Suggestions for holiday village type holiday with 3 children 3-10. Budget around £6k.

[travellingfamily]

Looking ahead to 2018 (or even 2019). Have just realised how much more expensive it gets once you have 3 children over 2! We are looking at an all inclusive holiday if possible with plenty of activities available. This is mainly for DS1, who we suspect may have ASD. He doesn't deal well with sitting in restaurants eating strange food, so a buffet style eat whatever whenever suits us better. Similarly he likes a fair amount of structured activity, so a hotel with activities is good.

We have been a couple of times to First Choice holiday villages but surprising few seem to cater for families of 5, as most rooms seem to sleep 4 and they don't guarantee rooms together if you book 2.

Have had a quick look at Mark Warner which I think is out of our price range, which is about £6k for 10 nights or so.

Any recommendations?

Hotel Viva Zafiro in Alcudia was AMAZING.

Family suite sleeps up to 6 - one double room, one twin and a sofa bed in the lounge. There's a mini kitchen with a little hob and fridge. Brilliant pools with a wet bubble (google it if you've not witnessed. Our kids spent literally hours going up and down it again and again).

Some structured activities for kids (though not all day). Evening shows and mini disco.

Exceptionally clean, great service, rarely had to queue. Lifeguards at the pool were on the ball. Walking distance to shops, restaurants and beach with plenty of shops selling plastic crap for the kids.

We were just b and b because there's so many options to eat nearby, but it is possible to go all inclusive. Probably at the top end of your budget, we paid about 6k.

It's bloody expensive and difficult to find rooms for 5!

I stayed at the Zafiro C'Picafort with hubby and 2 children. 8 and 4. I booked it late but paid 1800 for a week for 1 bedroom and a sofa bed with small (very small) kitchen. Both boys are very fussy eaters so the kitchen saved us but realistically it does only have a hob and a toaster.

The flights cost £650 from Gatwick with EasyJet and the transfer another £65.

I must say that the swimming pools were the best I have ever been to. The wet bubble played such an important part of the holiday so much so that I cannot book next years hotel unless it has a wet bubble :) my 8 year old loved it so much. It is great fun for all ages even the adults. The kids pool with the ship and all of the other slides was brilliant for both ages. It also has shade over it which was ideal as it was so hot.

There is also a small playground with a bouncy castle, trampolines and climbing frame/slides. The kids seem to love this especially early evening.

The hotel also has a big water slide which is turned on various times of the day. This would be suitable only for the 'older' kids as it is very steep.

The food in the outdoor restaurant was lovely. I think all inclusive is great if you are an early riser, love food and of course drink. We did not go all inclusive and it worked out cheaper. Plus we had a couple of meals out which my husband said was the best meals he had ever had in his life.

The hotel is about 10 - 15 mins from the beach. So here is my dillema. Which Zafiro hotel is better? Alcudia or C' Picafort? Can anyone help.

Oh 6k should get you the swim up rooms or the roof terraces. These are sadly out of my budget.

Alternatively are there anymore wet bubble hotels out there. :)

You could try Turkey, there seem to be quite a few hotels there that could suit you as a family of 5, within your price range.

Many of the all inclusive hotels are quite high end, with good food and activities, and lots have their own water parks etc

We went to a Eurocamp site as a group of 14 with children mixed ages between 1-14. I will never do a holiday village again. We went to playa montroig in Spain. Best holiday my kids have had, space, freedom and plenty going on. £1200 all in for flights and accommodation and we spent about a grand. We were quoted £3000 for four of us for a holiday village!