“We had an absolutely perfect holiday in Sani. The hotel met and exceeded our expectations in every way. The staff were fabulous – they were so friendly no matter where we went in the resort. There were some really world class restaurants like Tomata and even there they did their upmost to be baby friendly. The food was wonderful everywhere we ate. I can honestly say that in 11 nights we didn’t have one disappointing meal. And so much choice that we only managed to try half the restaurants in the end!

The whole resort was spotlessly clean, which takes really hard work with the amount of toddlers around! It’s no wonder though – on the mornings when I could be bothered to go for an early morning run I got to see the hard work of the cleaning staff in action. Everything was immaculately maintained from the tiniest of flowers being clipped to perfection, to the brass depth marker plaques on the edges of the pools which were polished to a gleam every morning! I couldn’t quite believe my eyes!

I think most of it is testimony not only to the hard work of the employees, but also to the unfalteringly high standards that the management team seem to ensure.

What I really loved about the resort is that it managed to convince me that it is possible to have a family holiday with a toddler/baby and still have great food, wine, beautiful accomodation and world class service. There were also some really cool Ibiza-style bars at the resort, so on the nights when we managed to get a babysitter we could relive our youth sitting on white sofas by the sea drinking cockails!

Separately, a huge thank you, Mark, at Tots Too. It was a pleasure dealing with you and from the day our little silver envelope arrived containing every bit of information we needed for our holiday, we knew we were in safe hands! The service you provided was exceptional and it really allowed us to relax in the run up to the holiday, knowing if we had any worries you were at the end of the phone. It made a big change compared to how we usually are – desperately worried we haven’t printed off some document or other, or worried we’ve forgotten to book something! In short, I would have no hesitation in recommending Tots Too or Essential Escapes to friends and family. So keep up the excellent work!

We look forward to planning our next trip with you soon.” – GW, May 2013.  Porto Sani Village >

The hotel is an elegant white manor with an informal atmosphere, and you feel more like a guest arriving at a country house party, greeted by muddy wellies at the door and gentle Snoopy the dog.

What the decor lacks in sleek finish it makes up for in eccentric charm, and our children loved the stuffed animal heads and colonial curiosities that were scattered around.

We took two inter-connecting rooms, which were simple and comfortable, both boasting lovely views of the Fleet lagoon and sea beyond.

The hotel is well placed in an appealing area for tourists but frankly, for us it could have been on Mars as our kids never wanted to leave the hotel!

To say that Moonfleet is child-friendly is an understatement.

When we visited the kids playroom, our jaws dropped. It was aircraft-hangar-sized and amply equipped with fenced soft play, mini football pitch, table tennis… etc etc, so much so that we never discovered the skittle alley (just kicked ourselves to hear about it afterwards!). There was plenty of room for little ones to scoot around on the trikes without being bothered by the older ones hurtling around. Although unsupervised, parents in attendance can sprawl on the sofas by the bar with a newspaper, and feel very much relaxed.

Whilst our 3 year old was as happy as our 11 and 9 year old in the playroom, we eventually dragged her off to the supervised creche, which she swiftly renamed “the really really really fun place” (to distinguish it from the playroom!). The lovely staff at the creche were attentive and reassuring and the well kept toys catered for every age, gender and taste.

The creche is right next to the indoor pool, so you can go for a swim and then peek through the window to check on your little one.

Meal times were another hit for us. The hotel offers an early kids-only tea, or you can dine together as a family in the restaurant early on, so as not to disturb those wanting a quieter, child-free dinner later. However, we chose neither of these options. On our first evening we found ourselves in the hotel lounge, playing Scrabble by an open fire, and realised that we could simply order food to have there. This proved ideal, as our children are never good at sitting still and waiting for food to arrive, and instead could wiggle around, play games and we could still eat together as a family.

A special mention goes to the sumptuous buffet breakfast and freshly baked scones for afternoon tea too!

We did try and make the most of the wonderful surroundings, walking down to the beach and visiting local villages, but it was blowing an arctic gale and the hotel was so enjoyable for us all, that we just found ourselves wimping out and returning back to base!

The staff at the hotel were all warm, helpful and charming. We would love to go back in warmer weather (even if we spend all our time indoors again!).”

Moonfleet Manor >>

I was fortunate to stay 3 nights at this lovely hotel which exudes calm, but with a real sense of style and efficient and friendly service.  Part of the large Telfair estate which is now owned by Heritage and Verandah hotels, the resort comprises of the Heritage Le Telfair hotel, the neighbouring African themed Heritage Awali hotel, the trendy C beach club, a stunningly set golf course, original Colonial Estate house, which now forms Le Chateau restaurant and a set of luxury villas on the hillside behind the hotels.

