Remember the days of slowly working your way through a seven-course local taster menu with a wine flight to match? Well, sadly, for a few years of parenthood, those days are probably over.
Sure you might have lucked out and have a foodie kid who’ll chow down on everything from olives to oysters, but even the most adventurous of kids can be prone to getting in a strop at mealtimes. And every parent who has had a bad experience at a restaurant with their kids knows it’s no fun and tensions can run high.
So, if you’re trying to take it easy on holiday, then why not try and make it easy on yourself when it comes to mealtimes and give yourself the greatest chance of enjoying things.
That’s where TUI comes in. Their helpful and comprehensive website can give you the downlow on what you can expect at any prospective hotel. You can search specifically for family holidays, that you know will cater to your and your brood.
And even better, the range of TUI Blue Family hotels are really dedicated to being family-friendly. At these hotels, you can expect high-quality, healthy dining. Many of the hotels are geared up to deal with guests with special dietary requirements. And there’s the Children’s Healthy Eating Challenge too, which gives stickers to little ones every time they try a new healthy dish. The buffet restaurants also often have big tables that fit extended family groups perfectly too, if you’re in need of extra pairs of helping hands. There are lots of special kids buffet areas and they often have areas dedicated to warming baby food and milk too. They really are there to make family holidays easier.
Which of course is what you want. That any – if our experience is anything to go by – a constant supply of chips.
IN PLAYA DE MURO, MAJORCA, BALEARIC ISLANDS, SPAIN
There are five restaurants on offer at this perfect family hotel. The buffet is a mainstay that’ll keep you returning for more, featuring not only local and family favourites, but a children’s buffet and an area to prepare baby food. There’s a pool bar, The Taverna (a family-style dining restaurant), Green & Grill (with a focus on grilled meat, fish and vegetables), a coffee shop and juice bar, the Garden BBQ and Italian-focused a la carte, La Bambola. And they should have an appetite - there’s a big pool with a waterslide and children get a splash park with animal-themed slides, as well as kids’ clubs for all ages.
IN KUSADASI, IZMIR AREA, TURKEY
Two restaurants, a buffet and you can make a reservation to enjoy the seafood restaurant at the nearby Aqua Fantasy Hotel at this TUI Blue for Families resort. But the food isn’t the only thing going for this great hotel. Which is set between a beach AND a waterpark. You’ve got free access to the Aqua Fantasy Waterpark, which boasts slides, chutes and flumes to build up the biggest of appetites.
IN BAHIA FELIZ, GRAN CANARIA, CANARY ISLANDS, SPAIN
There’s three restaurants in this Gran Canaria resort, and we love that the buffet comes with big tables for family groups, but also there’s a quieter, adults-only area. Sometimes when you have kids, having a separate quiet area people can opt for if they want, gives you the freedom not to worry about what others are thinking and just enjoy. As well as a splash pool that’ll thrill the little ones and several other pools, this hotel sits right on a beach and as it’s right next door to another TUI BLUE for Families hotel, you can use the facilities for both. Oh, and there’s a go-karting track just five minutes down the road if you’ve got a thrill-seeker in the ranks.
IN RIVIERA MAYA, MEXICO - CARIBBEAN COAST, MEXICO
One thing about Mexico, you’re going to eat well. And it’s never been truer than at this resort, which boast a buffet and six a la carte menus. And there’s plenty of range too, there’s teppanyaki-style, Italian, Meditterannean, Japanese-Peruvian and gourmet French cuisine too. And if that’s not enough, you can book at three extra restaurants in the neighbouring hotel. Surely there’s something for everyone catered for in that list. No? How about a 24-hour snack bar to boot? The hotel includes two huge pools, a kids’ club and waterslides for children and you can hit the beach with a 10 minute shuttle bus ride or spend a day trip at the Playa del Carmen which is just 40 minutes away.
IN PORT DES TORRENT, IBIZA, BALEARIC ISLANDS, SPAIN
Woah, we’re going to Ibiza, if the look of this hotel village is anything to go by. There are four restaurants – buffet, Italian, Sunset Grill and a retro American diner. There’s also a extra kids-only spread at the buffet. And you’ll be hungry enough to hit them all after a day at this hotel which has it’s own waterpark on site, a spa and an Aerial Adventure course. In the evening there’s three bars and a live entertainment open air stage, so dancing your dinner away is an option. But here’s what caught our eye – for extra luxury, you can upgrade to a swim-up family suite…
IN MARMARIS, DALAMAN AREA, TURKEY
This super contemporary hotel comes with a city-centre location, a private patch of Marmaris Beach, and great pool, and we’re sure enough food to feed up your kids enough to enjoy it all. There’s the buffet restaurant and also two a la carte restaurants – Il Primo focuses on Italian cuisine, while Yiamas offers a Greek menu. And in case of emergencies/whenever you fancy, there’s a café with cakes and sweet treats too. We’re quite fascinated by the comfy sofas available to sit on in the buffet… a nice spot to enjoy a glass of something while a younger family members snuggles up with some chips and an iPad? Interesting…
IN GERANI, CHANIA AREA, CRETE, GREECE
Paradise by name, paradise by nature. As a TUI Blue for families hotel, you can be sure that everything will be right for families, including the food. There are loads of activities, kids’ clubs, entertainment and even family wellbeing classes that are designed to help you relax and practice mindfulness. The nearby sand-and-shingle beach is a real bonus to this resort too. There are three restaurants on offer, including a buffet with loads of big tables to make dining as a family group as easy as possible. There are snack bars (and pool bars!) to enjoy too.