Luxury Family Holidays

Hotel Review by Gary, October 2010.

Is there a more stunning setting for a Caribbean family friendly hotel?

We do not think so!

I took the family to Jalousie Plantation for an opportunity to get some rest and relaxation. My wife and daughter love chilling out on the beach with the occasional dip in the warm Caribbean Sea and a good book.

I too enjoy this but do have itchy feet. The range of things to do is excellent – far more than most Caribbean options. For the nature enthusiast the Resort covers a large valley between the breathtaking Piton Mountains and harbours a vast array of tropical plants and birds.

There is a Marine Reserve just of one side of the beach so snorkelling (and diving) is first class. Easy for the uninitiated and yet interesting for the experienced.

Add to this a complete array of water sports including windsurfing, lasers, waterskiing, kayaks, pedallos and banana rides along with tennis and first class gym and there is more than enough to keep the active occupied!

Though not my bag, my wife said the Spa was great too!

If you do want to explore outside the hotel you will need to get a taxi (or water taxi from the beach) but there is lots to see nearby with sulphur springs, rainforest hikes, botanical gardens and the pretty town of Soufriere all within half an hour.

We have holidayed in this region many times and a constant let down has been the quality of food. Many hotels go down the buffet route. Not so at Jalousie. Even breakfast is brought to your table to order and evening meals are a la carte. This is some of the best food we have eaten anywhere! Kids menus and food available all day help with fussy youngsters or parents who want to feed the kids early.

The only word of warning is that prices are quite steep so would definitely recommend taking the half board option here.

Room types are varies and suit families of different sizes. We had a one bed suite with plunge pool which, unlike many hotels had all rooms off a central hallway. This meant our daughter Sophie could go to bed, we could shut the door and not have to pad around quietly. Each room had it`s own aircon and TV too.

The accommodation is scattered around the enormous grounds which rise steeply from the beach giving magical views. This does mean that you need to use the free shuttle to get from A to B which may be a pain for families with pushchairs (although the hotel had many such families doing just that) so I think this suits the families with children from say 4 years upwards.

The kids club had tons of activities from 5 -12 years and the staff went beyond their hours even playing with the kids in the pool after they had finished!

The beach is golden sand and has a number of cabanas and natural shade from palm trees. The sea is beautifully clear but the beach is not gently shelving so although the sea was calm you need to be able to swim – it is only around 20 feet before I could not stand up!

As you can tell we really loved this hotel!

We will return!

Inspected by Hazel in June 2010

I have just been out to the Caribbean to inspect hotels for Quo Vadis: as you probably know we are always on the look out for hotels where children are as welcome as adults without compromise in quality.

The Carlisle Bay was wonderful.

I loved the rooms: contemporary stylish, not a floral pattern or a parrot in sight but clean lined and trendy to a minimalist extent.  Families are encouraged to stay in the beach suites, each with one king size bedroom and one small, totally separate, second bedroom perfect for two children up to the age 15.  Just two storeys they are steps from the ocean, walk straight out on to sand – heaven.

I loved the children’s club: a crèche from six months to three years and then various clubs with even teenage activities during July and August.  It is professionally run, superb indoor air conditioned rooms with     and     There is also a screening room for movies.
Babysitting is reasonable (again US$15 per hour) and baby monitors are also available.

I loved the food:  restaurants are fabulous, one –  Indigo - specialising in sea food and beach fare and the other – East – an amazing Asian experience with little portions and a very good children’s menu available at both.  Breakfast is in Indigo and is a la carte, very unusual these days but saves leaving junior while you grab something hastily, making it much more relaxing. 

I really, really loved the children’s complimentary high tea between 4pm and 5.30pm, with the change in time the first few days it was a life saver.

I loved the Beach: large golden sandy beach perfect for sand castles, family cricket and of course stretching out with my book. The cool towels, drinks and fruit that passed was the icing on the cake! There are no no motorised water sports on the beach (these are available around the bluff if required) but sailing boats and windsurfers, kayaks and snorkelling equipment are all available complimentary.