I loved the contrast between the spacious and elegant colonial style rooms and suites and the C beach club which is very chic and contemporary with chill out music and stylish round wicker sun loungers and pods.

Food is a real highlight at this hotel with a large choice of restaurants.  Sadly with three nights, there was not time to try everything, but lunch at the C beach club including delicious pizzas and tasty salads, dinner at Annabelle’s a more formal experience with fantastic and hearty food from a table d’hote menu and super Asian dining at Ginja.   A highly memorable experience was our a la carte breakfast on the Verandah of Le Chateau, overlooking the manicured lawns, the golf course and the hills beyond.

There’s always plenty to occupy you at this resort with pedalos, kayaks, snorkelling equipment and catamarans all available free of charge and over at the gym area, you can join in daily group exercise classes which include yoga and tai chi. The crystal clear lagoon is ideal for kids to paddle, for snorkelling practice and for a refreshing dip and there is a long stretch of white sand beach for lazy walks.

The spa offers a range of treatments and I tried the signature musical massage. The therapist asks you to choose one of seven colours and my colour was orange.  It was hard not to lapse into fits of giggles when my  massage started with the music for ‘Ride of the Valkyries’ (hardly the gentle wave sounds one normally gets!).”

Emma tells us about her recent stay at Abama:

“It’s a real misconception that the younger the child, the harder it is to travel with them. Perhaps in theory it is, with the amount of equipment you think you may have to take, but in practical terms, it’s far easier. Of course it largely depends on the hotel in question and what they can provide to make the load literally lighter. Putting our best-selling hotel to the test, I went off toAbama inTenerife with baby Sophie, the youngest of my brood and a mere 7 weeks old.

I had pre-ordered a fully-reclining buggy, a nappy station, change mat and a cot, so already I was buggy-less at the airport and although a sling isn’t for everyone, it worked really well for me in having one less item to worry about. It’s important to mention that backward facing infant seats are not available for hire in most hotel transportation, and under 12 months in theUKyou are not legally obliged to put your infant in a car seat in a public carriage, so this seems to follow through in most other countries. There are of course the forward facing ones for slightly bigger babies but Sophie was too small so she was safely strapped to me for the 30 minute car ride from the airport

So far, smooth journey and I was pleasantly relieved to see that all requested items were present and correct in our hotel room. In hindsight, I didn’t really need the nappy station given I could change her on the bed using a towel but it served more to provide a dedicated changing space that I could keep everything together in consideration of my friend who was sharing our room. The cot was a proper wooden cot complete with a little baby pack and a toy. The rooms are so spacious, the cot was far from invasive in the space and even the large buggy in the room was barely noticed.

There were no areas that were tricky to access with the buggy and I was made to feel very welcome in whichever food establishment we chose to eat in with baby in tow. There are clearly restaurants that parents choose to eat in with the kids and ones which are best left behind, but with a baby discreetly tucked away in the buggy by our table, she was barely noticed, a plus of her being so young with small lungs!

The brand new kids club at Abama is absolutely stunning, a pang of regret momentarily surfaced on looking around the club that I had left the bigger kids at home but I knew I would return and they would love it. It’s bright and colourful, with areas suited to both the active toddler and the curious primary-schooler, with educational activities which looked fun and engaging. It has a nice secure outside space but the magic happens inside. The staff seemed charming but more importantly, the kids seemed happy which is the biggest stamp of approval needed. The negative is of course that Abama no longer operates a crèche. This has proved to be a bit of a bugbear for some of our clients but fortunately Tots Too has partnered up with the local nanny agency to service the needs of parents with kids under three.

We used the El Mirador pool which was by far the most beautiful spot at the resort but it was very much spoilt by the abundance of families that also chose to use it. We were quite surprised that this was not an “adult only” area given it promised such tranquillity alongside the breath-taking views. However, I was so delighted to have returned to the news that it is no longer open to families so it can be enjoyed in the peace it deserves whilst the kids are safely tucked away in the kids club.

The larger family pool is of course still lovely and there is now the addition of a larger kids pool. There are also cold water stations which may not be automatically obvious but once discovered, you start to calculate the savings on ordering bottles poolside.

Service was faultless on pretty much all levels and we had some amazing culinary experiences. I think being a resort which is inaccessible to other places by foot, it has to offer a good enough choice of culinary options and Abama really doesn’t disappoint. Sand aficionados will love the beach, a sheltered private cove which is beautifully maintained complete with a lovely beachside restaurant whilst for those who prefer to keep their toes clean, the pool area is perfect for babies and toddlers who are just learning to explore the water.

