2 kids, first all inclusive - no idea where to start ! please help!!

[holidayhelp345]

Hi everyone - please help with any recommendations/advice! I'm trying to book a first all-inclusive (have previously done villa, + flight, but trying to reduce faff and stress this year) haven't been away for about 5 years and we've never done an all-inclusive so I have been looking all around (Tui, Jet 2) but am in complete overwhelm at all the choice. would like to fly from Bristol, either Sunday31st July / Monday 1 Aug for approx 10 days - ideally Greece, Turkey, Baleriacs

• 2 girls age 5 and 8
• 1 x husband to keep entertained! ( so could do with gym / tennis court)
• water slides etc for little ones
• ideally 4* or 5 (i wish !)
• budget is around £5k 😬
• all inclusive or full board as we don't drink much

any recommendations for good hotels this kind of thing, so welcomed for where to start, thanks so much

Highly highly recommend Creta Maris in Crete. Would meet your needs entirely. It's a gorgeous family friendly resort

Gural Premier Belek in Turkey - we went years ago no idea on current costs

Holiday Village chain - there is one in Kos but lots of others

We went here when our DC were the same age and we all loved it
Not loads of sports, but enough to be entertained, and the food was great.
www.tui.co.uk/destinations/spain/canary-islands/lanzarote/playa-blanca/hotels/gran-castillo-tagoro-family-and-fun.html?utm_medium=paidsearch&gclid=CjwKCAjwl6OiBhA2EiwAuUwWZX8oQ_DF7UBgqEERglR3kFAg0uciCLFR1xH3iJKCp4jDjMCB5W9xoxoCvqEQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Grand Cettia Hotel in Turkey has loads of activities for kids.

Hotels in Antalya area maybe, Belek has a lot of hotels that would meet what you are looking for. We stayed at Voyage Belek which was lovely, not sure on price now though. Great service and good variety of things to do, many restaurants and bars, several pools, nice beach area.

We’ve been to a few all inclusive resorts in the Antalya area of Turkey with jet 2. There’s loads of choice and a lot are quite similar so I’d start there.

It might be a bit more expensive but the Ikos hotels are incredible. Highly recommended

Have a look at Hipotels Mediterraneo Club in Mallorca. It has everything you're looking for, even a free kids club.

Antalya - turkey

Yes! We stayed in a lovely hotel in Majorca, Protur Safari Park.
We stayed in 2019, and it has had further upgrades since. We really want to go back.
It should meet your budget requirements - although I've messed around with availability and the closest I can find to your dates is 2nd August and 27th July, for 1 week but not travelling from Bristol 😬. Probably not helpful, sorry! Closest to your dates in Bristol for 10 days was 18th July or 15th August.
Anyway, if you have flexibility on dates, it is worth a look. The food was fab, the kids clubs were great for mine. Loads of pools - we didn't even find some until the last day! A water park great for your kids ages right across the road - not a huge one, but perfect for 8 and 5 (mine were 6 and 4 when we went). There are kids slides and splash zone things in the hotel itself too. We literally didn't leave for the week. No need to!

One to avoid though - Barcelo Active Resort in Lanzerote. We went last year and it was dreadful.
Worst holiday I've ever been on, and really didn't like Lanzerote if I'm honest. I won't be going back!

In late July or august I would avoid Turkey due to the heat. I found it pretty unbearable.

I've done so many all inclusive but Antalya was the best by miles. Princess la reve I think it was called. So much to do and the food was insane.

Oops got the hotel name wrong! It was Delphin Palace.

We stayed at the Inturotel Sa Marina in Cala D'Or in Majorca a couple of times. It's not a huge hotel but it's very clean, the food is good and the staff are lovely. They get an awful lot of repeat customers so are obviously doing something right.

What was so awful about it? @ThisMustBeMyDream

Nana Beach in Crete. Several pools, some quiet, some noisy, several restaurants, lovely rooms, good location. Good for all ages.

Well, firstly it was a massive wind tunnel. Yes lanzerote is breezy, but the location of this hotel was just too windy for a sun holiday. Not the hotels fault, but a big reason why I don't want to go back to Lanzerote. Pool umbrellas complete with huge concrete bases being blown in to the pool.
Issues with the hotel: numerous.
1st. Very unclear information on kids club. No one knew where or when it ran. Took a full day of back and forth to get some information
2nd. Food was awful, lack of labelling. Cold. Very repetitive. Drinks really hard to get served. Lack of food choice aimed at children - would be one item plus chips (my kids were fine with normal menu, but stepdaughter is very fussy so it was a daily drama).
3rd. Constant electrical cut outs. My dad was staying too, and was on the opposite side of the hotel to us, and it was worse for him. Several times a day. We had it better, but still cut out 4 times over our week there.
4th. Lots of broken paving, really dangerous bits that caused injury to one of my children as you couldn't see it in the dark (broken in half slab with sharp bit sticking out on a step).
5th. Poolside snacks not great. No ice creams.
6th. Entertainment barely there. Animation team very poor. Kids disco was 30 mins and then very little after.
7th. Just before we went they took a whole load of things off the all inclusive such as the ice creams, and being able to get drinks at the sports bar, a la carte options.
8th. Issues with the room never sorted despite multiple reports. Toilet door that didn't close and was hanging off the hinge (dangerous with 3 young kids with us). 2 single beds pushed together but didn't stay together so beds moving apart in the night and the other half fell out at one point.

I could keep going. It just wasn't a pleasant stay for us. We stayed summer 22, which was when they had just merged the 2 hotels. We were in the older one which is the more family centric one, but older and tired. I think that was the biggest issue, the other hotel was far nicer, more adult based. That's the side that was getting all the good reviews. The side we were on had all the complaints.

I've just had a look at current reviews and most seem positive so hopefully it's improved. Or they were staying on the better side!

Thanks @ThisMustBeMyDream , I've read about the wind tunnel at Barcelo Playa Blanca but not at Barcelo Active.

Is the good side Royal Level or is that different?

Yes, the royal level is in the hotel nearest the sea. I didn't like it being over the road to go between hotels either tbh!

If the 5 year old has never been abroad you need to consider her tolerance to heat and probably the 8 year old too.

Whilst anywhere in the Med can be hot mid summer Greece and Turkey can be unbearable.

Try and find a resort with a nice town around it. If you have never been AI you will find 10 days in the same place a bit samey.