I had the best massage at Carlisle Bay I have ever had, certainly the and the spa is super.  The tennis facilities are also great with eight courts and lessons for everyone even children from 5 years old.

I can’t recommend it highly enough and the best bit for me and unlike some other hotels is that they do restrict the number of families at any one time so it is never overrun with children!

Inspected by Gary in October 2010

Is it me or does the coffee in Italy just beats everywhere else hands down!

As a self confessed culture junkie who loves the best food it has long been a mission to find a really family friendly luxury hotel where my family can indulge themselves and I can get to explore some of mainland Italy. I therefore jumped at the offer to inspect a brand new 5 star hotel that opened in May 2010.

I was not disappointed, the wait is over, I have found that perfect resort!

It was dark on my arrival but the warm welcome and chic, cool interior soon gave me that tingling feeling when you know you are on to something! The next morning I knew my instincts were correct when I woke to a glorious Puglian sunny day and I got to look around properly.

The rooms were beautifully furnished in contemporary shades of white with views of the coast, gardens/courtyard or hillside.  Great news for families too as there is an extensive choice of luxury family rooms from interconnecting rooms in the main building to 1 and 2 bedroom suites and townhouses in the Borgo village area. If you really wanted to splash out then the 3 bedroom private villas each with pool looked superb.

The crèche and children’s club – OurSpace – is in the village area in a large purpose built building/outside area with sections for the different age groups, sleeping areas for the youngest and more appropriate play areas as they go up in age. With a professional team of carers and animators I felt sure children would have a wonderful time. Run by an English company too, you can be assured there would be English speaking staff and standards of care we are accustomed to for our offspring.

Dining – so often not quite up to scratch in other 5 star hotels I have stayed in – was a delight, especially dinner. Breakfast had sumptuous cold platters but perhaps slightly less choice in the hot/English breakfast department than other hotels, possibly because I was there in low season.

I didn’t have time for a round of golf or tennis but I did manage to jump on the shuttle to explore the beaches. Rather than vast sandy stretches there are sandy coves and I visited the 2 nearest to the hotel. One has a restaurant and beachclub run by the hotel, and watersports (high season only) which was closed when I was there but there is another a little closer to the hotel that has a gorgeous little local cafe on the beach (coffee cheap compared to hotel and delicious!) that was still open in the first week of October.

The shuttle bus will also drop you to the nearby village – it is possible to walk but would be hot in summer especially with children - which has a few amenities, small supermarket, chemist etc. I loved the fact that it is still very ‘local’ and is not catering for tourists yet so expect to have to either speak a little Italian or get practising that universal sign language that so often works well in these situations!

I did not have time this time to visit any of the sites and historic towns in the local area but I have vowed to return with my family, hire a car and see more!

he combination of a superb, unspoilt location within an easy walk of a local fishing village and a carefully planned resort - well one of the partner was a founding member of the 'Luxury Family Hotels' concept in the UK - results in one of the best luxury hotels for young families that I have ever inspected.

Where shall I start to explain what impressed me so much! In no particular order:

The accommodation on offer for families is exceptional. Choose between 2 and 3 bedroom 'houses', each on 2 floors (stairgates provided if needed of course) with one floor a light and airy open plan living room with full kitchen (cooker, microwave, fridge, Nespresso coffee machine) as well as combined washer/dryer, iron and ironing board, full size dinning table and chairs and a comfortable lounge area. All have gardens and/or balconies and a few with heated, private pools depending on which area - let me advise you which might be best for you. Your children can sleep and you are not trapped in your bedroom! Design is contemporary with use of local materials giving a modern yet unique feel, crisp white bedlinen delightfully luxurious.

Don't panic, you have all you need but you don't need to cook if you don't want to! The restaurant in the village square, Os Gambezinos offers a takeout or delivery service at meal times (pre order the night before for breakfast and lunch or by 5pm for dinner), the shop offers some pre cooked meals you can heat up or of course you can go out to eat in one of the 3 hotels restaurants - children's menus are available in them all. O Terraco is a fine dining experience, positioned to offer stunning views of the coast and offers traditional Portuguese dishes with some modern twists; Os Gambezinos is a bistro with pizza, pasta type dishes in the village square, plenty of running space when little ones have finished and you haven't and the As Dunas fish restaurant, again an enclosed children's sandy play area is just In front so there is no need to rush if they are happy to play with you watching from your table.