The spa is another big plus point. Given that testing spas was once my only vocation in life, I think I am more than qualified to critique. Noticing that my body had recently undergone a huge ordeal (giving birth) and also recognising that my body had not fully recovered from the birth only 16 months previous to that one, my therapist (with consent) proceeded to click me back in alignment with total confidence. This wasn’t a standard inclusion of the treatment but he suggested it could help with the back and neck pain that he’d picked up on. The facilities are great, in particular the thermal circuit which was one of the best I had seen in a long time.

Worthy of a visit just for the spa, Abama doesn’t have to be labelled as just a family hotel. In fact, my travelling companions were three other ladies who had left kids behind and wanted to just have a few days of R&R in the Canarian sun (which was out in all glory at the end of October).

Abama gets a huge thumbs up from me and baby Sophie.”

“We chose the relatively new Daios Cove in Crete to spend our annual summer holiday (brought forward due the impending arrival of baby number 4). Having been to Greece in early June before, it is by far one of my favourite times to visit this Mediterranean gem. The weather is hot but not too hot, it’s never too busy to travel through the major London airports and there is a far greater choice of rooms on offer. We opted for a two bedroom family pool villa complete with some VIP amenities.

If I can just start with the traveling part: there are two things as a traveller with small children in tow that I will not compromise on. The first is meet-and-greet parking. Most families value their child seats which make travelling by taxi all the more challenging. This way, you can rock up right outside departures and let someone else take your car off and park it. Similarly on the way back there is someone there upon exit with your car all ready to go. Secondly, wherever possible, try and book your seats in advance, it’s worth the extra cost. It’s not possible with some of the low cost carriers but if you are travelling with Monarch, BA, Thompson or any of those types of airlines that offer the choice, take it! It makes the check-in stress so much less painful knowing that you are all guaranteed to sit together and it’s not dependent on checking-in stupidly early. Final tip, check out the competitive currency rates online and pre-order your foreign money with someone like Moneycorp located in the major airports. The rate you get online is often far more competitive than that offered at the airport and with the desks opening at 4am, you can just collect from the counter and smile smugly as you get far more for your £ than others who are not so organised.

The hotel is a 50-minute transfer from Heraklion airport and we arrived into blissful sunshine around 3.30. I was more grateful than offended at being told I looked tired and was led straight to a lovely terrace area where we were offered a drink and a seat to begin the check-in process. The kids were given milk and very large chocolate cookies to keep them quiet while we told about the facilities of the hotel.

The villas are very spread out and afford excellent privacy. Our villa had amazing views over the ocean and could not be overlooked by any other villa or passing guest. The layout is well thought out with a bedroom, bathroom and living room on the ground floor and master bedroom, bathroom and large terrace upstairs. The villa comes with stair gates (although the lower gate starts 4 wooden steps up the stair case so still a slight worry for very young toddlers.) The private pool was extremely well protected with a secure gate and offered us total piece of mind that our 14 month old could not make her own way in. All in all, I was very impressed with size, comfort and location of our villa.

We had pre-ordered a steriliser, baby monitors and a buggy to hire which were all there and waiting for us. They had also gone the extra mile and included a high-chair, baby feeding equipment, a nappy changing table and a booster step. We didn’t use half the stuff but it was comforting to know that it was there and available. Having enquired about the possibility of getting milk from the shop, I was informed there was no option to buy fresh produce so I also pre-ordered some formula powder for the peace of mind.

As a villa guest, you get to eat breakfast at the Ocean restaurant and what a difference this makes to the start of the day. Far less crowded than the main buffet option, you have a more peaceful and relaxed table service option. The normal offerings are laid out for you such as cereals, fruit and pastries but all other dishes are cooked to order. This avoided the normal getting up and down from the table to get the kids breakfasts with my husband and I taking it turns to eat which has normally been the case on holiday! A special mention to Anna, our breakfast host, who could not have been more attentive, nor made a bigger fuss of my children.

The main pool area is stunning and there was absolutely no need to bag a sunbed early during our entire 10 day stay. There were plenty of sunbeds plus they have their lovely private beach which seemed to be very popular so late risers can relax knowing that they don’t have to forfeit their precious holiday lie-ins! You can clearly see where the one million Euro investment went on the beach project as it really is a stunning cove and copying Dubai’s idea, there are wave breakers in the sea. More crushed shells than fine powdery sand, it didn’t seem to make too much difference and it was by far the more popular option for where guests chose to spend the day. My one criticism about the beach is that the access is a bit tricky for buggies (or heavily pregnant ladies) as there are quite a lot of steps to negotiate. It is worth it once you are down there and the cove is so protected and calm that the kids can’t fail to enjoy a paddle in the sea. They offer supervised diving for kids as young as 8 and plenty of other water sports to amuse the more active.

