You know how it is. One minute you’re fantasising about a muscle-melting massage, a fine line-erasing facial, a serene dip in a tranquil pool — then, you remember you have children and ‘tranquil’ isn’t really in their vocabulary.
But parents, there is hope. At the finest family-friendly spa hotels in the UK and Europe, grown-up R&R time meets plenty of fun for the kiddos, so everyone gets the break they deserve. Some retreats welcome little ones for their own adorable mini-manis and micro-facials. Others major in endless activities that keep tykes busy while you hit the treatment table blissfully solo.
We’ve rounded up a few of our favourite family-friendly spas, so all you need to do is book in, drop bags and hit the sauna; 90-minute massage, here you come.
Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire
Doyen of old-school family-friendly luxury, the Four Seasons knows what it’s doing at this grand Georgian pile nestled in 120 hectares of Hampshire farmland. Wander through the rambling spa complex, bear right, and enter a conservatory-crowned adult lap pool, flanked by outdoor hot tub circled in sun-soaked loungers. It’s all so serene you could hear a pin drop – the perfect precursor to a signature ilā Inner Peace massage (or better yet, a full-day ilā wellbeing retreat, scheduled this 14 June). Bear left rather than right, however, and you’ll discover the antithesis: energetic Sharkie’s Reef, a sealife-themed kiddo dreamland of warm shallow pools, waterfall features, toys and slide.
Another marker of how good FS is at zoning the kiddie and the adult: elsewhere a cottage houses a large kids’ club, play area and teenager-friendly games rooms – all well away from resolutely grown-up spaces like the demur >Pride and Prejudice<-style afternoon tea salon and innovative Wild Carrot bar. Meanwhile, all ages come together at the adjoining Wild Carrot restaurant, for hand-picked crab with elderflower, line-caught sea bass or – if you’re a picky under-12 – fish and chips).
From £595, fourseasons.com
Moar Gut, Austria
A recent £16 million expansion including renovated alpine-chic suites, sports halls and an epic spa – complete with dedicated baby treatment wing – has made luxurious Moar Gut even ‘more good’ than this award-winning family hotel already was. Set outside Salzburg, the nature resort includes gourmet multi-course meals; bathrooms stocked with nappies and change tables; and, best of all, free childcare for children as young as one month old. Drop the littles by the two-storey ball pit and make for the 1,300m multi-storey spa space dripping in natural boulders and slates, with mind-cleansing views out to mountain peaks, hiking trails and natural bathing pools (take note: in Austrian tradition some spaces are no-cossies-allowed). Next door kids have their own extensive indoor-outdoor spa complex with towering slide, multiple pools and treatments including chocolate massages.
From £573, moargut.com
New Park Manor, Hampshire
Whether they’re spent meeting the stout local ponies or visiting the icon that is Peppa Pig World, mornings in the New Forest are always busy when kids are in tow. But New Park Manor’s spa provides the perfect slow afternoon antidote. Two pools – one outdoor, one indoor, both overlooking lawn and woodland – provide screech-free serenity twice daily during dedicated adults-only swim hours. A terrace with alfresco hot tubs is child-free 24/7, as is a mediation pod, while the Ofsted-registered kids’ club takes little ones from three months, with two free hours included per night’s stay. Spa divas aged three and up can enjoy their own Little Ishga treatments like 15-minute facials and mini massages, getting a pampering fix alongside parents.
From £205, luxuryfamilyhotels.co.uk
Puente Romano Marbella, Spain
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Sun, sea, sports, style – and, of course, spa – Puente Romano has it all, and in the swanky coastal setting of Marbella to boot. At this rambling resort there’s little reason to explore further afield, with three dozen restaurants (including a Nobu), a highly regarded tennis club and the La Casita Kids Club offering everything from shell collecting sessions to pizza-making workshops. Parents can slink off to mainland Spain’s only Six Senses Spa, a coddling sanctuary with a cave-like ‘wet zone’ of hydrotherapy and plunge pools, and upper floor treatment rooms overlooking the ocean. Book in a collagen-boosting 24K Gold Age Defying Facial and you’ll emerge looking so well-rested it’ll be as if you never had children.
