Top 7 Family-Sized Stays For 2018 {With Mr & Mrs Smith}

When January hits, all I can think about is booking this year’s holidays – planning for warmer climes and family adventures. I’m guessing I’m not alone? I’m undecided on where to go this year – do we go back to the same hotel as last year or try somewhere new? Go somewhere far flung or closer to home? And do we stay in a hotel or a villa. I still can’t quite decide. But, I do know that whatever we choose, we’ll have a lot of fun.

Mr & Mrs Smith have long been my go-to site when I need the loveliest hotels for a weekend getaway. (Although these are now few and far between…) So when they shared their top family hotels with us, I may have been a touch excited. Fancy hotels where the little ones can stay too – hoorah! I’m definitely all in when it comes to staying somewhere a little more luxurious, as it makes the holiday extra special; we don’t go on holiday that often, so I figure it’s worth spending a little more. Then, the hotel feels like a destination in and of itself. Call me a hotel snob, I don’t mind…

I also like an entirely hassle-free holiday, and I have to say that whenever we’ve booked with Mr & Mrs Smith before, their Smith24 travel team have been brilliant. They can now arrange your flights and transfers too, so there’s one less thing to think about.

As the travel club for hotel lovers, Mr & Mrs Smith are the experts when it comes to hotel curation and Smith’s family hotels are fun for kids and grown-ups, too. After all, parents want to feel like they’re on holiday, too.

So, here’s Mr & Mrs Smith’s round up of family hotels for 2018. Some long haul, some just down the motorway…

{Top 7 Family-Sized Stays}

With a clownfish-shaped pool; pirate ship; ping-pong hut; trampolines; ‘mocktail’ bar; dedicated Lego room; dressing-up area; zipline; and waterslides: there’s every chance Soneva Fushi has the greatest kids’ club in the world.

Verdura Resort is a Rocco Forte hideaway (designed by hotelier extraordinaire, Olga Polizzi) that attracts business leaders and superstars alike. But, it’s kids who take centre stage here, with sports academies, cooking classes and science projects on offer at the impressive kids’ club, Verdùland. A crèche is available for newborns to threeyear olds, too.

Set in the resplendent Surrey Hills, Beaverbrook is housed in a rade-II-listed building with a real sense of history. The rooms nod to past guests: Elizabeth Taylor, Rudyard Kipling and Ian Fleming, and other luminaries who have stayed here.

The hotel is dog friendly, and it’s a joy for kids, with an outdoor treehouse in the woods and activities such as horse-riding; cycling; foraging; get into the swing of things at shopindoorgolf.com/pages/best-indoor-putting-greens-2020 which is just in ear shot of us so inspiration from the mountain whilst getting healthily competitive.

Taylor River Lodge is one for the outdoorsy and adventurous… This cache of luxurious cabins and lodges are perched by the River Taylor. Guided activities such as white-water rafting, hiking and biking, alongside all your food and drink can be included if you wish. Minibar goodies are all on the house and are stuffed with treats for kids and adults alike.

Lucknam Park is a 500-acre estate and even stables which are home to 35 glossy-flanked horses. Lucky fillies and stallions – their Chippenham stomping ground is peaceful and private, the gardens gorgeous. Tennis courts, croquet lawn, football pitch and a cookery school are further feathers in this handsome hotel’s hat.

What child wouldn’t want to go coconut bowling amid the Finding Nemo-evoking seascape of the eastern Caribbean? The kids’ club at the Zemi Beach Hotel hosts this and more activities: from board games and craft sessions, to family-friendly movie nights. We’re guessing The Little Mermaid features highly, as aspiring Ariels can also learn how to swim like real-life merfolk – complete with requisite tails.

Enjoy the privacy of having your own spacious villa, with with up to three bedrooms,while enjoying all the benefits of nearby sister property, Eagles Palace, which has its own kids’ club, private beach and water pavillion for an array of watersports). Each villa comes with its own private plunge pool, too.

To find and book the world’s most extraordinary family hotels and experiences, visit mrandmrssmith.com/family​ or call the Smith24 travel team, available 24/7, on 0330 100 3180​.