Dining options are good and we found the quality of the food overall worthy of the hotel’s five star status. The main buffet restaurant affords a beautiful setting and was a perfect set up to watch the kids running wild (far enough away from disturbing other diners but close enough to see them). The buffet options had a good combination between traditional Greek delicacies and international dishes to please all and the chefs were so friendly. Bearing in mind we were there ten days, I did feel that the three restaurants were perhaps not enough choice to keep things varied enough for us. The Greek Taverna which is at a small supplement over half board is very nice but could offer more in the way of Meze’s and grills and the Ocean Restaurant – which calls itself Italian but I felt was more of just a gourmet fine dining – was very good. The settings of both the Taverna and the Italian made full use of the stunning sea views and offered a more romantic option to have a dinner without the kids.

The Kids Club was exceptional. Run by the World-Wide Kids Company (who follow Ofsted standards and whose staff are City & Guilds Accredited), the childcare assistants were very friendly, hands-on and seemed genuinely enthusiastic. My older two are used to a nursery/kids club environment and slotted right in. My youngest being only 14 months old had never before been left in a crèche or with anyone other than family or our nanny so I was a little more reticent about how she would find it but she couldn’t have been happier. The Creche Manager Viv was brilliant with her and engaged her in so many new (and very messy) activities that I wouldn’t have thought to do at home! The fact that the baby threw her arms out towards her when we arrived for our session each day spoke volumes.

A big bonus is the supervised early dinner for the kids club from 6 – 7pm and then a drop off if requested back to your room by the staff when they are finished. This meant on the babysitting nights we just need to give our youngest room service and then do bath and bedtime in the normal manner as we would at home. Babysitting is pro-rata so there is no rounding up the hourly fee if you go slightly over. It was also very reasonable with three children at 15 Euros an hour. Our three hours of childcare every day plus the evening babysitting made all the difference to us getting the balance between a family holiday and some much needed downtime with just the two of us.

Our company policy with all reviews and blogs etc is that we try and give as unbiased an opinion as we possibly can. We are there visiting hotels with our corporate hats on, but we are also there as parents and have the same demands as our clients would. For this reason I am going to mention some things that I found didn’t necessarily let the hotel down, but if improved, could really help make Daios Cove the one to beat.

The pools were cold. Though they say they are heated to 25 degrees, they were a real endurance test. The kids didn’t want to stay in the pools long enough to keep them amused for any length of time and the baby screamed when we put her feet in! This was a real shame as for us as I imagine as it is for most, the pools and swimming is one of the key features of any family holiday. It could have been a trick of the imagination but towards the end of our stay, they did seem to get a bit warmer but I would still advise taking full wetsuits for travel in May and June.

The kids menus – although they had all the classics you would expect such as burgers, pizza, pasta e.t.c, I think for those staying longer than a week the options run thin and you soon get bored of seeing your kids eating the same things. I have spoken with the resort and I do believe there are plans to introduce some healthy dishes in collaboration with a nutritionist. Whilst the dining options are reasonably priced – you may want to up the budget to allow for the extortionate ice-cream costs! The cheapest one is 6 Euros so it’s not cheap buying for a family of 5!

Ending on a positive note, the staff are by far one of the hotel’s greatest assets. Everyone from guest relations, to the buggy drivers, to the waiters and waitresses were nothing short of charming. The aim is to please and you very much had the feeling that no request was too great. We ordered room service each night for 6.30 and there it was at 6.30 delivered by a charming porter who took great care in laying out the meal (and a rose) for our youngest!

The biggest Tots Too test I set myself when staying at any of our properties is to answer the following question confidently – “Would I go back for another family holiday?” if it’s a yes, its passed the test and in this case, I am very pleased to say that I would go back. ”

Daios Cove

“The last time my husband and I visited the Maldives was in 2006 when our eldest daughter was a baby and holidays didn’t revolve around kids clubs, kids menus and short haul flights. At that time, we made a promise to each other that whatever happened we would try to make it back to our favourite place in the world for our 40th birthdays.

Fast forward 6 years…..and with our girls now aged 6 & 4, we started planning. To take the kids or not? Maybe we were a little crazy, hell, even a little reckless, but we decided to take the kids.

