1/10 Portixol, Palma de Mallorca
This small and exclusive hotel is beautifully situated in the Portixol harbour within easy walking distance of the centre of Palma. With Mediterranean style and a Scandinavian influence, large pool, restaurant and spa, it’s a place dedicated to happy, fun and relaxing times. This could be the perfect place for you and your family to feel like you’ve truly escaped home.
Great for families
During the day, kids can splash in the pool, chill out in the lounge or you can take them on a stroll up the long harbour promenade. In the hotel, the best family rooms are the bigger ones, such as Big Port View and Mediterranean View, which come with a double sofa bed. Babysitting can be organised and there are baby monitors/listeners available that work between the rooms and the restaurant giving you the chance to enjoy a quiet dinner à deux. High chairs, baby baths and bottle warming are all available.
2/10 Hotel Vondel, Amsterdam
In the heart of the fashionable Zuid area of the city and a stone’s throw from the green haven of Vondelpark, Hotel Vondel is a chic family-friendly sanctuary. With a hip, laid-back vibe with flower filled lounges, a gorgeous little terrace with a trickling, bubbling water fountain this is the perfect place to base yourself and family while you spend the day discovering amazing art exhibitions, exploring the canals or riding bikes in the park.
Great for families
Ideal rooms for families include apartments with kitchenette facilities, suites and connecting rooms. A special children’s menu is available at the restaurant and children from 0-12 year receive a 50% discount on breakfast.
3/10 Eric Vokel Apartments, Barcelona
Just minutes away from the Sagrada Familia, Eric Vokel’s apartments couldn’t be in a better position for a day’s sightseeing in the city with the kids. These are not your normal run-of-the-mill apartments; instead Eric has created a new concept mixing Nordic functionality and clean line simplicity with the creativity and spontaneity of Mediterranean design. These family-friendly and stylish pads have a sleek fitted kitchen, swish modern bathrooms and pieces of colourful contemporary art.
Great for families
The apartments are ideal options for families offering self-catering and multiple bedrooms flexibility. Apartments come with all the kitchen kit you’ll need to cook up a feast including a dishwasher, washing machine, tumble dryer and Nestle Dolce Gusto coffee machine. To stock up head to the bustling Boqueria market which is a riot of fresh produce, colour and smells. Kids will love it.
4/10 DR94, Edinburgh
There is no stuffy tartan at this seven-bedroom townhouse, instead you’ll find a funky bijou place with a stunningly big personality; fresh flowers, iPads in the lounge to help you research and plan your day or restaurant and designer teddies. Bedrooms are white, stylish and a contemporary fusion of muted greys, luxe fabrics (think delicious wool blankets from Mull) coupled with an eclectic mix of modern and traditional furniture and modern Scottish artwork.
Great for families
For somewhere so funky it’s surprising to find kids so welcome. There are actually six and 3/4 bedrooms and the 3/4 refers to the Wee Dram room – a special children’s bedroom (the adults need to take the connecting room) which comes with bunk beds, X-box, books and toys. Baby cots are also available, other rooms can take an extra bed and babysitting can be arranged.
5/10 Casa Howard, Florence
Behind the unassuming front door of this discreet townhouse is a family-friendly, intimate and elegant boutique B&B. With a great location just steps from both the Santa Maria Novella train station and the heart of the city’s Renaissance museums, this is a great place to base your family and staying here feels more like staying in the stylish home of some arty and eccentric friends, rather than a hotel.
Great for families
The rooms are spacious and open which is perfect for giving the kids some breathing space after a long day of sightseeing. What makes Casa Howard unique is the Play Room Suite, which has a soundproofed sitting room, a Walt Disney video library and a full climbing wall to keep the little ones quiet.
6/10 Hotel Montalembert, Paris
As a relaxing hideaway right in the centre of town, Hotel Montalembert is pretty much spot on. The magnificent 1920s stone facade hides interiors that are cosy and inviting. For family stays the location doesn’t get much better; you’re within walking distance of world-class museums and two spectacular gardens, the Jardin du Luxembourg and the green leafy escape at the Rodin Museum. So take the family and sightsee away and return to soak up the sunshine on the outdoor terrace or snuggle by the fireplace on winter days.
