3 bed apartment, on a complex, all inclusive - doesn't exist?

[RaspberryCoulis]

Thinking about booking a summer break for us next summer 2022. We have three teenage children who really aren't up for all sharing a room together for a fortnight.

We are looking for a package deal given the current situation - I am confident that by 2022 we will be travelling as normal but want that package guarantee and refund.

Looking for ideally a three bed apartment or suite or something - would consider a 2 bed with a bed in the lounge at a push. As kids are older they would prefer a resort with stuff going on around the pool during the day and other kids to socialise with - not necessarily kids' clubs as they're past that stage really.

Not Benidorm. Not Turkey.

All-inclusive ideally, more of a holiday for me too but would consider a a self-catering villa/apartment on a complex with a communal pool and "stuff" going on for the teens.

Really struggling to find anything suitable at all, 5 of us crammed into one room or small studio apartment for a fortnight isn't happening.

[rookiemere]

I must admit having breakfast prepared for me is always a huge tick on my list , even though it costs pennies to have baguettes in the apartment it always feels so luxurious to have someone else do all the prep and be able to have fruit salad without all the gaff.

[BarbaraofSeville]

The one thing I would say is you pay a lot for the privilege of having catering and some amenities on site. We have a 3 bed apartment booked for October break in Tenerife (fingers crossed) and it's less than £1k whereas all of the above for same period are around £2k without factoring in meal costs

I agree with this, although if a driver is that you want a large onsite communal pool where your teens can socialise that might be something you have to suck up.

Other risk is that if you go AI, then it's usually either very expensive for good quality food and a nice experience of being served at a table, preferably outside. Or you have to queue up for a buffet, although I don't know how COVID has changed this.

We generally book an apartment and eat out at least once a day. For other meals we have easy meals, BBQs, bread/cheese/ham/crisps/olives etc, so prep and cooking is minimal.

All your DC are old enough to go get their own drinks and ice creams and take a turn in sticking a few pizzas in the oven, so you shouldn't actually have to cook more than once or twice during the holiday.

[Mumdiva99]

www.tui.co.uk/destinations/europe/spain/menorca/santo-tomas/apartments/mestral-and-llebeig-apartments.html

They have a 3 bed apartment.

I'm pretty sure if you search different operators they offer an all inclusive option or you upgrade from HB to AI when you arrive.

[idontlikealdi]

Martinhal or some of the Tui Holiday villages have duplexes with 3 beds

[Vebrithien]

You could have a look at the apartments at Estival Park, La Pineda, in Spain. We stayed in hotel 3, which was AI, but I think there was the option to stay in the apartments, but eat in the restaurant.
There was excellent entertainment in the evenings, and a fab water park 5 mins walk away. The beach was lovely too, and we went downhill cycling through the mountains.

Salou is round the headland, and Tarragona, a brilliant Roman city, is only 15 mins drive away.

[MrsSchrute]

What about Cape Verde?

We've been to the Meliá Dunas on Sal and they have apartments like that as part of the complex.

[rookiemere]

Oh and I think all of the above can be booked through Jet 2as a package deal and in some cases price is cheaper than if you booked flight and accommodation separately.

[rookiemere]

This has some of what you're looking for and has a 3 bedroom apartment https://www.regencycountryclub.com/ . It has a central heated pool and poolside meals and a restaurant. There are minor activities during the day and a mini golf course that our teen seemed to still enjoy last time we went. It's not a huge resort so may not be that many other teens though. Other options I've not been to in Tenerife that might work are https://baobabsuites.com/en/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwvYSEBhDjARIsAJMn0lg6x36qk3YG1XIhOgMlCmDToo6PFDhgnTsCJhafCXI66CT-spZKmYaAgfoEALwwcBB or https://www.royalgardenvillas.com/en/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwvYSEBhDjARIsAJMn0lhxT3e9SPshWsNAZHNEupJTY2CPJ6QATAOo7iOsRXpZDMWyu-qJyv4aAvd-EALww_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

The one thing I would say is you pay a lot for the privilege of having catering and some amenities on site. We have a 3 bed apartment booked for October break in Tenerife (fingers crossed) and it's less than £1k whereas all of the above for same period are around £2k without factoring in meal costs.

[BarbaraofSeville]

Maybe try phoning someone like Jet2holidays and asking the question if this is something they can do?

