Best family hotels in the UK to keep the kids entertained

With more and more of us discovering the joys of holidays in the UK, there is intense demand for family-friendly hotels where children are positively welcomed, and parents can relax.

These are the best family hotels in the UK:

The sight of Ullswater’s dramatic lakescape through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the swimming pool here got everyone’s attention when Another Place – a contemporary country hotel — opened in 2017. Joyously, it’s not just spa bunnies who will enjoy this shoreside retreat. The hotel piles on fun for families and its relaxed, non-chintzy atmosphere makes it a firm favourite for modern-day Swallows and Amazons. Days can be spent wild swimming, paddleboarding or kayaking on Ullswater. The OFSTED-registered Kids Zone offers free childcare each day and there’s babysitting available too. Even the tiny but gorgeous shepherd huts, out in the grounds, have bunks for younger children.

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Situated above Fowey estuary, the lawn of this Victorian hotel looks across rooftops that spill down to the harbour. Fowey Hall is nearing completion of a multi-million pound expansion and refurbishment which will see new spa suites and an outdoor pool opening in April, providing panoramic views of the ocean. Children are allowed in the spa, which has an indoor pool too and offers health treatments. Discover idyllic coves nearby — such as one that’s only 8 minutes away — and take a picnic. While parents read or sip cocktails on the terrace, kids can burn off energy in the Wind in the Willows-themed play area. The Four Bears Den is a kids’ club for under 8s with up to 90-minutes of free childcare provided daily. Most of the spacious bedrooms take extra beds for children.