Place to stay - family

Independent Travel Awards 2015 - your chance to nominate

Ikos Olivia

Families pay a premium for travelling during peak periods, so getting a holiday right is essential. Are there decent facilities, will little ones be safe running around, will there be enough to keep everyone happy? What about when it rains?

The ever-expanding Pig Hotels empire continues to win praise, for its spot-on food and design and locations that will satisfy the most demanding of young guests - Studland Bay's long stretches of sand being the latest outpost. Not to be outdone, Soho House has come up with its own riposte in the form of Soho Farmhouse in the Cotswolds, complete with cabins, an ice rink, horse riding, boating, cycling, tennis and swimming pools. Think Center Parcs with Hunters on.

Greece has had a tough year, but Ikos Olivia pushed ahead to open an all-inclusive with a difference in Halkidiki - chic design and Michelin star chef-devised menus just two of the treats in store for its guests.

For simpler pleasures, The Landmark Trust is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a host of events - art installations by Antony Gormley at a handful of its self-catering properties, new properties in Ramsgate and Lyme Regis, and above all, family-friendly rentals that are as easy on the pocket as they are on the eye, with many starting at around £12 per person per night.