1/10 Mitsis Blue Domes Hotel – Kos ★★★★★
Mistsis Blue Domes sits on a shingle beach in the Kardamena region of Kos. Rooms are simple and elegant, with white walls and rattan furniture. Some have outdoor spa pools. Guests can enjoy the staggering 16 pools and 11 restaurants here, plus many sports such as beach volley, mini soccer, table tennis, tennis, water polo and canoeing. There’s also a unique escape room game for all the family plus go-karts and a games room. Kids get their own outdoor pool plus two playgrounds, disco, playrooms with library, music room, painting corner, cinema room and Mitsis Wonderland – complete with a carousel. A kids club runs during the summer months only.
2/10 db Seabank Resort & Spa – Malta ★★★★
Four-star db Seabank Resort & Spa boasts bright and airy rooms with balconies. The 130 family rooms have separate sleeping areas. This all-inclusive resort is just a few minutes’ walk from Malta’s grandest Blue Flag beaches, with safe, shallow waters. On site, there are six themed restaurants, three bars, shopping mall, huge pool complex, spa with sauna, steam room and indoor pool with panoramic views, gym and plenty of sports such as archery, crazy golf, beach volleyball, diving and watersports. Kids are treated like royalty at db Seabank with their own pool with slides, paddling pool, themed jungle restaurant with playhouse, kids club and full entertainment programme of activities for all ages.
© Hard Rock Hotel Tenerife
3/10 Hard Rock Hotel Tenerife – Canary Islands ★★★★★
Go rock and roll at Hard Rock Hotel Tenerife with its fabulous high energy facilities and activities. Get in a sweat at the Body Rock fitness centre or in Rock Om, with a dance yoga class before chilling out in the resort’s famous Rock Spa, boasting indoor and outdoor areas and a range of treatments. The Hard Rock Roxity Kids Club for kids aged four to nine gets kids dancing out their dreams as their favourite popstar or learning how to do their bit for the environment. Qualified staff in the Lullaby will care for babies as young as six months and teens will be in heaven with Xbox Kinect, Guitar Hero, music mixing competitions, tablets, giant chess and table football.
4/10 Crystal Sunset Luxury Resort & Spa Hotel – Turkey ★★★★★
Five-star Crystal Sunset Luxury Resort & Spa is just 250m from its own private beach. It’s also home to the region’s largest aquapark complete with thrilling rides like the black hole, free-fall, flying boats and kamikaze. For something a little less adrenaline-inducing, there are two children’s pools, outdoor pool, heated indoor pool, huge spa with Turkish bath, sauna, steam room and salt room, and rooftop lounge to chill out on. Sports fans can get stuck into canoeing, tennis, beach volleyball, boccia and table tennis. Crystal Sunset runs its own kids club for four to 12-year-olds and a teen club for 13 plus with organised activities, films, games and tournaments.
5/10 Mitsis Rinela Beach Resort & Spa – Crete ★★★★★
All-inclusive Mitsis Rinela Beach Resort & Spa sits on Kokkini Hani Beach, one of the best beaches in northern Crete. The family resort is Cretan in style with beautiful gardens to explore. The 441 rooms are contemporary in style with wooden furniture and warm colours. Diners have plenty of choice with a main restaurant, Chinese, beachside tavern, café, lounge bar, pool bar, beach bar, sushi and champagne bar, creperie, gelateria, pizza oven on the beach and daily beach barbecue. To work off excess calories, there are plenty of high energy activities to try like windsurfing, tennis, waterskiing and beach volley. There’s a spa and small gym too. The resort also has two outdoor saltwater pools, a sun terrace and two water slides. Kids are warmly welcomed with an arrival gift. An age-themed mini club will look after kids from four upwards during the day and babysitting is available on request. Families also benefit from a playroom, kids’ activity programme, two children’s pools and children’s restaurant.