If you do want a little time to totally relax then the crèche a d children's club is professionally run in fun, purpose-built facility.

Martinhal is a large resort (215 rooms and houses) resort but it is very spacious, low rise and is unlikely to feel crowded even in peak season. There are 4 pool areas to choose from and all pools are heated to a good temperature and have a good number of huge bean bag beds as well as more traditional sun loungers, some kids toys and a convenient snack bar next door. Oh, and I  was nearly forgetting the large bay of beautiful golden sand with crystal clear waters of the ocean just below the resort, perfect for sandcastles, beach games or just a walk. When I was staying in October there was little wind and the waves gently lapped although I do understand from chatting to staff it can get windy, the waves get a little bigger and are great for some body surfing and windsurfing.

There is so much to do I know I could easily have a fabulous two weeks here. As well as the sports area ( tennis and paddle tennis courts, pools), watersports (usually may-sep, non motorised) including wind surfing, surfing, diving (hotel arranges for a local reputable company to collect and take you to best spot as this varies with the wind, tuition available) there are also guided walks in the national park , bikes for hire from the hotel, family fishing trips, dolphin trips and many other experiences as well as some of the local historical sites. 

I loved the fact that despite the hotel offering all I could want for it does not operate in isolation. Just on the beach in front were two locally run beach bar/ restaurants (i didn't have a chance to call in this time but my taxi driver was telling me one of the restaurants was superb so unless it was his brothers....) and then 15 minutes walk across the sand and up a path led me into the unspoilt village of Sagres. The fishing port is still very active and the fishermen arrive back in the afternoons (very early morning too but I ducked that) so you can see them unloading to take their catch straight to market. With a handful of bars, local restaurants and shops it is still very Portuguese.

The flight time is short and the transfer at 1 hour 20 minutes (excellent straight roads) is slightly more than to some of the hotels we recommend but to escape to such a stunning unspoilt location and to stay in such a refreshingly different luxury hotel makes every extra minute worth it.

I cannot recommend this hotel highly enough for families.

Sani Resort
Inspection October 2010.

I had heard so much about the Sani Resort both from our guests and colleagues who had stayed previously but however many times the concept was explained to me I was still not quite clear.  Four hotels sharing facilities with similar star ratings but very different pricing – I wanted to know which was best and for who.

So, family in tow I went to see for myself this October.

Overall the setting is stunning on a beautiful sandy bay covering a long stretch of coastline.  The hotels are spread along the beach with one end being the Sani Beach Club, gorgeous low rise bungalows built considerately into the hillside and at the other the larger Sani Beach Hotel with the top quality Sani Asterias suites centrally located, the Porto Sani village is just behind the marina. The grounds are very spacious with walks extending further along the coast.

The marina is a central point - somehow I had imagined this to be a little ‘naff’ from things I had read but was more than pleasantly surprised. It was much larger than I had imagined with bars and restaurants buzzing - some run by the hotel (which is why I think I thought it may be naff) but a selection of others independently run and we soon found our favourite lunch spot, a small but delightful little Greek taverna. There was also a selection of shops (beware style, rather glitz and glamour), jewellery, supermarket, souvenirs etc.

The thing that struck me most was the variety of facilities, bars, restaurants and space that 4 hotels under one owner could offer,  I have not visited anywhere with quite the same feel. Each hotel had at least 1 restaurant and bar and a pool but you are free to dine in any restaurant as well as at the marina (which has 3 different restaurants you can opt to dine on your half board). There are no restrictions on restaurants open to you based on where you are staying at but the credit amount varies, which seems fair.  You can also swap dinner for lunch so half board seems a good option all round.
For families with babies/ toddlers then everything is on hand. Certainly all the hotel restaurants offer freshly made baby purees at all meals; there is even a baby menu, a toddler menu as well as the usual children's menu in some.  The shops in the hotels and the marina had a full size range of pampers nappies!
 
