Family-friendly Apart-Hotels

An increasingly popular option for family holidays and breaks by virtue of the flexibility they provide, apart-hotels afford you the best of both worlds by offering the space and self-catering facilities of an apartment with some of the facilities of a hotel or resort - a restaurant or restaurants, and perhaps a swimming pool, a launderette, and even a kids' club and maid service. The best will also provide baby equipment – a highchair, travel cot and other kit such as a changing mat and babybath and perhaps even buggy hire.

Apart-hotels cater to different budgets – some are at the budget end of the spectrum, others in high-end resorts – and can be useful for both family-friendly city breaks and beach holidays.

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Tips

Check amenities before booking  – most apart-hotels will offer baby and toddler equipment as standard, but do confirm, and check whether items need booking in advance.

Check the age ranges of any childcare available if you are planning on using it, and find out if it needs pre-booking.

Bear in mind that some lower-end apart-hotels might not have all the kitchen implements you have at home, so take things you might want, such as cafetieres and corkscrews. If you're driving to an apart-hotel in the UK or on the Continent, consider taking a pack of 'essentials' that you might otherwise forget or not have time to pick up, such as matches, loo roll, and so on.

Similarly, kitchens in some apart-hotels may actually be kitchenettes – very small, and sometimes with only a microwave and a mini-fridge, which rules out big shops and such fast food as pizzas. Check that the self-catering facilities will meet your needs.

Don't restrict yourself to the on-site shop if there is one - they can be handy for bits and bobs but are generally more expensive and have more limited stock than shops in the local community.

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