Babies on Board: 5 Family-friendly hotels from Mr & Mrs Smith

MF editorial team 18 Dec 2015 updated the 22 December 2015 à 11:32

1/10
Anantara Si Kao Resort & Spa, Krabi, Thailand
You won’t feel crabby in Krabi if you stay at Anantara Si Kao Resort & Spa: a totally tropical treat with a buzzy beach club and serene Ayurvedic day spa for adults, plus endless distractions for children, including a dedicated pool, arts and crafts centre and action-packed fun on the Andaman Sea coast. Budding marine biologists will love the PADI dive facility with access to 10 dive sites – even non-divers can join in on an ocean experience led by the experienced staff. Around Koh Kradan isle, you can snorkel amid vibrant red corals, find Nemo and watch relaxed reef sharks. The Bubblemaker programme, for children over eight, lets them experience what it's like to go scuba diving in the safety of the swimming pool. Don’t spend your entire holiday underwater, though – it would be a crying shame to miss the two restaurants, tennis court, Beach House bar, Anantara Spa and Wellness 360°, home to eight treatment rooms (including four couples’ suites). If you can wangle 150 child-free minutes, plump for the Anantara Romantic Journey, a top-to-toe session for two including a floral foot ritual and scrub, aromatic oil massage and pampering facial.
Smith Extra Free access to the kids club; free WiFi; 15 per cent off food, drinks and spa treatments
2/10
Anantara Si Kao 4
3/10
Borgo Egnazia, Puglia, Italy
Forget having a piddly bedroom and a tiny terrace on holiday – at castle-like, candle-lit Borgo Egnazia in Puglia, you have a whole village to play with. Allocate at least a week to romp through Borgo’s attractions, which include four pools, two beach clubs, a golf course and a knockout spa. Trullalleri Kids Club is aimed at 3–12-year-olds, with an indoor and an outdoor area and a stash of toys. Activities on offer include: theatre workshops, dancing, face-painting, bracelet-making and cookery classes. Older children can pick from tennis, swimming, bike rides, trips to the zoo and trips to the local ruins. There’s a room for teens stocked with tech toys, including a Wii and Xbox, plus a ping-pong table, beach toys and table football. Family mealtimes are blissfully easy here, thanks to relaxed Due Camini restaurant, which serves traditional Pugliese dishes (grilled octopus, beef fillet with myrtle, gnocchi with cherry tomatoes and the ilk); there’s also a restaurant just for small Smiths, which has little chairs and tables and a healthy Mediterranean menu. Don’t worry, mum and dad, it’s not all about the kids: the Bar del Portico muddles up some delicious cocktails (the Borgo Egnazia Special, for example: an icy concoction of apple vodka, Galliano, mint syrup and pink-grapefruit juice). You’ll definitely need to book a couple of spa treatments – a Roman bath ritual with an Apulian pink-salt scrub or Tarantism (an ancient Apulian therapeutic ritual for women involving music), perhaps?
Smith Extra A bottle of spumante, plus Apulian cookies and fruit
4/10
Borgo Egnazia, Puglia, Italy
5/10
Evason Ana Mandara, Nha Trang, Vietnam
Warning: if you take your children to Evason Ana Mandara, they’ll be demanding a return trip for every Christmas and birthday present in the years to come. You’ll want to go back for more too, once you’ve experienced this beachy adventure playground in buzzy Nha Trang. First, let’s factor in the bright and spacious VIP villas, which have gauze-swathed four-poster beds, pagoda-shaded porches and open-air sunken bath tubs (alongside an indoor bath tub and shower). Secondly, let’s consider the aquatic activities on offer, which include kayaking, deep-sea diving, wave-bumping on Hobie Cats, parasailing, fishing and splashing about in the supervised onsite pools or in the aquamarine waters of Nha Trang Bay. Thirdly, let’s dwell on the perks for parents: couples’ treatments in the Six Senses spa, champagne-infused beach picnics and more serene sunbathing spots than you can shake a cocktail stick at. There’s also a kids club (free for under-4s) and plenty of potential for exploring. Gather your brood for a sea-faring full or half-day voyage across the Vietnamese Sea on the resort’s Trimaran boat – including a two-man crew, lifejackets and the option to pack a picnic – or visit one of the local food markets for a bonkers sensory overload.