Great for families
Kids are welcomed with a smile and receive their own kiddie VIP treatment including mini bathrobes, slippers and a cute Montalembear. The Suites have a bedroom that can be closed off from the living space, others come with sofa beds that can comfortably sleep two children and others can take a cot or extra bed. There’s a book and child-friendly DVD library and free iPods to use and the team at the hotel will happily organise child-friendly activities. All the family are welcome in the restaurant and little ones can order from the special kids menu or smaller portions from the main menu.
7/10 The Yeatman, Porto
A hotel dedicated to wine may seem an unusual family option, but The Yeatman is anything but usual. It comes with a perfect location to explore the city or take a Douro River cruise, an infinity pool with breathtaking views, an indoor pool and an indulgent spa (Merlot wrap anyone?). Mums and dads can also enjoy a cosy bar and an award-winning restaurant, while the kids play at the on-site kids club.
Great for families
With two pools, you’re able to have family water fun whatever the weather, there are over 1.5 hectares of private walled grounds to explore with wooden animals to play on and a Kids Club, supervised on request, with books, toys and games. There are fun, educational sessions where children can discover where corks come from, how they are made and can sign their name on the biggest cork in the world. Room wise, most can take a cot or extra bed, there are connecting rooms and round-the-clock babysitting can be arranged. Looks like the team at the Yeatman have thought of just about everything.
8/10 Casa Montani, Rome
A B&B styled like a design hotel, Casa Montani is a five-room guesthouse with a big soul on the majestic Piazza del Popolo just a hop and skip away from the Spanish Steps. There is also a separate two-bedroom apartment on Piazza Satiri which has the same gorgeous design, a central location, a practical layout and is perfect for families.
Great for families
The apartment is a great family option and is as close as you can get to having your own pad in Rome coming with 2 bedrooms (one double one single) each with a marbled bathroom, a living room with a sofa bed and a kitchenette. Start your day with (baby) cappuccinos and chocolate croissants in Piazza Farnese, then set off for St Peter’s, the Pantheon and Trastevere, all of which are easily reached on foot through small winding streets with little boutiques and lively restaurants on the way.
9/10 Palais De L’Ô, Marrakech
Palais de L’Ô may just be the perfect answer to those searching for a family friendly adventure in Marrakech. Spend the day experiencing the sights, noise and buzz of the bustling medina then head back to Palais de L’Ô in the Palmeraie. You’ll find lush, green manicured gardens filled with rose bushes and orange trees. There’s a large adult and a children’s swimming pool surrounded by wicker loungers with white cushions, a restaurant with an inspired menu of Moroccan cuisine prepared with veggies picked straight from the garden, plus a spa, hammam and sauna. You may find it hard to leave this little oasis and explore the city with your family.
Great for families
With gardens to run around and a children’s pool to jump in this is the perfect place to bring the family and for mini-pootlers to let off steam after exploring the noisy, colourful and exotic medina. There’s a kids menu in the restaurant, babysitting can be organised and the team can organise family-friendly excursions and activities. Best rooms for families are the large suites, each with private terraces with views of the garden or the snow-capped High Atlas mountains.
10/10 Ackselhaus & Blue Home, Berlin
Your family will love the quirky decor of Ackselhaus and Blue Home which is tucked away in Prenzlauer Berg, a leafy district of wide boulevards which bustles with family friendly cafes, restaurants and shops. There is always plenty to do with the kids in Berlin, including Kollwitzplatz with its great playgrounds, going up the TV tower in Alexanderplatz, spending a day at Berlin Zoo and walking around the Tiergarten.
Great for families
There are some great options for families, we especially love the themed suites at Ackselhaus such as the Safari Suite with its double bed and adjoining room and the kids will love sleeping under canvas! Ackselhaus apartments and Blue Home Suites are also very family friendly, coming with a basic kitchenette and some with a second room. There are also iPads to hire preloaded with films books and music.