The SL Team Share Their Favourite Family-Friendly Hotels

The Peligoni Club on Zakynthos is somewhere we’ve returned to multiple times, and we’re heading back again this summer. For us, it strikes the perfect balance. We love having our own space in a villa, while still being able to dip in and out of the club for watersports, long lunches and relaxed afternoons by the sea. The childcare is excellent too, from the crèche to the brilliantly organised TARKA kids’ clubs and teen activities. Everything is split by age group, so it all feels very well thought through, and the children always come away having learnt something new, whether that’s sailing, windsurfing, kayaking or paddleboarding, as well as having made loads of friends and had the kind of holiday they talk about for months afterwards. 

We visited Carmel Valley Ranch in 2019, when my children were the perfect age to manage a road trip up the West Coast of America from LA to San Francisco. We had lots of coastal stops en route, and there can be quite a cool sea breeze, even in summer, so being set back in the valley was more sheltered. The setting is beautiful – that quintessential California landscape. Nestled between the Santa Lucia Mountains and the leafy vineyards of Carmel, it is ideally located to explore quaint Carmel-by-the-Sea, Monterey Bay, Pacific Grove and Pebble Beach. And there’s more than enough to do within its 500-acre grounds, such as hiking trails and beekeeping, tennis and golf, and the River Ranch Camp for kids. I fondly remember the most magical evening in the vegetable garden, where we ate family style with other guests and the kids all ran among the crops making new friends.

Less than an hour out of London is  Beaverbrook, a self-proclaimed ‘470-acre playground’ for families who like to combine keeping active with some pampering downtime. Kids’ activities run from archery and falconry to cycling and croquet. If it’s a rainy day, you can snuggle up in the luxury cinema, take shelter in the treehouse or check out the video games, but on sunny days you’d struggle to fit in everything on offer. Sharky & George are on hand to keep kids fully entertained with their Adventure Club, while The Bear Grylls Survival Academy offers a unique opportunity to learn key survival skills in half- or full-day packages. Taught by a range of hand-picked, highly trained and knowledgeable instructors, it recreates some of the unique scenarios seen on Bear’s TV programmes – how fun! And all in the setting of the beautiful Beaverbrook estate. 

Pootling along the cove in the little boat we hired for the day, I remember looking back at Eagles Palace in Halkidiki, Greece, from the clear blue sea and thinking this must be the best family holiday we’ve had so far. Since we visited in 2017, the hotel has expanded to include Eagles Villas, and the hotel facilities and rooms have been upgraded. From what I’ve heard, the charm and magic of the hotel have been retained – we loved the retro 1970s vibe of the main lobby (think tasselled Greek cushions and exposed stone walls). The extensive activities for kids have been further expanded to include a choice of watersports, boat or e-bike rentals, spa treatments and tennis and padel courts. There’s also a daily wellness, entertainment and experiences programme that includes picnics on offshore islets inhabited only by seabirds and goats. Nearby is an authentic fishing village called Ouranoupoli, perfect for dinner when you want a break from the hotel restaurants.