Does my holiday exist?

[ItsMyIssue]

Looking for a summer holiday. Myself, DH and 2x teens. Don’t really mind where, it’s more what we want that I’m struggling to find, esp. for August. Looking for quiet, small hotels, with pool. Ideally private beach or v.close to beach. Would like to be able to travel easily/car hire to area of interest/small towns. Budget up-to 15k.
We've had a v.difficult year, we just to need to be together this holiday, with no stress, no lively hotels, no lively people…..

Corsica

Rethymnon, Crete?

We stayed at this hotel which has a roof top pool and 2min to the beach. Breakfast was buffet style and you could sit in he garden if preferred. I was very peaceful and quiet. Their website doesn't do it justice really.
https://www.achillionpalace.gr/en/home/

The town was easy to walk around and plenty of food options. We caught a bus to Heraklion to see the museum and Knossos. You can also hire cars to explore more of the island, or do a day trip ferry to Santorini.

I've also heard Chania is lovely, but we didn't go there.

What about the Italian Lakes? I’d go Lake Como.

Passalacqua would fit the bill:

https://www.passalacqua.it/en/

Musa too:

www.musacomo.com/en/

availability might be issue as they are small but there are many others like this around the lake too. As well as a Mandarin Oriental that’s bigger (about 100 rooms, so no massive). Hotel Tremezzo is fantastic but eye wateringly expensive. Worth visiting the spa though if you are in the area.

Flights are usually pretty cheap as three different airports you can fly to.

Thanks all. Corsica looks lovely, have been trying to find flights/hotel etc that fit the budget. We’ve discounted the Italian lakes before as DH is v.v.v reactive to mosquitos. Have you found this to be an issue? We’ve been to Crete before but not in Aug. I’m assuming it’s busy? Will look at the areas you suggested,

Mitsis memories hotel near Lindos on Rhodes. Quiet beach, fabulous hotel, near beautiful towns etc

I've been to Lake Garda twice and never had an issue with mossies.

Would a Private villa do if you've £15k budget?

If you could cope without a beach, have you considered Madeira? Lots of sea access but very few beaches. Funchal
is a good base. It depends what you’re teens are interested in.

I have been to the Italian Lakes a few times, Bellagio and Riva del Garda which had lots of teens around. No mossies!

Menorca. Short flights, low key, nice restaurants, water park, gorgeous beaches, watersports, easy to get about

I-escape website is good for smaller hotels (I recommend it so much on here, I should get commission! ) have a look, you can filter by close to beach etc.

Another suggestion, look at Simpson travel, or speak to them. This for example looks utterly gorgeous but I don’t know about availability.

Mauritius

Confused as to why you expect more mossies in the Italian lakes than Corsica or Crete? I was eaten alive in both but never on Lake Garda. I do use deet generally though

The Ammos Hotel near Chania in Crete is exactly as you describe. You can get the bus to Chania or they can arrange drivers to take you to other nearby places (or you can hire a car). Small, quiet, pool, right on the beach, great food. Bliss! It’s on iescape which a PP recommended, and I would second that.

Why not do something memorable like go to Peru? I find keeping busy with exciting places to visit a great antidote to life’s problems. No beaches but utterly memorable. Similar can be said of South Africa. Whales should be around at Hermanus for example.

I would also look at Brittany but availability might be an issue. We have also stayed in small places in Cape Cod, Corsica and Elba. Sicily might work but it gets ludicrously hot - 40 degrees regularly.

@FlatStanley50 yes the Ammos or its sister hotel Bella Mare on Corfu do fit the bill, but in summer holidays they run a kids club for 5-11, so attract quite a few kids that age. Depends whether that puts the OP off, as otherwise they are lovely low key hotels.

Gah ignore me! Just realised I’m getting Ammos confused with GK Beach hotel. Ammos does get lots of kids though.

https://www.pinedeplage.com/fr/activites/a-l-hotel We had lunch here once - i would love to stay.

https://hotelhelvetia.it/ or https://hotelvisavis.com/en/ in Liguria. One of the www.delphina.it hotels in Sardinia.

I’ve done Lakes many years in summer and at other times and never had any issues with mosquitos! The mountains make it much cooler which I think means they are less of an issue than in many parts of Europe.

Shangri-La in Singapore is a beautiful hotel but if you’re concerned about mozzies it wouldn’t top my list.

Singapore has its limitations. Better used as a springboard for elsewhere .

Google Ohrid lake, North Macedonia..quite a bargain compared to other Mediterranean destinations...we went there last year with TUI.

Madeira is smaller and quieter than a lot of European resorts, even the "tourist strip" is pretty sedate. The downside might be beaches because it's a volcanic island but worth investigating.

Yes I think the only kids club is for under 5s. There weren't many kids there when we went - been twice, once in May, once in September so it was outside school holidays however.

If your husband always gets bitten there are a couple of ways to seriously less bitten. One is brewers yeast, the other antihistamine both to be taken for at least a fortnight before you go. I can also recommend this if he does get bitten. It breaks down the bit of the bite that causes the histamine reaction.