We identified LUX*Maldives as the perfect option for us, for reasons which I will explain further below and we began the exciting countdown to our 2 week holiday.

The outbound direct flight was a night flight. Perfect. The kids were shattered by the time we got onto the plane and slept pretty much the whole way, meaning that they were alert and excited enough to enjoy the scenic and spectacular seaplane transfer from Male to the island of LUX.

The check in was seamless. We had already done all of our form filling at the LUX arrival lounge in Male whilst waiting for our seaplane (and stuffing our faces with the complimentary snacks and drinks) so it meant we didn’t waste a minute on arrival and were shown straight to our rooms.

We had booked 2 interconnecting Beach Pavilions. These are effectively a whole beach villa, divided down the middle to make two bedrooms. They are each very spacious and have their own open air bathrooms and direct access onto the beach.  I liked the idea of being able to close the door on my girls at night and having our own space. It is also possible to take a beach villa with 2 children and all share the one room. It’s the same amount of space and slightly more luxurious but without the shut off.  There are also gorgeous over-water villas but not recommended for those with young children.

I don’t know whether the kids appreciated quite how lucky they were to be staying in such a wonderful place but I do know that they were incredibly excited to have their “own ocean” right outside the door. And my husband and I enjoyed a glass of wine whilst watching the sunset on our own piece of beach every night. What a treat.

I had requested a DVD player in the room and had packed plenty to keep the girls occupied but I needn’t have bothered. We were barely in the room, and when we were, we all went straight to bed, exhausted from our daily adventures. There is so much to do.

The kids club was very well used by our girls. It’s a wonderful space:  airy, colourful and spacious both inside and out.  Every day, there was a varied and exciting timetable including shell necklace making, cookery, banana boat rides, fish and shark feeding, coconut painting, cool-down swims to name but a few. The club is conveniently located next to one of the main restaurants and very close to one of two large pools. So my husband and I were able to relax by the pool and pop quickly to check on the kids. There were lots of other children in the resort when we were there and the girls made lots of friends. Although you need to sign in and out, there was no need to book places which was great as it meant they could dip in and out of activities as they fancied.

Being open until 9pm the girls could have supper there with their friends if they wanted. We had pre-booked a few nights of babysitting and were allocated the same babysitter, Aisha, throughout our stay.  Aisha worked at the kids club, so on the nights she was babysitting, the girls would go to her when they were ready.

The water sports centre was also one of our favourite places. Twice a day, there are complimentary boat trips to the house reef for snorkelling.  There aren’t many places in the world where you can swim with such incredibly beautiful and brightly coloured fish and I was glad to be able to share it with my children. We even spotted a turtle swimming past us. They weren’t great with a mask and snorkel (the kids not the turtles!) so we just used goggles which worked fine.

We did a couple of donut rides, some water-skiing and took a pedalo out for a ride around the island. I also took a jet ski out in my quest to find and swim with Manta Rays. I didn’t see them on that trip although we did see them on one of our other boat trips – dozens of them, huge and graceful, dancing on top of the ocean.

Thanks to the aforementioned kids club, my husband and I got lots of “us” time and used this opportunity to try out the spa. I’d recommend booking an overwater treatment room as you can watch the fish through the glass bottomed floor whilst having a massage. We had a deep tissue massage (so wonderful that we booked another) and I tried some reflexology.  Heavenly.

Being at the resort for 2 weeks meant lots of opportunity for diving. I managed 5 whilst I was there.  The shallow dives offered brightly coloured corals, lots of exotic fish and plenty of nurse sharks and turtles. The deeper dives afforded me the opportunity to swim with the rare and magnificent Whale Shark. An incredible treat and the highlight of my holiday. There aren’t many places in the world to see the Whale Shark and LUX is fortunate enough to be in the “hotspot”.  And if you want to learn more about the Whale Shark or any other sea creature, you can do so at the Marine Biology Centre where resident experts are available to chat endlessly with you.

There are lots of excursions available at LUX. It’s almost impossible to do all of them unless you’re there for a month! We did Sunset Fishing (the girls managed to catch a tiny fish but to them it was the biggest in the world), and a Sunset cruise.  We also took a trip to a neighbouring island to meet some of the locals and see first-hand, village life. Given the nature of the Maldives and the fact that each hotel is on its own island, it was great to get a perspective of where we were and educate the children that not everyone in the Maldives lives in a luxury hotel.  We saw the local school and some houses, the mosque and tried some local delicacies in the café and bought some gifts for a fraction of the price of Male international airport.