Might be easier than trawling thousands of options.

Otherwise look for a villa with a cook? I know that's an option, but whether or not it's within budget and you want someone being around during your holiday?

[OlafLovesAnna]

As another poster said the Martinhals aren't really a good bet with teens.

We live near the one in Cascais and although we often eat there with our 8 yr old who LOVES the kids area, there isn't much going on for teens. Our 16 and 14 yr olds wouldn't have much to do if we stayed there for a fortnight.

[sashh]

Although I would never go on one have you considered a cruise?

[Zodlebud]

Sun Gardens Dubrovnik has perfect accommodation - lots of apartments within the hotel complex. Not AI but lots of restaurants and bars plus you can self cater. Activities for teens up to 15 (sports) and they were widely used.

Martinhal also good but I did find it was more younger families there.

Some Club Med resorts would also fit the bill, you just need to search through them to find one that works for you with accommodation.

[SuziQuatrosFatNan]

So the resorts I'm thinking of do have pools on site, not massive ones though, maybe two or three smaller ones, with cafes and bar next to them and maybe a restaurant or two on site as well but also lots of restaurants very close by. So not all inclusive. But everything within a few hundred yards. Eg we had an apartment building next to the beach, small pool on the seventh floor, pastry shop next door for breakfast, and when the kids went to do their snorkelling it was down the street a bit and I could watch it all from the balcony. That was a nice holiday.

[PinkCookie11]

Yep I prefer my food cooked for me on holiday!
Worth speaking to an agent they’ll know off their head

[RaspberryCoulis]

Yeah we've done villa holidays before... but they are less of a holiday as you still have to organise food rather than just schlepping along to the restaurant.

[Gazelda]

Cyprus? First Choice have a holiday village - Aliathon near Paphos. We stayed there a few years ago in an apartment that had double bed in living area a separate bedroom, but I know there were larger units also.

[PinkCookie11]

Fair enough just a suggestion as you originally said a 3 bed.
Villas are lovely if your kids can entertain themselves

[idontknow54789]

Have you looked at Martinhal? They have villas on a complex

[RaspberryCoulis]

No the activities don't have to be on the complex, but ideally we'd like a central pool area where they can be with others their own age and not stuck with their boring, cringeworthy parents all day.

[RaspberryCoulis]

I don't want a room which sleeps up to five though, @PinkCookie11. Having a 13, 15 and 16 year old and two adults all sleeping together for a fortnight... just no.

Yes would definitely consider something like an apartment with adjoining rooms, when they were smaller and happier to all share the adjoining room that was fine - the two older ones in the twin beds, the wee one on a shake-down z-bed. But now they're all bigger.

I'm starting to think a villa is really our only option, hotels/complexes just aren't set up for more than the 2 adults plus 2 kids model.

[SuziQuatrosFatNan]

Do the activities for teens have to be on the complex? Only there are lots of resorts in Spain and the Canaries where you can stay in three bedroom apartment/bungalow complexes with pools and cafés etc on site on/v near the beach that have snorkelling/diving/bike hire/etc companies you could book activities with and teens could walk the 250 yards or so outside the complex to take part in them.

[Spandang]

The only ones I can think of from when I went on them is Menorca - Cala’n Forcat used to have apartments that were two beds + a sofa bed. They weren’t all inclusive though. TUI has a fair few apartments on there.

Would you consider an all inclusive hotel but with adjoining rooms? Then everyone gets their space but you can still keep tabs.

Somewhere like Calla Vinas in Mallorca would be ideal, you have a grown up hotel, it’s far enough from Magaluf that you wouldn’t know it was there but then it’s there for the kids, they do all inclusive, there’s an outdoor cave bar and boats trips from the jetty and they definitely have triple rooms and adjoining rooms. I think if you made your case to the hotel before arrival they’d see to it you had a triple room + three doubles (for example but next to each other).

It’s hard at the moment but this is exactly where speaking to a travel agent is worth it’s weight, my experience has always been that they can pin point destinations for you based on needs like this. If you can speak to one do

[PinkCookie11]

Bahia Principe Fantasia Tenerife Have rooms/suites that sleep up to 5

[RaspberryCoulis]

We would consider Tenerife, yes. But very much struggling to find accommodation which is suitable anywhere, and doesn't involve booking three separate rooms.

[PinkCookie11]

Have you looked at Tenerife