Best hotel accommodation options for holidays abroad with young children

[ViaRia01]

We are a family of 4 - two adults and two children who will be aged 3 and 4 at the time we travel.

I’m trying to book a week in the sun with child friendly activities- I am thinking somewhere like Portugal, Spain, Lanzarote.

Anyway… I’d prefer to stay in a hotel but how do people do this with young children? When you input your party size the options shown tend to to be a double bed plus sofa bed, but I think no-one wants to be on a sofa bed for 6 nights.

ideally I’d like a small (not necessarily fancy) suite - so that the children can sleep and we can have a couple of hours to relax in the evening in a separate room/ space. I am finding it difficult to find suites and those I do find are ££££. Obviously I know you pay for these things but I can’t help but think I must be missing something.

If you have been away with little ones, what kind of accommodation do you suggest and how has it worked out for your family?

If you go to lanzarote the hotel rooms are more than likely be apartments so you get a living room/bedroom and they are just normal hotel prices, look at the travel companies like Tui or jet 2.

@Lomonald great; thanks for the tip! I hadn’t actually got around to looking at Lanzarote, so I will do that now

We have stayed in aparthotels in Croatia and Sicily, so you get all the convenience of an apartment, but with breakfast thrown in. Is there accommodation like this where you want to go?

Ooh ok @RampantIvy, thank you. I’ve never really understood (or been motivated to google) what exactly an aparthotel is. I’ll definitely look into this, thank you

I would assume a 3 and 4 year old are fine on a sofa bed for a week? It’s plenty comfortable for that age.

otherwise yes your looking at pricier options to have a suite, or apartment hotel ( where you have more rooms).

We have just 1 child but loads of hotels offer an extra bed or two also which are like z fold out beds for the kids in bedroom added. I like this and our 5 year old slept in one for weeks when we travelled Asia recently. Meant there was often still sofa area to actually sit at. My child would hate to sleep in own room in a hotel though as he would be scared if not his own house

At that age a sofa bed is good for children. The only requirements we always had was that there is a door between the main bedroom and the living area.
There was no way we would sleep well all in one room.

The negative point is that often the living area is the room you enter from the hallway first or has the balcony/terrace door. So it depends how you feel about this.

DD was nearly 7 though the first time we did a hotel holiday and sensible that we knew she wouldn't just walk around during the night.

Hotels like pine Cliffs Portugal, Sun gardens Croatia, liberty signa and Fabay all have two bedroom accommodation many other too. If you have a good budget I would also look at Scott Dunn as they have the best kids clubs

When mine were that age there's no way I'd have wanted them on a sofa bed in the living room. We either went s/c or found hotels with two bedroom apartments.
Lanzarote was one, another was in Menorca where the hotel had apartments from one to four bedrooms. It was a long time ago but DC were 1 and 3 and it was a lovely place for a young family. Probably a bit dated now but available through TUI . Hamilton Court hotel.

We stayed at Bakour Lanzarote Splash last year. It's a 10min drive from the airport, so you could just get a cheap taxi rather than having to arrange a transfer.

Our hotel was more like an apartment in that it had bedroom and separate living room/kitchenette With a pullout sofa, plus a balcony. Me and DH sat on the balcony most evenings with the door closed, bit we could see DC right on the other side Most hotels allow you to request an extra cot bed if available too.

We went all inclusive and there was great entertainment on site and great pools and water slides for all ages (youngest DC was 3 at the time). However, I would definitely request a room away from the outdoor dining area as there would be loud music at night.

There's also a lovely beach a 15minute walkaway and an open air soft play and outdoor cinema near a shopping mall, a 10minute walk away in a different direction.

www.booking.com/Share-57Xas9

Gran Oasis in Tenerife has huge 2 bed apartments