Suzanne Baum's favourite family holiday: Vila Vita Parc

by Suzanne Baum

Our most enjoyable family holiday consisted of 10 days at the fabulous Vila Vita Parc Hotel in Portugal. When it comes to 'child-friendly' resorts, it can be hit and miss with many places, but this Algarve hotel ticked all the right boxes.

My kids, then aged two and three, were restless travelers, so the  3hr flight to Faro airport and then the 20-minute transfer time to the resort was short enough to cope with. Not old enough to appreciate the stunning grounds that surround the hotel, the boys were far more excited by the 'golf buggy' that greeted us on arrival and transported us to our family apartment. While we took in the breathtaking décor, the kids screeched in delight at their fabulous children's welcome pack, along with their own mini slippers and dressing gowns.

Being a five-star hotel, Vila Vita bends over backwards to keep little ones entertained and allow stressed-out parents to have some much-needed ‘us’ time. It boasts the best kids’ club I have ever experienced, with its own vast playground, where our kids were very well cared for.

With direct access to two private beaches, the hotel has thought of everything –forget lugging your own beach toys along with you: the lovely beach we visited was laden with toys and buckets and spades. Even the sun loungers had shields to protect us from the burning heat. As well as having fun on the football pitch and huge trampoline, our kids spent a huge amount of time in and out of the fresh-water  swimming pools (there were five of them to explore).

This hotel provided the perfect holiday break for the four of us. It does not come cheap, but then 10 days without any toddler tantrums or squabbles is priceless.

Useful information about the Algarve:

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