We had booked an all-inclusive meal plan and I’d highly recommend this for anyone travelling with children. Aside from the bonus of not having to fork out for every ice cream and drink, all restaurants have a generous and diverse all-inclusive menu and wine list. The kids menu is the same in all of the restaurants and at the kids club, but is quite varied and offers plenty of healthy options.  The chefs were adaptable too and took note of fussy demands. My girls’ favourite was the fish fingers made with local reef fish. The kids can eat from the adult menu if they prefer or from the huge buffet offering. One night we took the girls to Umami, the Japanese and Teppanyaki restaurant.  Aside from loving the show, we got them to try sushi. My youngest didn’t like it too much but we were then able to order her something familiar from the kids menu which came very quickly.

Our favourite restaurant was East, which as its name suggests is Asian influenced. The sushi night was superb. We also loved Allegria although did find that on the second visit we were struggling for choice. There are plenty of restaurants to choose from, so even though we were there for 2 weeks, we felt there was enough choice.

LUX has recently undergone a rebranding exercise. A new General Manager (he was formerly at the Conrad and Per Aquum, the people behind Huvafen Fushi) has made some big changes. I felt that the resort was run incredibly well and efficiently. The General Manager was seen regularly around the resort chatting to guests and checking on the bars and restaurants. The staff could not do enough for us and everyone I spoke to felt the same way. The service was faultless at every outlet and everyone makes a huge fuss of children.  I didn’t have to get off my sun lounger once for a drink although I did have to get up plenty to take the kids to the loo!

We hired bikes to get us around the island. I’d recommend doing this. They have them for kids too (with stabilisers if necessary). The island is very big and although they have buggies on constant loop, there can sometimes be a bit of a wait.

We chatted to lots of other families and I was surprised by how many were returning guests and this time, were staying for 3 or 4 weeks. Proof indeed that you really can’t spend too long in paradise.

I could write forever about our experiences and how much there is to do (I haven’t even mentioned the outdoor cinema on the beach,  the sting ray and baby shark feeding, the Teddy Tennis, the Yoga….) but suffice to say, it was the holiday of a lifetime we were looking for and I’ll live off the memories for the next 40 years (at least).” LUX* Maldives >>

Atarra says, “I just returned from a lovely long weekend in Italy where I stayed at the Borgo Egnazia and visited the Masseria Torre Coccaro which are both located in the lush countryside surrounded by olive groves in Puglia but only a short drive away to the beaches. The hotels are approximately 10 min drive from each other, 40 min drive from Brindisi airport and 50 min from Bari airport. British Airways flies from Gatwick to Bari and Ryan Air flies from Stansted to Bari and Brindisi.

The highlight of the Lake Resort for me really lies in the outdoor space which is huge.  Two main swimming pools for me were overshadowed by the lovely ‘beach pool’.  The hotel has created a pool with its own sandy beach which gently shelves into the water just like the sea.  Other outdoor features that kids will love are the boating lake and the outdoor playground with its attractive wooden play equipment.  The Koala Kids club for children aged 3+ overlooks the pools and garden area, so parents will never be far from little ones.  The kids club can be used by younger children, when accompanied by parents.   The Koala club is normally chargeable, but the good news is it’s free of charge if pre-booked through Tots Too!

The Blue and Green spa has a wide selection of treatments and treatment rooms that reflect different areas of the world.  The Blue spa’s jet pool, Jacuzzi, sauna, steam room and sensation showers can be enjoyed by all guest free of charge.

The hotel features deluxe rooms with a choice of garden or pool view.  Sea view rooms and suites can be found on the top floors.  Rooms are nicely appointed with modern decor and bathroom separate from the toilet.  There is free WiFi in rooms and all areas of the hotel.  One extra bed or cot can be placed in the deluxe rooms.  For something larger, there are 9 one bedroom suites which offer really spacious accommodation for up to 2 adults and 2 children.  The lounge has two sofa beds and can be closed off from the master bedroom by a sliding door.

Some families may prefer the convenience of an apartment.  The apartments are located in blocks around 5 – 10 minutes walk from the main hotel.  There are one or two bedroom apartments with large lounge/diner and fully fitted kitchenette. The apartments are fully serviced and guests can use all hotel facilities and enjoy room service. There is no washing machine in the apartments, but a laundry facility is available in each block and tokens can be purchased at reception.

10 minutes walk out of the hotel and across a bridge takes you to Falesia Beach.  This is a beautiful sandy beach which if you fancy a long walk, stretches for some 8 km!  The beach is easily accessed by those with buggies or wheelchairs with ramps as well as steps.  The beach is public, so sun loungers/umbrellas have to be hired.  These are available during the main tourist season when you will also find a couple of beach restaurants open.”

