Beaches Negril Resort and Spa
Location: Negril, Jamaica
Details: On Negril’s Seven-Mile beach.
Why recommend it? Beaches has plenty to offer children of all ages and is particularly good for older kids.
The resort has just opened Trench Town, an activity area for teenagers and under-21s, complete with sound system, flat-screen TVs, laser hockey, table football and electronic basketball.
Budding DJs can learn scratching, mixing and spinning at Beaches’ Scratch DJ Academy; there is an under-21s night club, called Liquid; there is also a Pirates Island water park and an X-Box 360 Game Garage.
Other activities offered include banana boat rides, kayaking, scuba diving, snorkelling and waterskiing.
With five speciality restaurants and a beach bistro, parents will find something to suit even the pickiest of eaters.
Who to sell it to: The ever-so-demanding teen and tween market.
Sample package: Seven nights in a deluxe room start at £1,365 per adult and £816 per child in November, including flights and transfers. sellingsandals.co.uk, 020 7590 0210
- More on TW: Sandals info zone on TWacademy
Makadi Family Star
Location: Hurghada, Egypt
Details: This 60-room property opened last month as a purpose-built extension to the five-star Makadi Palace hotel on Makadi Bay, about 20 miles from Hurghada.
Why recommend it? It has its own private beach and kids’ playground and guests can also use the sports and leisure facilities at the neighbouring Makadi Palace, just along the promenade. There is a kids’ mini club, showing kids’ movies and running activities such as a daily mini disco.
Another plus is flights to the Red Sea region are plentiful, so families all over the UK should be able to travel from a local airport, rather than having to fly from London.
Who to sell it to: Large families, as all the rooms and suites can take up to six people. A good winter-sun option.
Sample package:Red Sea Holidays is offering seven nights for a family of four for £2,713 in July 2010, including flights from Gatwick and transfers. The operator has a year-round standard child price of £399. redseaholidays.co.uk/agents, 0845 313 9949
Club Pink Palace
Location: Ovacik Hisaronu, Turkey
Details: A three-star property, on a mountainside, amid tropical vegetation, near Olu Deniz.
Why recommend it? While the kids’ facilities are not as extensive here as at some of the larger resorts, this is a very cosy and family-friendly hotel, with a separate children-only swimming pool and playground.
The hotel’s location allows plenty of opportunity for exploring. Children are encouraged to pick the fruit from the trees in the gardens. It’s a five-minute walk to the busy resort of Ovacik Hisaronu and the hotel runs a free shuttle bus to Olu Deniz beach, about a mile away. Fethiye is seven miles away. It’s also a good base for visiting some of Turkey’s archaeological sites.
Who to sell it to: Budget-conscious families who want to combine rest and relaxation with a bit of shopping and sightseeing.
Sample package:Olympic Holidays has 14 nights for a family of three for £2,033, sharing a garden or pool-view room, in August, including flights
and transfers. olympicholidays.com, 0800 093 3322
Spice Island Beach Resort
Location: Grand Anse beach, Grenada
Details: The five-star Spice Island Beach Resort has 64 suites, dotted along the white sands of Grand Anse beach, opening either straight on to the beach or into enclosed gardens. Each has its own private plunge pool.
Why recommend it? The resort’s children’s and teens’ club, the Nutmeg Pod, runs organised activities and has electronic games stations. Healthy snacks are given out at break time.
Families can go trekking in the mountainous rainforest nearby, and kids can go looking for cocoa, cinnamon, cloves, mace and ginger.
Parents can relax in the spa or go diving, and there is a dive school at the end of the beach. The property runs a babysitting service, so mum and dad can have a romantic candlelit meal at the gourmet restaurant, Oliver’s, safe in the knowledge their little ones are being well looked after.
Who to sell it to: Young-at-heart parents who still want a bit of ‘us time’ from their family holiday.
Sample package:Kuoni has seven nights from £2,169 per adult and £469 per child, in June. The first child (aged two-11) stays free when sharing with two adults. kuoni.co.uk, 01306 747008
Grand Hotel Anthelia
Location: Costa Adeje, Tenerife
Details: Located directly on the waterfront in Costa Adeje just in front of the Fañabe beach, the five-star Iberostar Grand Hotel Anthelia has undergone a complete renovation.
Why recommend it? Set in 60,000sq metres of gardens, the hotel has two kids’ pools, a children’s play area and a club for four to 12-year-olds, with evening activities such as games, competitions and discos. Other facilities include a tennis court, shops, an internet centre and a spa.
A lot of thought has been put into the 61 family rooms, which have children’s bath toys, kids’ bathrobes and minibars stocked with milk, hot chocolate and yoghurts. The children’s menu in the à la carte restaurants is very varied.
Who to sell it to: A good option for families with young kids.
Sample package:Prestige Holidays has seven nights at the hotel staying in a double room with flights from Gatwick with easyJet, including private transfers, from £1,214 per adult and £342 for a child under seven in June. prestigeholidays.co.uk, 01425 480400
Olhuveli Beach and Spa Resort
Location: South Malé Atoll, Maldives
Details: The four-star-plus Olhuveli is nestled in tropical vegetation, surrounded by a vast sandy beach and a crystal-clear shallow lagoon, which is perfect for swimming or learning the water sports on offer at the resort.
Why recommend it? Action-packed family fun is guaranteed from the start. Kids will love the short speedboat ride to the resort and, once there, they can try wake-boarding, knee-boarding, fun tubes, banana rides or tennis. There is a kids’ programme for three to 11-year-olds and entertainment includes magic shows, discos and even weekly crab races.
Who to sell it to: Families who want some action-packed fun.
Sample package:First Choice has seven nights from £1,750 per adult and £1,052 per child, in April, including flights. 0871 200 4455, firstchoice.co.uk
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