From £448, puenteromano.com
Cliveden House Hotel, Berkshire
Elegant, historic and grand, the former home of Lord and Lady Astor feels in parts like a British Versailles – not exactly the kind of place you’d imagine welcomes toddlers with open arms. But Cliveden knows how to keep little ones busy, letting them roam the 152 hectares of grounds, wearing down their energy on walking trails, maze wanders and boat trips along the Thames. Exhausted parents can take turns hiding in the OSKIA spa, where following a swim in the Grade II-listed pool they can collapse onto a warmed water bed for the new Deep Sleep treatment, combining slumber-inducing mists, oils and balms with magnesium and melatonin. Pair it with a zen-inducing sound bath at your peril; you’ll emerge so relaxed you won’t give a fig what the kiddos get up to among the period furnishings.
From £445, clivedenhouse.co.uk
Evian Resort, France
Imagine the unbridled wonder the kiddos will feel when they learn that not only is Evian a real place but that it’s possible to swim in the *very same water* that’s sold in the famous bottle. Overlooking Lake Geneva, historic Evian Resort has been a go-to for its magic mineral waters since the early 1900s, and today boasts sprawling grounds with three hotels, plus golf courses, concert hall and casino. A series of kids clubs cater to all ages, from four-month-old cherubs to independence-seeking 17-year-olds, so wave ‘au revoir’ at the appropriate entrance and head straight for the 1,700m2 spa, centred around all things H2O. Enjoy sauna and snow cave, cold plunges and an outdoor hydrotherapy pool heated to 33C. Then collect Junior for spa round two, treating them to a twinning face and body treament with Mum or Dad.
From £405, evianresort.com
Beaverbrook, Surrey
Painted in candy hues, with bunk beds, vintage toys and yummy treats galore in mini bars, rooms in The Village – a recently opened expansion at luxe Surrey hotel Beaverbook – gives properly nostalgic Edwardian vibes. While kids entertain themselves in the suntrap courtyard with boules and skittles, ride bikes along the estate paths or devour popcorn over a daily 4:30 cinema showing in the main house, parents can tuck into their own fun at the resolutely adult spa. Sublime tilework, multiple pools and restorative reflexology awaits, before you all reconvene with a picnic in the meadows or at retro Mrs Beeton’s, where cheeseburgers are followed by Eton Mess.
From £610, beaverbrook.co.uk
Parkhotel Holzner, Italy
The setting of this Italian alpine resort is spa-like in its tranquillity: a 15-minute cable car ride up 1,200m above sea level from Bolzano, it’s all bucolic greenery and fresh mountain air. The family-owned hotel puts pampering front and centre to the experience too, with saunas featuring windows overlooking the woods, a DIY rhassoul set up in the hammam complex and skin-detoxifying treatments on tap. There’s also a dedicated family spa with interconnected indoor and outdoor pools, plus kid-friendly sauna and steam areas for wet play time. And when it’s time to dry off? Check out the parkland with circus tent, teen gym and a petting zoo with bunnies, goats and alpacas.
From £133, parkhotel-holzner.com
The Grove, Hertfordshire
The events calendar at this Hertfordshire staple, particularly come school holidays, rightly draws families in droves. Outdoor cinemas and pop-up beaches. Pony rides and arts and crafts sessions. Premier League alumni-led football camps and drives in pint-sized Land Rover replicas. While the kids get immersed in the activities – or go for a splash in the outdoor pool – adults can enjoy the immersion of the Sequoia Spa, where luxe brand Bamford heads up the treatments. Before or afterwards, a 22m-long pool under a barn-like vaulting ceiling invites quiet lengths, or sign up for studio classes like barre or LIIT to sweat it all out.
From £370 per night. thegrove.co.uk
Calcot & Spa, Cotswolds
Two hours from north London, Calcot & Spa near Tetbury in the Cotswolds feels like the (very luxe) home of some seriously-thoughtful, experienced parents. Why? Because alongside everything you want from a spa break, there’s family-friendly touches that make everything easy. A video monitor in the bedroom so you can watch the kids and enjoy a three-course locally-sourced dinner. Ducks for bathtime and a stool to reach the sink. Then there’s the Playbarn, a stellar kids’ club with Ofsted-registered staff. So, off you can skip to Calcot’s vast spa building, where you’ll find seven treatment rooms and cosy relaxation rooms, a warm, large indoor pool (children can swim during two daily sessions: it’s relaxing adults-only the rest of the time). Then there’s a sauna and steam room, as well as a fireside hot tub in a lavender-lined courtyard. The new gym barn is a highlight, packed with the latest machines, plus it offers Pilates and other movement classes. There’s also 200 acres of the Cotswolds to explore: with free mountain bikes and trailers for little ones.
From £344 per night. calcot.co
