 or 4 other families there with similar aged kids so kids just potter about together.
www.caseriodelmirador.com

try espritsun - I can recommend from a childcare point of view and have also been to the hotel near Lake Garda before it was an Esprit one.

Whoops, sorry! Have been offline for a couple of days and have just seen your posts. Thank you so much - I will check out the links

Porto, I keep looking at Louis Family hotel as a possibility, along with the Grecotel in Kos.

Why have I never heard about Esprit Sun before it looks perfect! I may well give them a call.

Funny, I looked at Caserio del Miradora before as we went to Villa Pia in Umbria last year, and it looks to be very similar. The one thing that put me off was having to hire a car, etc. I don't mind driving abroad at all, I'm just lazy and don't really fancy having to think about it!

Thanks again everyone, some great options here.

Espritsun used to do activity holidays in Austria and France but they switched this year to more traditional hotels with childcare - they are now part of Inghams. We have used the Ski side of Esprit several times and their childcare is excellent.

The south of France Esprit on looks lovely. It is gorgeous round there.

Corfu is gorgeous too as long as you avoid Kavos

Kinder Hotels in Germany and Austria all have childcare and lots to do. I am sure you will find something even booking this late.

Any of these any good ? iirc they do activities and clubs for lo's.

In case anyone is interested, I ended up booking the (slightly strangely named) Fergus Style Cala Blanca Suites Hotel in Mallorca. It seems to have everything I was looking for - all inclusive (but v good reviews for the food, drinks are branded), on the beach, suites (so space for me to chill when the girls go to bed), kids' club from 3 years, less than 30 minutes transfer from airport, decent flight times, etc. We go in a couple of weeks & I'm really looking forward to it.

I cannot tell you how much I'm looking forward to getting away - 2 weeks in to the summer holiday, and both my children have played chickenpox tag! I have felt very confined!

Thank you again everyone for your suggestions

Sounds great , would look forward to some feedback