Resort with decent splash park for 7&9 yr old

[TheMindfulMum]

Looking ahead to next year and I'm searching for a resort with decent splash park for our kids who love the water, slides, bounce pillows etc. We've just returned from Iberostar Cala Barca which was amazing. Can anyone recommend places they've been to with similar aged kids for us to consider for next year?

Don't want a full on water park just yet as we've only done this resort type holiday for the first time this year and we want to save full on water park type places until they are bigger. Need something bigger than a toddler splash pad though and a few restaurants to choose from would be nice rather than one buffet restaurant all the time.

🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

We went to the sunrise Diamond beach resort (Sharm el sheik) this summer. The water park there was perfect for what you are looking for and there are 6 restaurants to choose from

Thank you. Initially I saw the Platinum badge and thought it would be too expensive but priced it up for next summer and it's within budget. I must be honest, I don't know too much about Egypt and their AI holidays and travelling with young children. Why is the price so much cheaper than Spanish island resorts?

Perhaps the travel expert on the thread might comment 🙏🏼

@Monkeytapper have you been to Egypt?

I can definitely have a look through at water parks and let you know - will do so tomorrow.

As to why Egypt is so much cheaper than Spain, it’s very very hot in summer and remains warm throughout the winter so high season is usually different than in the Med. Also costs are usually much lower for operators - staff and food - and there’s lots of competition.

The problem with splash parks is it’s not really an agreed upon term in the industry. It can be used to describe everything from a couple of sprinklers to vast areas with climb on equipment, water toys, buckets, sprinklers, cannons, small slides.

Multiple restaurants are a thing at some Spanish AIs but not so common as you find in Turkey for example. It tends to be the largest resorts or if there are multiple hotels from the same chain very close by that can share facilities, or the more premium end of the market.

@TheMindfulMum never fancied Egypt, we like Canary Islands though, have booked Fuerteventura next year but self catering this time….kids are 13&15 now so they didn’t go on the colourful dome thing …they weren’t interested in the foam party or the colour party either !…I went on my own 😜

@TheMindfulMum we’ve been 3 times now. Aug this year, last year then first time in 2019….did you go on the Starfish boat dolphin watching with the inflatable slide? That’s worth a trip.. and last year me and my daughter went Horse riding .We only went for a week this time, loved the fact we knew where everything was in the hotel…We also walked to Cala Dor one day….I also like the fact th hotel had different nationalities, felt like we were the minority which I didn’t mind at all…Did you watch the African Acrobatics? Loved them.

We just returned from the Radisson Blu in Gran Canaria in Mogan (recommended above). It's a great hotel and wonderful area. We have been 4 times. However as a word of warning if you have a 7 and 9 year old - the hotels kiddies pool bouncing pillow thing (not sure of its "correct" name) has a height limit of 140cm - which is pretty strictly enforced. My son is 8yrs old and 137cm so was fine but the lifeguard will pull the kids out he thinks were too tall, measure them and tell them not to go on if they are over 140cm. Pretty rubbish for the older kids but a lot of little ones were using it so you wouldn't want a bigger kid crashing into them.

We are definitely going back and will take my older son, who no doubt will be too tall next time, to the water park on the Island. He knew this year was his "last turn" on the bouncing pillow and wasn't really interested this year anyway. But if you go specifically for a "splash" pool I imagine you would be disappointed as the high limit isn't well advertised before you go.

My 7yr old loved Iberostar Selection Lanzarote Playa Blanca this May, was an excellent hotel and we can't wait to return

We've been to the Iberostar Cala Barca and it was really good, but the Lanzarote hotel is better.

We went to lalandia billund this august, it has an amazing variety of slides and lazy river, bounce pillows randomly dotted around the self catering chalets. Lots of places to eat (we didn't use them) and right next-door to legoland and a short walk from the lego house. Kids (8&10) had an amazing time and definitely would recommend it to everyone even if you normally go AI to a beach resort.

Stella palace in Crete sounds up your street, Stella village (next door) is even cheaper.

I'm not sure whether it will tick the food boxes, but we loved Magic Natura in Spain for children. It has an onsite zoo and water park but also small splash pad bits in the two main pools. The rooms are all individual bungalows with separate bedrooms, and some have hot tubs.

We too love this hotel. My dc made so many friends around that bouncy pillow thing. Sadly they're too old/tall for it now.

