Nice hotel with 3-bedroom villas/apartments - Anywhere short haul?

[sniffydog]

We're once again starting the summer holiday planning for 2015 and and the growing brood are getting us into a conundrum. We've always rented private villas but the kids (DDs 7 & 5 and DS 2) have started to say they want 'more to do' and 'other kids to make friends with'. So it seems like a hotel complex thing would be what we need. But with needing 3 bedrooms it surprisingly hard to find the right thing.

We really want:

• hotel with 3-bedroom villas/bungalows/apartments or even something with 3 interconnecting rooms
• something with a nice pool area, ideally a kids pool
• on-site restaurant that can do room service (and good food!)
• ideally a little garden or private terrace
• near or on a sandy beach
• anywhere short haul (up to 2-3 hours)

Something like Martinhal.com is perfect but it's pretty ££££ and all the 3-bedroom villas already booked up for all of summer school hols. Has anyone found anything else that could work for us? Thanks muchly.

I think I want to know this too! I'll follow if you don't mind.

Me too so watching with Interest. My 3 slightly older -3, 7 and 10-and it is finding that mix of catering for a toddler happy to just puddle around and a 10 year old who wouldn't mind a bit of company.

We used to just book villas, having our own privacy suited us -I didn't want to make friends around a pool , however I think as the children grow older as a family the holiday needs to offer a bit more for the kids.
The last couple of times we have been away we have stayed in golf resort type places so we have the privacy of a villa or townhouse but still the facilities of a communal pool or tennis courts.
I'm also thinking of more city based holidays with a mix of chill out and sights to see so a wee bit more interesting for the older ones like Barcelona or South of France so we can do Monaco ,Nice etc. love holidays not sure I enjoy the months of pre holiday searching for the perfect holiday!

Vidamar villas resort nr albuferia have 2,3 and 4 bed villas and are by the beach. You can use all the hotel facilities too. Not sure what it's like but have booked up for next year so hoping it's lovely! I've heard good things about the boavista resort nr Lagos too. Hope that helps

Rocha Brava in the Algarve has everything except the room service. They have apartments and villas with private pools as well as big communal pool with pool bar as well as a coffee shop, mini supermarket and restaurant. Kids club too.

Hey sniffydog, my sister has gone to Pollentia Beach Club in Majorca for the past 2 yrs. She absolutely loves it her kids are older than yours though. Take a look on trip advisor. Sis gets a 2 bed suite, maybe ring resort to see if they have any 3 bedrooms. Pool area looks fab and her boys always make friends there.

Good luck

Thanks guys for the suggestions. Vidamar looks really nice. Not cheap in August but more affordable in Half Term or July. All the 3-beds at Rocha Brava seems to be booked up for July-August already. And Pollentia Club doesn't have 3-bed apartments.

I'll look further into them but in the meantime, keep the suggestions coming please.

Here is a great resort in Sardinia. We have stayed in the hotel twice but there are villas for rent on the resort.

Thanks Arna, that looks amazing. Not sure about the £9,000pw in school hols though

Monte Santo in Carvoeiro?

My friend has been raving about a place called Peligoni in Greece. They have loads of villas and then a club house with lots going on. She has 3 Children, 2 4 and 9 and they all loved it!!! Apparently they are building a creche for next summer and already have a wonderful kids club for the older ones. Here is the link she sent me: peligoni.com/accommodation

Sorry - didn't realise they were that expensive! We stayed in the village part of the resort in 2 interconnecting rooms (2 adults & 2 dc) twice but for summer half term week on a hb basis. I did price up a 2 bed villa which was more expensive and excluded any meals. We paid approx £1.5k for the interconnecting rooms and the 2 bed villa was more expensive at £2k (2011 prices). We don't go in Aug because the differential is too high but £9k!

We loved the Vila Porto Mare in Madeira a few years on the trot when our kids were around that age. We stayed in a 2 bedroom appt (2 large double beds in one of the rooms and both have ensuites plus a large lounge with fold down bed and well equipped kitchen) but it's part of the hotel so no long walks or anything. Contacting them directly and arranging flights independently worked out a lot cheaper than anything quoted online.