Smith Extra One 30-minute hand/foot or facial massage for two, a Design your Cookie Class for the kids and an upgrade (subject to availability) on arrival
6/10
evason_ana_mandara_3
7/10
One&Only Hayman Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia
If your little ones are fans of Finding Nemo or The Little Mermaid, they’ll fit right in at One&Only Hayman Island, on the kaleidoscopic Great Barrier Reef. Water babies of all ages can dip in the azure Coral Sea or splash around the hotel’s three jaw-drop swimming pools; other liquid lures include a private beach with watersports facilities, scuba diving and snorkelling, plus access to the world’s largest coral reef. Back on dry land, there’s a soothing spa that dishes out treatments to Smiths aged seven and above; frazzled parents who didn't have time to get their hair or nails done pre-trip can hit the hair salon and mani-pedi bar. Additional highlights for landlubbers include tennis and squash courts and the mind-boggling choice of restaurants and bars. There are also two free kids clubs: one geared towards 4–11s; one for teens. The KidsOnly space is stocked with games and movies, but its real strength is the daily activities: craft sessions, island scavenger hunts, coconut bowling and island Olympics. Even the most jaded teen will be wowed by the Teens Club, which runs soccer tournaments, sea kayaking, tennis matches and air hockey competitions – as well as having video games, ping-pong tables, a pool table and foosball table. Don’t expect to hear ‘I’m bored!’
Smith Extra An ‘Island Escapade’ snorkelling trip to Blue Pearl Bay or Langford Island for two adults and two under-13s
8/10
One&Only Hayman Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia
9/10
Six Senses Zighy Bay, Musandam, Oman
Always wanted your own Bond moment but never hit 007 highs? You can at Six Senses Zighy Bay in rugged Musandam, where arriving by speedboat, 4x4 or paraglider is very much an option. The thrills don’t cease after arrival; items that will have you gawping in admiration include the sandy beach (with its craggy mountain backdrop), hammam-toting spa and spacious villas, set out in imitation of a traditional Omani village. Any villa can accommodate two adults and two children (one on a day bed, one on a foldaway bed), but one-bedroom Pool Villa Suites have separate living areas and bedrooms, plus an extra bathroom, so you don't have to share an open-plan space with the kids. Talking of sharing, there are two beautiful pools that kids can splash around in, plus a duo of laid-back restaurants for families: the Spice Market, which offers an Ottolenghi-esque feast of organic Arabic and regional dishes, and the Summer House, which serves grills, pasta, sandwiches and salads, plus a weekly-changing specials menu. One thing you shouldn’t share with small humans is the fine-dining mountaintop restaurant, Sense on the Edge – book ahead for a table 293m above sea level. You’ll also want to fit in a movie on the beach under the stars, date martinis or tamarind margaritas at Zighy Bar and treatments featuring local ingredients (frankincense, goat's milk, dates, almonds, honey, rosewater, sea salt, lime and mint) in the spa. With all that on your plate, it’s a very good thing that there’s a free kids club…
Smith Extra A hotel voucher for $40 to use towards your next Smith stay
10/10
Six Senses Zighy Bay, Musandam, Oman

Anantara Si Kao Resort & Spa, Krabi, Thailand

Instead of the leaving the kids at home, here’s how you can relax on your trip and spend some quality time with the little tots.

Holidays should make a family, not break a family. Luckily for frazzled explorers the world over, Smith & Family does a fine line in hotels for all sizes. Forget iPads, pencils and colouring books – these adventurous getaways put the world on your plate (and then some).

Mr & Mrs Smith gets you the best rates guaranteed, as well as a little something extra on arrival at every hotel. To book, call the Smith24 team toll-free on 800 905 326, or visit mrandmrssmith.com.

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Babies on Board: 5 Family-friendly hotels from Mr & Mrs Smith

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