There are two children's clubs - one at the Sani Beach Club and the other hotels share the larger one near the sports facilities. Staff are English speaking (many were English) and run an excellent and varied programme of activities along a weekly theme. My only disappointment was the sleeping arrangements for small children as there was just a cot in the under 3's playroom so you would be better settling your child for their daytime sleep in your room - it might be worth paying the extra for a ground floor bedroom with a garden for you to enjoy while they sleep if this is still crucial for your child.  

So, which hotel to chose?

Sani Asterias Suites, Porto Sani Village, Sani Beach Club are 5 star and Sani Beach hotel is a good 4 star.

To be honest there is not a bad option with excellent standards of furnishings, bars and seating areas, pools and sunloungers, friendly and helpful staff at each. For me the most important overall factor was the size:  the Sani Asterias with just 50 rooms is calm, private and has a boutique hotel feel in the best setting by the beach, Porto Sani village (105 rooms) is small but friendly with a huge pool area behind the marina. These two hotels also have a private area of the beach with reserved sun loungers.  Sani Beach club (205 rooms) is larger but the rooms are spread out in low rise blocks on a gentle hillside and for me was the most picturesque. Sani Beach hotel with 475 is a big hotel but of a good standard – you are just sharing facilities with lots more people! 

Sani Asterias Suites
If you prefer a quieter boutique hotel but with access out to the facilities of a larger hotel then the best hotel is the Sani Asterias Suite hotel.  Not only is it small and exclusive but it is centrally located between the gorgeous sandy beach and the marina. Choose between 1 bedroom suites with sea view (ground floor ones are extra special having a private garden with a gate leading directly onto the beach although first floor ones have a better view from the balcony) or the ones with views of the picturesque marina. There are a few extra touches here but it is the location and exclusivity that is worth the extra cost.

Porto Sani Village
I stayed at the Porto Sani Village and my children loved the huge pool area with bridges over the top and a large shallow children’s pool. The suites are perfect for a family of 4 with a bedroom with king-size bed and then a living room made into a bed for the children. Bigger families can enjoy the 2 bedroom suites.  Although further from the beach than the other hotels (5 min walk) it had a friendly feel and with a nice bar overlooking the pool it would suit well those with young children who did not want to stretch to the Sani Asterias prices.

Sani Beach Club
I personally loved the Sani Beach Club, with its low rise, 2 Storey buildings in the hillside affording stunning views almost wherever you are - ground floor rooms have private gardens and second floor rooms balconies with interconnecting rooms for families. This hotel is set apart from the rest, separated by a small independently owned campsite - there is a shuttle bus running between here and the main resort or a 10/15 minute pleasant walk across the beach on foot. The style of the decor felt sophisticated and the views from the bar, lounge area and pool stunning. Not as friendly for pushchairs and toddlers as there is a walk from the rooms to the main areas and beach. This hotel has its own children's club and crèche right by the beach, smaller than the main one but therefore more likely perhaps for your children to meet friends made here around the pool, if that might work for you.

Sani Beach Hotel
The Sani Beach Hotel, the only 4 star unfortunately looks like a 1970's building but inside it has been fully modernized with luxurious bedrooms and light and airy public areas. Right by the beach it is in no way a second class citizen of the resort. I looked hard for reasons why this hotel is not quite the level of the others - it is much larger than the other hotels with 475 rooms and perhaps facilities might get a little stretched when running at full occupancy (there are plans afoot to enlarge some existing rooms decreasing the overall number by over 100). The buffet was less interesting than the one at the 5 star Beach Club but with the fantastic dine-around programme this becomes less important than at other hotels I have visited. Certainly the pool areas are lovely, just by the beach (slightly noisier as the motorised watersports station is just in front but no hardship to walk up a few sun beds if this is not your thing, perfect if it is!).  If you are looking to keep costs down then this may well be an option worth considering.

Do give me a call if you would like to discuss the best option for you – it is very hard to describe succinctly!