You can’t beat a traditional family holiday and there’s no better place for it than Ireland.
Consider the simplicity, relaxation and - if chosen wisely - better value, that airport-free home holidays offer.
Parents holidaying with their kids will find there is plenty to choose from in many of the most beautiful areas of Ireland.
Here are some of the best hotels stays in Ireland if you have the kids in tow.
Quality Hotel and Leisure Club Clonakilty, Co Cork
Any parent worried about the weather will understand the benefits of a hotel with good facilities when holidaying with kids. This family-friendly hotel on the edge of the town is just the kind of place to holiday with kids. There’s lots to do and visit nearby, including the West Cork Model Railway Village which has an old-style train that picks people up at the hotel en route to exploring Clonakilty and nearby Inchydoney - where there’s a blue flag beach. The hotel’s kids' facilities are pretty impressive with a Jungle Gym area and a Teen Zone, with Xboxes, Playstations, and air hockey. In summer and all mid-term breaks, a Kids Kamp offers lots of activities for 5-14 year-olds, mainly held outdoors weather-depending.
Renvyle House Hotel, Co Galway
Renvyle House is a happy destination for families. There is loads to do but, unlike many family hotels, the focus is less on organised activities and more on the old fashioned pleasures of doing things together. Very good child facilities include a nice traditional playground and a crèche in summer. The large dining room has a window along one side where parents can see their children in the supervised playroom next door.
Westport Woods Hotel, Co Mayo
Westport Woods Hotel is a great family destination, with the bonus of providing a complimentary “go!kids!” Club to entertain all ages from little ones to teens at arts and crafts, pony riding and disco-dancing, while parents enjoy some much-deserved time to themselves.
Rathmullan House, Co Donegal
Children are made very welcome at this lovely beachside house, which even features a special pet-friendly room. The cosy hotel is set in gardens on the shores of Lough Swilly, with direct access to a long sandy beach, and also has a swimming pool, steam room and tennis on site. At The Weeping Elm restaurant, renowned for its sourced local and artisan foods, a particularly attractive feature is the Children’s Menu: a proper little person’s version of the adult menu, with lots of choices and no concessions to ‘popular’ fare.
Dingle Skellig Hotel, Co Kerry
One of Ireland’s most popular family holiday destinations, this modest-looking but spacious 1960s hotel enjoys a shore-side location on the edge of Dingle and is furnished with space and comfort in mind. Organised children’s entertainment is a draw in summer - entire floors are dedicated for family use to avoid disturbing other guests. Cots are available, baby sitting can be arranged, there’s a crèche, playroom, and children’s playground. And, while outdoor activities are a major attraction to the area with dolphin watching, fishing, and water sports. Insurance for unpredictable weather is provided by a well-equipped leisure centre with 17m pool and children’s pool, and the hotel’s Peninsula Spa.
Kelly’s Resort Hotel, Co Wexford
For many regular visitors, this beachside hotel sums up all that is best about the sunny South-East. Whether you want a quiet reading room, a snooker room or a supervised crèche, there’s something to suit all ages. Leisure facilities include two indoor swimming pools to keep the kids happy, a well-being centre ‘SeaSpa’, indoor tennis, and even boules.
Ballyvolane House, Co Cork
This lovely 18th century house near Fermoy is a very relaxed family-friendly place. The hotel offer special ‘Little People’ breaks throughout the year for a few days of family fun. Ballyvolane is ideal for kids, with vast grounds to get lost in, a tree house to play in, woods to explore, hens to feed, eggs to collect, donkeys to pet and lots more entertainment nearby, such as Fota Wildlife Park, Blarney Castle and Leahy's Open Farm. Children are free if sharing with their parents, for a minimum three nights stay.
Image via Pinterest.
