The official start of summer is nearly here. Though if your bank balance is still hurting after that lavish spring half-term getaway and you haven’t booked the family sunshine trip just yet you can still be the hero.
A stay at Aman, Four Seasons or Six Senses is beyond most of our budgets, but you can still whisk the brood away for some European R&R at one of these affordable resorts, with guaranteed sun, fantastic facilities and rooms designed to hold a crowd.
Phokaia Beach Resort, Turkey
Plummly placed on the scenic Turquoise Coast within walking distance of the pretty fishing village of Foça, this amenity-stacked resort combines reliable fun in the sun with Turkish flavour. Days revolve around the 50m family pool – flanked by a smaller, shallower and nicely shaded toddler version – before evening sundowners at the waterside Jetty Bar and Anatolian buffet dinners at the Dionisos Restaurant. You’re in striking distance of ancient city Ephesus, a UNESCO World Heritage Centre, but for the less culturally inclined there are countless sweat-inducing activities onsite ranging from SUP to sailing, water-skiing to pickleball. Perhaps most crucially of all for parents? The free childcare sessions for children aged one and up.
Book it: Seven nights, five full-board and two half-board, from £1,558 per person, including flights and transfers. markwarner.co.uk
Feldhof Dolce Vita Resort, Italy
The South Tyrol might not seem like a classic fly-and-flop destination but with an exceptionally dry 27C microclimate, mountainous green landscapes filled with outdoor adventure and a family-friendly resort with facilities galore, the Ventosa Valley is a surprisingly brilliant bet for a spot of sun. Dolce Vita, squirrelled away amid rolling mountain pastures and cycling trails, is a collection of five individual hotels with shared facilities including 41 pools, fine-dining restaurants and concert spaces. Of the lot Feldhof is the most family-friendly with modern suites that sleep a brood, kiddo adventure pool, multiple slides and a playground.
Book it: Rooms from £152 per person with most meals. dolcevitahotels.com
Bella Mare Hotel, Greece
For kids aged five to 11 – and their parents – this resort on the sun-warmed north-eastern corner of Corfu is a dreamland. A free ‘Beach Life’ programme on select weeks in July and August provide little ones with a rigorous activity schedule of craft sessions, water games and treasure hunts, while parents kick back and soak up the Ionian blues from curvaceous Avlaki beach. Come evening you can wander to a nearby taverna to feast on Greek classics like saganaki and spanakopita, then later when little ones are tucked in bed you and your other half can sip nightcaps on your bedroom terrace, barely more than a souvlaki’s toss from the cerulean surf.
Book it: Seven nights from £1,510 per person, including flights and transfers. simpsontravel.com
Picciolo Etna Golf Resort & Spa, Curio Collection by Hilton, Italy
Renovated and reopened just this spring under the Hilton banner, this resort overlooking Sicily’s famous Etna volcano has long been a favourite with golfers, who come for the 18-hole course designed by industry pro Luigi Rota Caremoli. But with its two-bedroom suites, rustic pizzas in the Il Palmento restaurant and umbrella-lined outdoor pool, it’s a worthwhile stay for families with older children too. Before an afternoon unwinding on a lounger, strike out to one of Parco dell’Etna’s hiking trails, sample canyoning or drag the offspring to a local winery such as Tenute Mannino for a tasting of lively reds made from Nerello Mascalese grapes. That’s what you call a proper Italian education.
Book it: Double rooms from £127, including breakfast. hilton.com
3HB Falésia Garden, Portugal
With direct access to a rugged beach coastline framed by trees and copper cliffs, 3HB presents a wild perspective of the Algarve, despite its proximity to lively, amenity-packed Albufeira. Thatched umbrellas shade taupe-hued loungers leading down to the surf, while two sizeable pools – one with a bar, another dedicated to kiddos – provide an alternative way to cool off in the 30C heat. Streamlined apartment-style rooms with a separate bedroom and living room, cots on request and kitchenette with fridge and microwave make the holiday parenting juggle breezy (no need to hide in the bathroom with your bottle of wine until the kiddos drift off). If you don’t want to cook, half-board options are available, including plates from a Med-inflected buffet.
Book it: Double rooms from £197. 3hb.com
Wyndham Grand Costa del Sol, Spain
If it’s not the free kids club – complete with cupcake decorating, beach volleyball, archery and a whole host of other activities – that sells you on the Wyndham Grand, then perhaps it’ll be the dedicated adults-only zones, perfect for a genuinely relaxing, shriek-free afternoon once you’re off parental duty. Suites hold between one and three bedrooms and sleep up to eight people, so you can bring along the extended fam or friends with kiddos for a big group bash in the sun. Nightly entertainment, VIP-style Balinese daybeds with poolside service and daily happy hours complete the set up.
Book it: Double rooms from £82. wyndhamgrandcostadelsol.com
Mirabello Bay, Greece
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When you’re craving a spa stay but the children are demanding a waterpark, playground or mini disco, this Cretan gem named after its prime location on turquoise-hued Mirabello Bay provides a perfect compromise. Clustered around a duo of sheltered beaches with sunbeds, parasols and daybeds, the resort comes with à la carte restaurants, yacht club and multiple pool bars (including one where you can slip directly from lounger into the blue). For the minis you’ve got all kinds of active fun, plus an outdoor cinema, nightly entertainment in the form of music or dance and enough dining options to keep even the pickiest eaters content. After dark, grown ups can sneak off to the shisha patio for fragrant puffs and soothing tunes.
Book it: Double rooms from £272 all-inclusive. zeusintl.com
Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort, Morocco
Some like it hot, and hot it certainly is in Morocco in high summer – though, in coastal Casablanca, climes hover at a more reasonable mid-20s thanks to tempering ocean breezes. At this beachside resort an hour from the airport you’ve got 250 hectares of exploration to enjoy before you even have to think about heading further afield. A dozen dining outlets, 7km of beach, golfing, quad-biking, laser tag, zipline – even go-karting; the lengthy activities roster will surely entice even the most unenthusiastic teens off their phones. Meanwhile Moroccan-inflected family rooms sleeping up to two adults and four children come with ground floor patios, perfect for snatching a quick read or snooze in between scheduled events.
Book it: Double rooms from £180. mazaganbeachresort.com
Octant Hotel Évora, Portugal
For a nature-focused resort with a more alternative, chic feel – where it’s meadows, trees and birdlife composing the panorama rather than the usual beach and sea – try this stay in the central Alentejo, set over 11 hectares of farmland. With its boxy contemporary design and small scale (just 56 rooms) it’ll be a win with design-inclined grown-ups, and kiddos who enjoying getting stuck into wild landscapes. Little ones will meet the farm animals, traverse the rope bridge and see the vineyards, while you get to play in the wine cellar. Taste some of the 400 vinous bottles on offer during expert-led masterclasses, over chef’s table dinners or while making your very own wine from local grapes to take home.
Book it: Double rooms from £212, including breakfast. octanthotels.com
Iberostar Waves Alcudia Park, Spain
Undulating terrain, stunner beaches, cobbled towns and plenty of sunshine – Mallorca is a no-brainer for a family summertime break, and this resort just outside the historic walled town of Alcúdia lets you combine R&R with island sightseeing. Overnights in family rooms with balconies and turquoise-splashed décor precede days spent on Playa de Muro, punctuated by dedicated children’s menus and water sport thrills. If you want to fully take the financial pressure off sign up for the all-inclusive option and you won’t need to worry about the bill as growing kids fill their boots with fresh fish, pasta and pizza at the restaurant.
Book it: Double rooms from £346, all-inclusive. ihg.com