6/10 Thalassa Mahdia & Aquapark – Tunisia ★★★
Thalassa Mahdia is a three-star all-inclusive hotel. Its 233 rooms are bright and airy and come with either a balcony or a terrace overlooking the sea or gardens. The resort sits on a private white sand beach by the Mediterranean Sea. Guests can take advantage of the beachside aquatic centre with jet skiing, banana boats, catamaran trips, snorkelling, diving and parachuting all on offer. At the hotel, there are four swimming pools to cool off in, including one for children and one heated indoor pool. Other sports amenities at Thalassa Mahdia include tennis courts, table tennis, darts, pool, mini-golf, archery, petanque and aerobics classes. Thalassa Mahdia has three restaurants, including one open-air, plus two bars, a Moorish café and a nightclub. Entertainment teams are there to keep the whole family amused day and night with a variety of activities, from aperitif games to sandcastle competitions. The hotel-run mini club and playground run in morning and afternoon sessions for children aged four to ten.
7/10 Kresten Royal Villas & Spa – Rhodes ★★★★★
Kresten Royal Villas perches on top of Kallithea hillside, overlooking the Aegean Sea and a sand and pebble beach, and only 6km away from Rhodes Old Town. Rooms are modern and clean and some have a private pool. The resort houses three restaurants and three bars, one seawater pool, two freshwater pools, an indoor pool and a children’s pool. Sports fanatics will love the tennis courts, football pitch, basketball court, gym and bike rental. Kresten Royal Villas also has a lovely spa with steam bath, sauna and face and body treatments. Kids benefit from a kids club, playground and evening disco.
8/10 Sani Beach – Thessaloniki ★★★★★
Sani Beach is upbeat and contemporary in design, perfect for families who want to get in among the action. Sani Beach is one of five luxury hotels in the award-winning Sani Resort, which sits on the unspoilt Kassandra peninsula in Halkidiki. Sani Resort is an eco-paradise, with 1,000 acres of wetlands, pine forests and exclusive beaches. Central to the resort is a vibrant marina bursting with shops, bars and restaurants. The resort has a mind-boggling array of activities for all to try out including beekeeping and paddleboard yoga plus an array of stunning pools, beaches and spa. The Melissa Mini Club for four to 12-year-olds puts on mini-Olympic Games on the beach, short excursions, pool games, picnics and parties. For new parents there’s a crèche, baby swimming lessons and babysitting plus rooms are set up well with cots, monitors and baby equipment. Older kids may like classes in hip hop, DJing, archery and mountain biking, or just chilling in their own ‘Ozone’ area. Guests can also take advantage of the many summer camps at Sani including the Sani Football Academy in association with Chelsea FC (four to 16 years), Dance Academy (18 months upwards), Sailing Academy (six to 17 years) and Sani Adventurers (13 to 17) for kids interested in the natural world.
9/10 Ikos Dassia – Corfu ★★★★★
This stylish all-inclusive resort on the island of Corfu is set across 25 acres of gardens framed with shimmering views across the Ionian Sea. There are 411 rooms, suites and villas here, Mediterranean in style, some with special touches like private gardens and pools. Ikos Dassia has many restaurants to choose from including a Michelin-starred menu, a restful spa to relax in, plus a 600m long exclusive beach of fine white sand. There are three kids clubs including a crèche for babies, Heros Kids Club for youngsters and Just4Teens for older children. All clubs are operated by Worldwide Kids, a professional UK childcare company with all staff fully qualified and experienced. Worldwide Kids also runs a football academy during the peak season and there’s a chance to try out tennis, yoga or water polo too. Ikos Dassia has many outdoor play facilities for families to enjoy including an outdoor playground, tennis courts, swimming pools, beach and grass.
10/10 King Evelthon Beach Hotel – Paphos ★★★★★
King Evelthon Beach Hotel sits enviably on the beachfront of Chlorakas Bay amid spacious landscaped gardens. Family suites have views of the Mediterranean Sea. Facilities at King Evelthon Beach Hotel include an indoor and outdoor swimming pool, spa, gym and snooker room plus daytime and evening entertainment. The resort has three à la carte restaurants; Greek, Italian and Mexican plus a buffet restaurant. Head to one of the three outdoor bars to quench your thirst. King Evelthon Beach Hotel is well set up for families with its own water park and kids splash pool with slides for some high octane water fun. King Evelthon also has good outdoor facilities for kids including a playground, mini soccer pitch, tennis and volleyball courts.