Before we had kids we would decide on a Thursday evening it might be fun to spend the weekend in Paris. We’d open up the laptop, book a hotel and the next evening would be spent on a terrace in Le Marais. Now, a little more planning and research is involved as we prefer a child friendly hotel. What?! Yes, I really said child friendly.
But what makes a hotel or any other accommodation child friendly? I think that differs from person to person and perhaps even per destination or “the type” of holiday. If you are going to the snow for a week you might find it necessary to have a separate bedroom for the kids. While on the other hand you may be willing to make an exception if you’re visiting Antwerp for a weekend by sleeping in one room together for just those two nights.
You’ve all flooded me with your favourite child friendly hotels. I could almost fill an entire Lonely Planet with them. To keep it close to home I’ve started with Europe.
TOP 10 Child friendly hotels in Europe
Let’s start with this ‘not so typical’ child friendly hotel. Nonetheless you named this as one of your favourite places to spend the night in Berlin with the kids. Why? You’ll find an enormous aquarium in the lobby of the hotel, the world’s largest detached aquarium even. Your kids will be in awe as soon as you walk into the hotel.
This hotel really honours its name; it’s an absolute paradise for kids. It won’t get more child friendly than this. Check this out; the hotel has a special children’s reception, children’s tea time, activities for baby’s, an incredibly fun children’s club, a pickup and delivery service for kids that take ski lessons, fantastic family rooms, a family spa AND an “adult only” spa. So you can escape from all the kid stuff whenever you feel the urge too.
This child friendly hotel is set up spaciously, it’s buggy friendly, has a children’s play room with special activities for the kids and a children’s pool with slide. They also have child seats in the restaurant and the hotel rooms have children’s beds.
These apartments in Barcelona are certainly not your “typical child friendly” choice. So what exactly makes Up Suites BCN a good place to stay when you’re planning your trip to Barcelona? It has a great central location in the Eixample district, the apartments are spacious and have all the facilities (such as a fully equipped kitchen and a washing machine) to make your stay as relaxed as possible.
This is our kids’ absolute favourite! What could possibly be more fun than spending a day at the Efteling? Spending a couple of days and one night at the Efteling of course! Bosrijk is just as beautiful and fairylike as the Efteling itself. In the evening the Sandman even drops by to read a bedtime story. What else do you want?
It has a central location, right next to Gare de Lyon. The hotel has spacious rooms and is very child friendly for a hotel located in the centre of town. Fancy a dip in the pool after a day of exploring the city? Go for it. Or just let the kids unwind by playing an Xbox game in the “game room”.
The Ampersand is a child friendly hotel located in the heart of London, Kensington. It has spacious suites with a kitchen but you can also book two rooms separated by a door. The Ampersand has special child menus and the breakfast is even free for kids aged up to 4. In the children’s play room your kids can play a game of table tennis to blow off some steam.
Fancy a bit of fresh mountain air and participation in outdoor activities? All of this is possible in this super child friendly family hotel. There is so much choice: swimming, climbing in the indoor playground, horse riding, forest walks and loads and loads more. There’s even a crèche for babies older than 6 months so you can enjoy an hour at the spa if you like.
Croatia is a lovely holiday destination and not yet as touristy as the South-European countries. And yes, here too you can find child friendly hotels! Kids Hotel Andrija is an excellent example. It happens to be the first child-theme hotel in Croatia. This hotel is literally built for families and everything is made to measure for your stay with kids.
Hotel De Blanke Top is a boutique hotel on the Belgium coast. It offers luxury and relaxation for you and enough facilities for the little hooligans. You can book a comfortable family room, special three course meals are cooked for your kids and if they are tired of the beach, they can relax in the play room.
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