Beach resort type hotel in European City

[Tothebeach2day]

Looking for a holiday in May half-term. Wanting a hotel with good sized pool, kids activities and ideally entertainment (DS 11). Want to be short walk from beach.

DH gets very bored with being solely based around beach and hotel. Ideally wants a city or somewhere where there are lots of places to explore (without car). Also, as it’s likely to be 5/6 nights only don’t want to waste time on lengthy transfers to/from airport.

Have looked at Palma, Valencia, Malaga so far. My problem is around hotels, as city hotels seem less like “resorts” and more like the sort of hotel we’d stay in in London (smallish pool, B&B, no facilities at hotel apart from adult based like gyms and spas. As DS has no siblings I love it when we go away and he meets kids around the pool / in the evenings etc, even if entertainment can be cheesy!

Any suggestions of destinations/hotels much appreciated!

As you mention Valencia, we’ve stayed at Las Arenas - large resort style hotel on Las Arenas beach a short walk/tram ride from the city centre. Nice pool, restaurants in walking distance (Casa Montana absolutely superb) It possibly hits your brief but I didn’t quite love it; it was a little too corporate/conferency rather than fun family. May be worth a look though…

https://www.hotelvalencialasarenas.com/en/

forgot to link!

Cascais - short train ride to Lisbon?

Barcelona?

It’s not really warm enough for the beach in May? I’d do a city break in a hotel with a decent pool.

The resort area of Palma is a short bus ride from Palma so might be worth looking at.
I haven't been but it probably would be warm enough in May.

i second Cascais - we stayed here last year. DS’s siblings are a lot older but he made plenty of friends his age around the pool, which is lovely. We’ve been previously in early June and it was nicely warm, rather than baking.

https://www.granderealvillaitalia.realhotelsgroup.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIs6O-gsbagAMVkPntCh0ddgEwEAAYAiAAEgJ6HPD_BwE

Have a look at Paphos - in particular the Elysium and Olympic Lagoon.

I was going to say cascais (not far to Lisbon) or Barcelona.
Malaga is a nice town but I remember port rather than beach.

We did malaga this year and stayed in torremelinos. Few euros and 20 mins in to Malaga on the metro.

Coastal path and can walk to benalmedina or fuengirola and metro back.

Torremlinos is 20 mins from airport. Taxi was 15 euros or you can metro. Amazing choice of nice hotels. Right on beach.

It was a lovely resort in itself and we loved it. Lots of great tapas.

Would perfectly meet brief

I came to say Benalmadena which is the next town along from torremolinos and I prefer it slightly but the logic stands from PP.

Thanks all! I’ll do some web browsing? Re Malaga/Torremolinos and Benalmádena could you recommend hotels?

Anywhere along the bay of Palma out in both east and west directions means the city is very easily accessible by Bus. Lots of big family resort hotels in Palmanova, Magaluf & Santa Ponsa to the West, and C'an Pastilla and S'Arenal to the East. The latter two are more popular with Germans than Brits, if it's a concern with kids making hotel friends.

Honestly there are so many just pick somewhere you like the look of and suits your budget. Also price up a jet2 package for 5 nights and see what hotels they include. We did a package in the end as it worked out better value. The far end of the promenade stretch towards benalmedena nr the steps into town in torremelinos is a dead end so its quiet and doesnt have passing traffic so its beach front but quiet. Both melias are down that end and I've stayed in them.

madeira was easy for sightseeing by public transport from Funchal but I’m not sure about resort hotels. Might be worth a look though. I went at Easter and the weather was mixed but we had days that were warm enough to sit by the pool.
Cyprus is also warm at May half term so Paphos might be an option? They also drive on the left which makes it easier if you did hire a car for a couple of days.