Lake Resort, Portugal >

A ridiculous amount of thermals packed in the suitcase, enough fleeces to sink a battle ship and incidentals to see us through every type of emergency scenario and we were ready. My travel companions for the trip; business partner and sister Deborah and our two eldest daughters, Madeline and Noa, both aged 6. The grown-ups were definitely more excited!

We were to fly Finn Air to Helsinki with an overnight before taking an internal flight to Ivalo the following day. The airline was amazing, staff that couldn’t do enough, complimentary sandwich, drinks and chocolate – and the kids were even allowed into the cockpit at the end to meet the captain. The airport in Helsinki was a bit of a nightmare. There were some very confusing signs to baggage reclaim so we got completely lost and had to be shepherded back to the right area. We had already lost about 20 minutes of our precious time and time was short given we only had one night in the city……

We didn’t have enough time to get any real feel for Helsinki but we certainly got a good feel for the cold, all -26 degrees of it! We stayed at the magnificent Hotel Kamp, famous for once being the chosen hang-out of some of Europe’s finest composers and artists. Not only was the location spot-on for being right in the heart of things, but it was a very comfortable base for our solitary night with all the five star comfort one would need.

The hotel booked us into a very smart brasserie near the hotel for a taste of modern contemporary Finnish food which would definitely get my hearty recommendation. We had certainly worked up an appetite staving off the cold walking round the streets of Helsinki hoping to squeeze in some shopping. The city seemed pretty quiet, I think only the tourists would go walking in those temperatures for fun but we had little time so it was pile on the thermals, say a small prayer and hope you don’t get frost bite!

Day two and we were off to Ivalo. Again another smooth Finn Air flight and only 80 minutes long. Ivalo airport is small and we were out of there with luggage in hand within about 10 minutes of leaving the aircraft. Our guide was the wonderful Markuu who took us off to Inari and the Sami Museum and then on to our home for the next two nights, the Hotel Kakslauttanen.

Walking into the hotel (though it’s less of a hotel and more of a lodge) was quite an experience. There is one central area where it all seems to take place. A sort of reception which doubles as the café point/shop/meeting point. It was a little crowded so we were taken off to store our luggage and wait in the bar area for our bus to take us on the Santa visit. Now, what started as being a huge disappointment, ended up being a huge win in our favour. We discovered after waiting to be called for the Santa tour for no less than 45 minutes that they had forgotten about us…..we had, we were told, literally missed the bus! However, they promptly called the owner who very apologetically exercised his best Lewis Hamilton driving and got us there in time to catch Santa before he retired for the evening. The initial disaster turned to a real triumph as we were to learn that we had a totally private visit of just the four of us with Santa, and the whole resort (we even had our own personal elf). The girls, having practiced for the last few days what they would say to Santa were for the best part of a few minutes completely speechless once stood in front of him! Even I felt a little overwhelmed and unusually shy in the presence of such a great figure (I almost found myself for a moment feeling foolish for thinking he didn’t really exist!)

The whole Santa Resort was nothing short of magnificent. The snow covered bridges, cabins surrounded with lights, huge colourfully decorated Christmas trees and elves busily walking around…..it was a child (and adults) dream come true.  We were very fortunate to have had the experience on an intimate basis and I think following a crowd as we would have done had we been called for the bus would have perhaps changed the experience a bit but it was still something that will remain fondly etched on our memory for a long time to come.

One of the highlights – the nothing short of magnificent Igloo Village. The igloos are by far one of the greatest visions Jussi, the owner of the resort, had for the resort. The pictures, as good as they are do not do them justice. You’d imagine with all the glass that they would be cold but boy were they heated well! Barely large enough to swing a cat but very comfortable for one night, these little igloos are such a treat. The only thing that could have enhanced the experience in one of these would have been seeing the Northern Lights but the trade-off for it only being -5 as opposed to -43 which it had been the week before was the conditions that it brought with it. The sky was grey in anticipation of snow and it was obvious that this was not the night the sky would go green. Waking up to the view of the tall snow-topped alpine trees above your head was a treat enough and despite there being no curtains, it remained dark enough outside to catch a modest lie in. A night in one of these igloos is not to be missed.

Our second to last day – morning reindeer safari followed by pancake making in a tepee (yes not your average Saturday) followed by an afternoon in Sariselka at ski school. So after being pulled on a sleigh through a winter wonderland by some very cute and tame reindeers and navigated by a local Sami resident, we then got to sit around a fire making some pancakes, drinking hot berry juice and listening to some traditional sami songs. It all felt wonderfully surreal.  After the safari and in between the afternoon activities, we settled nicely into our wonderful cabin for the last night and enjoyed some downtime and lunch before hitting the slopes.

