Hotels
Luxury family hotels in Europe: where children are welcome
The kids' club opens at nine, and the pool has a shallow end with a slide. These are the family-friendly hotels in Europe where the children and the grown-ups both get a holiday.
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You can tell when a hotel is built for children. There is a shallow end to the pool, and the breakfast room has low tables. The pushchairs are parked by reception, and someone has thought about where the parents sit while the children play.
The hotels below were chosen on that basis. All have rooms that sleep at least four, most have a kids' club, and all are somewhere children have things to do outside the hotel too.
In short
Martinhal Sagres in the Algarve is our first choice among the luxury family hotels in Europe: kids' clubs from babyhood and apartments with kitchens, a short walk from the beach. Falkensteiner Diadora in Croatia has kids' clubs for several ages, and in the Alps Falkensteiner Sonnenalpe has childcare and ski school close by.
Our first choice, Martinhal Sagres: Check availability and prices
Our top picks
Best for toddlers: Martinhal Sagres Beach Family Resort. Check availability and prices
Best for older children: Falkensteiner Family Hotel Diadora in Croatia. Check availability and prices
Best all inclusive: Ikos Andalusia near Estepona. Check availability and prices
Best in winter: Falkensteiner Family Hotel Sonnenalpe in the Alps. Check availability and prices
How to choose a family hotel
The room: look for family rooms or two-bedroom suites. A room that 'sleeps four' can mean two extra beds in front of the television.
The kids' club: check the age limits. Many take children from four, some from four months.
The pool: a shallow end or a separate children's pool matters more to toddlers than a long water slide.
The food: all inclusive works where the hotel is on its own. In a town, half board may be enough.
Beaches and kids' clubs: Portugal and Spain
Portugal and Spain are a short flight from the UK and full of hotels built for families. The Algarve is the quietest, the Costa del Sol has the most to do.
Portugal's far south-west
Martinhal Sagres Beach Family Resort in the Algarve. Photo: Hotels.com (Expedia Group)
Algarve: Martinhal Sagres Beach Family Resort
The resort sits by Martinhal beach at Portugal's far south-western tip, where the Atlantic meets the Algarve coast. It was built for families from the start, with kids' clubs by age and apartments with kitchens.
It suits families with babies and toddlers who want everything in one place. Sagres can be windy, so the beach is best on calm days.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Martinhal Sagres
On the beach near Estepona
Ikos Andalusia near Estepona. Photo: Hotels.com (Expedia Group)
Costa del Sol: Ikos Andalusia
The hotel stands on the beach between Estepona and Marbella, with an all inclusive deal that covers several restaurants. It has a kids' club and separate children's pools.
Choose it when you would rather not think about food or bills all week.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Ikos Andalusia
The Mediterranean: Croatia, Cyprus and Turkey
Further south the sea is warmer and the season longer. The resorts here are bigger, with several pools and restaurants on the same grounds.
Greece has a guide of its own: Family hotels in Greece.
Punta Skala near Zadar
The terrace at Falkensteiner Family Hotel Diadora, with the Adriatic beyond. Photo: Hotels.com (Expedia Group)
Croatia: Falkensteiner Family Hotel Diadora
The hotel stands at Punta Skala north of Zadar, with terraces right above the Adriatic and kids' clubs for several age groups. Croatia is a shorter flight than Turkey or Cyprus.
It suits older children who want to swim all day, and parents who want dinner with a sea view.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Falkensteiner Family Hotel Diadora
On the beach near Limassol
Parklane resort near Limassol, Cyprus. Photo: Hotels.com (Expedia Group)
Cyprus: Parklane, a Luxury Collection Resort
The resort is on the beach east of Limassol, with a kids' club and several pools. Cyprus has warm sea from May to October, a longer season than further north.
It suits families who can travel outside the summer holidays.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Parklane
Sandy beach at Belek
Maxx Royal Belek near Antalya. Photo: Hotels.com (Expedia Group)
Turkey: Maxx Royal Belek
Belek, east of Antalya, is known for long sandy beaches and large resorts. Maxx Royal has all inclusive and its own water park for children.
A good pick for anyone wanting plenty for their money in July and August.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Maxx Royal Belek
The Alps: family hotels in summer and winter
Austria has whole hotel groups built for children, with childcare all day and ski school or hiking right outside.
Nassfeld in Carinthia
Falkensteiner Family Hotel Sonnenalpe in the snow at Nassfeld. Photo: Hotels.com (Expedia Group)
Austria: Falkensteiner Family Hotel Sonnenalpe
The hotel stands by the Nassfeld ski area in Carinthia, southern Austria, with childcare and ski school close by. In summer the lifts run up to hiking trails.
Here you get a ski holiday without spending the whole day dressing children. See family ski holidays.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Falkensteiner Family Hotel Sonnenalpe
When to book
Summer holidays: from January. Family suites and apartments go first.
February half-term in the Alps: before Christmas. Family hotels fill quickly.
October half-term: by June, especially in Cyprus and Turkey, where the season runs to the end of October.
Family hotels in Europe: frequently asked questions
What is a family hotel?
A family hotel is built for families with children, with rooms or suites that sleep four or more, a children's pool and a kids' club. The food suits every age. Many also offer childcare and activities for teenagers. An ordinary hotel can be child-friendly, but rarely has all of this in one place.
Where are the best luxury family hotels in Europe?
The best luxury family hotels in Europe are in the Algarve, on the Costa del Sol, in Croatia, in Turkey and in the Alps. Martinhal Sagres in Portugal and Ikos Andalusia in Spain are among the best known. Austria has whole hotel groups built around children, with childcare all day.
Which family hotels have kids' clubs for babies?
Several family resorts have kids' clubs for babies and toddlers, often from a few months old. Martinhal Sagres runs clubs by age group, and the Falkensteiner hotels run kids' clubs for several ages. Always check the age limits and whether the club costs extra.
Is all inclusive worth it at a family hotel?
All inclusive is worth it at family hotels that stand on their own, as in Belek or near Estepona, because you avoid hunting for food at set times. If the hotel is in a town with restaurants nearby, half board may be enough and leaves room for a night out.
When is the cheapest time to stay at a family hotel?
Family hotels are often cheapest in May, June and September, outside the school holidays. October half-term in southern Europe can also cost less than July or August. In the Alps, summer is cheaper than February half-term, and the lifts still run up to the hiking trails.