Balearics / Canaries with ‘water parks’, all inclusive with multiple restaurants:

Blau Punta Reina Family Resort, Porto Cristo, Majorca
Iberostar Selection Albufera Park, Playa de Muro, Majorca
Hotel Condesa, Alcudia, Majorca
H10 Atlantic Sunset, Playa Paraiso, Tenerife
Holiday Village Seaview Ibiza, Port des Torrent, Ibiza

Balearics / Canaries with ‘water parks’, all inclusive but not multiple restaurants:

Hotel Best Delta, Cabo Blanco, Majorca
Club Hotel Aguamarina, Arenal D’en Castell, Menorca
Minura Sur Menorca, Punta Prima, Menorca
Iberostar Playa Gaviotas Park, Jandia, Fuerteventura
Spring Hotel Bitacora, Playa de las Americas, Tenerife
Abora Caterina by Lopesan Hotels, Playa del Ingles, Gran Canaria

I’ve tried not to include ones already listed.

Other destinations, ‘water park’, all inclusive, multiple restaurants - I’ve not included ones with huge water parks as I don’t think that is what you want, also not included the most premium / expensive as you indicated that might be out of range:

Miramare Beach, Side, Antalya
Arcanus Trend Line Resort, Side, Antalya
Arcanus Side Resort, Side, Antalya
Side Resort Hotel, Side, Antalya
Terrace Elite Resort, Side, Antalya
Club Calimera Serra Palace, Side, Antalya
Adalya Artside Hotel, Side, Antalya
Starlight Resort Hotel, Side, Antalya
Side Mare Resort, Side, Antalya

Papillon Ayscha, Belek, Antalya
Papillon Zeugma, Belek, Antalya
Gloria Verde, Belek, Antalya
Gloria Golf Resort, Belek, Antalya
Calista Luxury Resort, Belek, Antalya
Sherwood Dreams, Belek, Antalya
Limak Arcadia Sport Resort, Belek, Antalya
Selectum Family Resort, Belek, Antalya
Ela Excellence Resort, Belek, Antalya

Wyndham Garden Lara, Lara Beach, Antalya
Sherwood Exclusive Lara, Lara Beach, Antalya
Saturn Palace Resort, Lara Beach, Antalya

Botanik Platinum, Alanya, Antalya
Eftalia Splash Resort, Alanya, Antalya

Corendon Playa Kemer, Kemer, Antalya
Sherwood Exclusive Kemer, Kemer, Antalya
Mirage Park Resort, Kemer, Antalya

Liberty Fabay, Calis, Dalaman
Grand Yazici Club Turban, Marmaris, Dalaman
Hilton Dalaman Sarigerme Resort, Sarigerme, Dalaman

Duja Bodrum, Torba, Bodrum
Kefaluka Resort, Turgutreis, Bodrum
Azure by Yelken, Turgutreis, Bodrum

Ramada Resort by Wyndham Kusadasi, Kusadasi, Izmir
Palm Wings Beach Resort, Kusadasi, Izmir

Atlantica Mikri Poli Rhodes, Kolymbia, Rhodes
Labranda Blue Bay Resort, Ialyssos, Rhodes
Euphoria Resort, Kolymbari, Crete
Fodele Beach Resort, Fodele, Crete
Stella Palace Aqua Park Resort, Analipsis, Crete
Lyttos Mare, Analipsis, Crete
Creta Maris, Hersonissos, Crete
Arina Beach Resort, Kokkini Hani, Crete
MarBella, Agios Ioannis, Corfu
Labranda Sandy Beach, St George South, Corfu
Labranda Marine Aquapark Resort, Tingaki, Kos
Caretta Beach Resort and Waterpark, Kalamaki, Zante

Sunrise Oasis Hotel and Waterpark, Protaras, Cyprus
King Evelthon Beach Hotel and Resort, Paphos, Cyprus

WOW! This is amazing and I know is the best I'm going to get. If I don't find one here, I know I'm after a pipe dream and will need to tweak the want list. Thank you so much for your help and input 🙏🏼

Thank you. I looked at this one last night... HB only I think this one was? Not sure if you've read the whole thread but this year was our first holiday abroad and the AI aspect made it so easy. How did you find HB? What did you do for lunch? How pricey were drinks?

Thanks, I'll take a look, not sure if the zoo appeals to me though, sounds like the resort is huge if it hosts a zoo too 😂

Thanks @Monkeytapper
Is it cheaper then to go through smaller/independent travel agents? That price looks pretty reasonable although I haven't done my homework on the exact hotel yet.

In fairness the zoo and water park are next door but entrance is included! I think it's a bit of a Marmite place, our children (all under 12) absolutely loved it though.