The lovely Lea from the ski school collected us and gave us the low down on the skiing before we got to the base. Our instructor for the kids was to be a lovely smiley girl called Mila who had the patience of a saint. It’s no mean feat trying to kit our two 6 year olds who have never donned a pair of ski boots or skis before. Armed and dangerous, we hit the slopes. Unlike most other ski resorts I have been to before, there was no slush or black snow where lots of boots have been treading, the snow was still beautiful and  powdery white as it was everywhere else. The nursery slope was very uncrowded so not at all intimidating for the kids and perfect for virgin ski legs. A lot of fun was had and Mila was amazing with the girls. That was all well and good but I was dying to try the 1.2km toboggan run which is the largest in Europe. By the time we took the chair lift up, the conditions were becoming quite tricky as snow was about to start and it was pretty cold. My daughter was a little apprehensive but reluctantly I dug my heels in as much as I could and we had a nice gentle ride down. Those without a nervous 6 year old in tow would have very much enjoyed bombing down the run at quite a speed…….. In fact, I was happily overtaken by Mila and Deborah and her daughter much to the annoyance of my competitive ego! All in all it was a huge amount of fun and Sariselka unlike all the normal overcrowded European ski resorts was a lovely quiet and gentle resort with some amazing slopes.

Some quick snapshots: food at the hotel runs in two sittings, 6pm and 8pm and it’s a set menu. The food was average and if you don’t like salmon, their national fish, then you may be disappointed. If you do like it, then it tastes unlike any other salmon you would have tasted, absolutely delicious. You can order off menu for a supplement but it’s not about the food, it’s about the general experience so don’t go with too high taste expectations. Breakfast runs till 11 which is great for leisurely mornings and it’s a lovely traditional Finnish meal of meat, cheese, more salmon and some delicious fresh baked breads. There were also your classic cereals but particular mention to the amazing granola which topped with the natural creamy yoghurt was a real winner! Really good hot chocolate too.

If you want to get married (I almost wished I wasn’t so I could do this myself) then the snow chapel and glass tepee is one of the most amazing things I have seen for a while. Adorned with magnificent ice sculptures and an ice bar, this is something to consider. Your wedding night could be spent under a thermal sleeping bag in a snow igloo: few things could be more romantic.

The Cabins are amazing – perfect for families, there are lovely wooden bunk beds, real fires and saunas. They all have small kitchens too but very few guests cater for themselves.  There is however a small shop for essentials should you need to buy anything there.

It’s advisable to take snacks for in-between meals, the kids often got hungry when we were not where near food so we had a constant supply on us.

Pack light, it’s no mean feat pulling suitcases on a sleigh through heavy snow and help isn’t very forthcoming. However many clothes you think you need, you would end up wearing the same outer layers and just changing the thermals. Although it is always sub-zero temperatures in the winter, it really doesn’t feel that cold and everywhere is over the top heated! There is no wind or dampness in the air so it’s fresh and not as cold as one might think. Pack some t-shirts for when inside, it gets quite uncomfortable when you are indoors and the heat can be a bit stifling.

I can highly recommend purchasing a handmade wool blanket from Ivalo airport for the cost of 72 Euros, this is the nicest warmest blanket I have ever had and it’s beautiful. Those who are not offended by real animal skin, the hotel sells reindeer skin for 91 Euros which can be packaged ready for you to check in (or allow some extra room in your suitcase).

The Finnish and Lappish people are charming, warm and very hospitable.  Some of the seasonal foreign staff at the hotel can be a little unhelpful but not enough to ruin the experience. The owner (or Santa’s younger brother as he calls himself) does his best to get round everybody and you can clearly see the passion and love for the place he has built and run for the past 35 years, but we felt he needed more of a right-hand person to act as front of house. The hotel is busy most of the winter season so I think more management would be useful to help with the more demanding guests (not that we were those of course….)

I have come back with a real excitement about offering this in our Tots Too program. I think this will suit families with kids of three and over but should you have a baby in tow, there is enough equipment to cater for them. Our girls loved it all, as much for the fact that the snow was up to their knees and they were staying very close to Santa. They loved the handcrafted wooden bunk beds in the cabins and being dragged through the snow on the little wooden sleighs.

So for all you kids reading this, Santa is very much alive and well and living with his elves and reindeers in a charming little house in Finnish Lapland – you must go and see him.”

Hotel Kakslauttanen and Igloo Village, Finnish Lapland >