As Easter approaches, children gleefully look forward to two and half weeks off school, and parents wonder where to go for a fun-filled family break. There are tons of wonderful family-friendly places to stay across the UK, be it luxurious holiday homes, rural glamping retreats, lakeside country houses or seaside hotels. Here are just a handful of Cool Places to choose from.
Decisions, decisions....
Barford Beach House
Here is a place boasting a cinema and playroom, and a secret underground retreat known as ‘The Bunker’, complete with pool table, retro arcade-games and a classic pinball machine. Sleeping 16 guests across six bedrooms, this Cornish holiday home screams luxury – smoked oak flooring, dramatic copper-clad rooms, and a huge master suite with its own cocktail bar. Not to mention an outdoor wood-fired hot tub, indoor spa and access to a secluded private beach at Wanson Mouth. Adults will love it, and we're betting your kids will too.
Lower Keats Glamping
Family-friendly glamping doesn't get much better than Devon's Lower Keats – six luxuriously decorated safari lodges set in peaceful countryside, with wood-burning stoves, en-suites and firepits. They each sleep six, seven including your four-legged friend. Lyme Regis (with its four beaches) and the World Heritage Jurassic coast are just a short drive away, whilst on site there are pigs and lambs to pet, and a wildflower meadow to explore.
Another Place, The Lake
On the shores of Ullswater you'll find Another Place, The Lake, a family-friendly 40-room country-house hotel with glorious lake views, a 20-metre indoor infinity pool and a dedicated kids’ space. Go kayaking in the lake or wild swimming along the shoreline, but if land-based activities are more your thing, take a two-hour family walk with Tale Trails. Back at the hotel there are two restaurants to choose from – a casual Maine-style eatery known as The Living Space, and the contemporary Rampsbeck restaurant.
Comrie Croft
Comrie Croft has something for everyone – glamp in one of their katas (Swedish tipis replete with a wood-burning stove), pitch a tent and wild camp, or check into a family-room in the farmhouse B&B. You're perfectly placed to explore the natural beauties of Scotland from this eco-friendly Highland oasis on the edge of the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park. Head out into the Crieff-Comrie paths network for walking and cycling, then back to Comrie Croft's Tea Garden for Scottish smoked salmon bagels with cream cheese.
Forest Holidays Blackwood
Head to Hampshire for a family holiday in a luxury woodland cabin, and get away from it all. Hidden deep in a 270-hectare beech forest, the 60 cabins are the height of comfort, with outdoor hot tubs and log-burning stoves. For the ultimate forest retreat, check out their family treehouse. Hire bikes and explore the forest, or for the more adventurous try Go Ape, there are three of the aerial ropes course sites nearby.
The Rosevine
Pack your bucket and spade and head to Cornwall's The Rosevine, a family hotel perched above the sandy cove of Porthcurnick. This is an apart-hotel, giving families that extra space they need. Children can explore the lovely gardens (complete with miniature football pitch, playhouse and climbing frame), and there are some magnificent beaches in easy walking distance. For parents seeking adult-only time, check out Old Quay House in Fowey, owned by the same people.
Denmark Farm
Kick back and relax at Denmark Farm, a holiday retreat in the heart of rural Ceredigion in southwest Wales. Set in a 40-acre nature reserve, you can choose from eco-camping, glamping or self-catering in the Scandi-style eco-lodge. There are walking trails leading to wildlife watching hides, lakes and meadows, a woodland play park, and BBQ area for evening cookouts.
YHA Windermere
YHA Windermere has got to be one of the most spectacularly situated YHAs in the country – panoramic views of the lake and mountains by day, magical sunsets and dark skies by night. The budget-friendly hostel is housed in an elegant old hillside mansion, but if camping's more your style, pitch up a tent or glamp in a tipi in the impressive grounds. Spend a day walking the 11-mile Kentmere Horseshoe – the hostel will even make you a packed lunch to take out with you.
The Grove Cromer
Where better to spend a family break than at a family-run hotel? The Grove fits the bill – a hotel in a lovely historic building, set in four acres of lush gardens that house an indoor heated swimming pool. There's a children’s play area, tree house and trampoline, and a private path to Cromer beach. Let's not forget the six homely cottages if you prefer to self-cater, and traditional Mongolian yurts for the family glampers among you.
Graig Wen
Go glamping at Graig Wen, and explore all that Snowdonia National Park has to offer. The vistas from their four pet-friendly yurts and spacious bell tent are stunning, with Cader Idris providing an imposing backdrop. Glamping's not the only choice here – you can pitch a tent, bring your caravan, or for families seeking creature comforts, book into one of the cosy self-catering cottages. Wherever you choose, you are beautifully positioned to discover Snowdonia – start by hitting the family-friendly Pony Path, or walking the waterside Mawddach Trail.
