Please help with Holiday advice!!

[Yuckyyuckyuckity]

Feel like I'm just randomly looking with no real strategy or direction so would love any personal recommendations.

Looking to go away in June to somewhere for a week. We're a family of 4, the two kids will be 1 and (very nearly) 4. We have NEVER done an AI resort package type holiday before or used the likes of TUI etc so it's new ground for us.

Here's what we are after:

• A resorty type holiday with sun, sea, sand, good food.
• Not necessarily AI but happy to if better value. Half board would be good. We do like to explore the local area while on holiday, can't imagine flying somewhere just to stay in a hotel the entire time, so we want to be able to venture out during the day on a couple of days for lunch etc.
• A hotel that feels a bit boutiquey as opposed to a typical high rise type hotel. Can't afford IKOS Sani type stuff unfortunately.
• Kids entertainment and pools suitable for small kids.
• Spa facilities
• Easy access to a sandy beach
• (important) somewhere that is in close proximity to a local area that we can explore easily on foot, eg cute old towns with cafes, that sort of vibe. I don't just want to be in the middle of nowhere surrounded by nothing but identikit hotels.
• I suppose we're looking for something that doesn't feel too commercialised and feels a bit more 'off the beaten track' (I hate that term as it sounds so smug and 'gap yah' but can't think of how else to put it!) but still feels comfortable, clean and a bit lux.

Have vaguely looked at Portugal, Antalya, Greek islands, but am finding it all pretty overwhelming, obviously everything looks too good to be true. Don't really want to do Spain or Croatia as have been there a few times. Apparently Montenegro is stunning and a 'hidden gem' but can't really find any hotels that fit the bill.

Hoping to spend around 2-2.5k but happy to pay a bit more if I think it's worth it.

The last time we did a beachy type holiday was Majorca which was gorgeous, but we were on a tight budget and while the hotel was perfectly fine it would have been nice to have a few nicer touches, however we did it on the basis that we knew we'd be hiring a car and exploring other areas for a lot of the time hence we weren't overly fussed, but this time with two kids I think the hotel facilities are more important to us.

Apologies I've ended up writing an essay but please let me know if you've been anywhere that ticks all these boxes!

db Seabank Resort & Spa - Mellieha Bay hotels | Jet2holidays sounds like it would suit. I think it ticks all your boxes- it's near the village of Mellieha, which is lovely and has local restaurants, bars etc as well as different things to go and see. Jet2's deal is all inclusive and would come in just under budget if you went with their suggested dates. Malta is also easy to get around, with a good bus system, if you wanted to explore other nearby towns.

Highly recommend a look at i-escape with kids website. They specialise in listing nice boutiquey hotels with a bit of character (and self catering places but you can filter those out). In general none of them are AI. The “with kids” section of the website has family friendly places and will list all the kids facilities and whether they have connecting rooms or family suites etc. We’ve really liked everywhere we have stayed from there.

Looks lovely but we've already done Malta before! Agree though that's definitely the kind of vibe we like, being able to explore beautiful areas whilst still having a resorty hotel to enjoy.

Paloma Sencia in Turkey

Paphos, Cyprus

Ah okay, In that case, what about Wave Resort - Pomorie hotels | Jet2holidays in Bulgaria? It's similar to the Malta resort in that there is tonnes to do in the resort itself, but you're also near Pomorie which has a lovely port town, again with restaurants and things to see.

Never thought about Bulgaria but will take a look!

I feel like I'm after something that doesn't exist tbh. My oldest is of the age where she'd love a kids club and kids evening entertainment but these only seem to exist in the big commercial high rise type resorts which I really don't think is our thing, anything I've seen eg in Antalya looks like my idea of a nightmare, but maybe I'm just being a bit snobby?

I just want a friendly, small resort with a spa, kids stuff, close to a nice sandy beach and with the ability to explore fairly easily on foot, that doesn't cost the earth. Am I asking too much 🤣

Bulgaria is an affordable place in terms of cost too compared to a lot of Europe, we ate out a lot and it was a fraction of the price of most other countries we've been to!

I was also going to suggest Paphos.

Elounda, Crete.

The first one that jumped to mind with your requirements is Zafiro Palace Alcudia in Majorca, but I appreciate you don’t want Spain and have done Majorca so probably not much help!!

Does it have to be June as you could go to Sani in May with your budget?

Seaside Los Jameos in Lanzarote would meet your hotel needs. It's not close to a cute town but you can visit the volcano site and the cactus museum and a few other modest attractions to fill your days.

Have a look at Jet2 to Croatia. Other package holidays are available but we’ve had 2 successful trips with them!

Ooh really - will have a look! Doesn't have to be June I suppose, just thought the weather will be nicer then. May feels like it's only around the corner, I want to lose a few lb before going 😂 but if we could afford Sani happy to make the compromise.

I've been to 45 countries so got a few ideas for gorgeous sandy beaches.... The North of Belgium and Burges area of Bulgaria are amazing for sandy beaches.

OK so Bulgaria has been mentioned a few times, definitely on the list now..

Germany and Poland too .

A lot of options for Side in Turkey seem to be coming up, can anyone tell me what that's like if they've been?

That area of Turkey is very beautiful, I don't recall what the beach was like though.

I'm late to the party here, but found the thread when looking for advice on a trip we're planning for next year.

We went to Side at Easter, with similar requirements to yours, and thought it fitted the bill really well. There are several hotels along the coast on the west side of Side and you can walk along the traffic-free promenade walkway to the town where there are some really great archaeological sites to visit plus various bars, restaurants etc.

We stayed at the Arum Barut hotel which was really good. It was all inclusive, but one of the better ones we've experienced. The main buffet was pretty decent, with a good balance between Turkish dishes and things the fussier child would eat. There was also a very good lunchtime restaurant with excellent views over the bay, serving dishes cooked to order with no bookings required, and a few a la carte options which also added variety (booking these via the app was a bit of a struggle, but the usual tip of asking the concierge to help out worked well and we got tables with a few days' notice).

One of the main pools is heated in April and from mid-October to mid-November, - not exactly warm, but enough to make them usable and nicely extend the season when the hotel is worth considering.

I was going to recommend the same as Rookiemere. Matagorda has plenty of hotels which will do a mini disco/kids club but it’s a proper resort with restaurants and bars along a pedestrianised promenade- v walkable with a pushchair. But no huge sprawling resorts with nothing nearby.

Lanzarote doesn’t allow high rises (there’s only one in the capital) and I think it’s pretty- I find the volcanic scenery a nice contrast. Lots to see and do on the island.