Half-term activities: 12 best family-friendly hotels in the UK

From bouncy castles to babysitters, or crèches to cookery courses, all the family will feel welcome at these hotels

It’s no easy decision whether to splash out on a hotel if you’ve got kids, particularly in the UK, where disapproving hotel management, not to mention the other guests, can leave you wishing you’d gone self-catering or camping instead. It can be baffling for parents who find themselves double checking the website and finding that, sure enough, it did say the words 'family-friendly'.

The problem is that while some hotels like the idea of opening themselves up to hoards of littluns, they’re not so keen on the reality of the little cherubs running down corridors and demanding fish fingers for tea.

We have scoured the British Isles to find you the best of the truly family-friendly hotels, so that you can book in knowing your offspring – whether a baby or teen - will not just be tolerated but genuinely welcomed, with thoughtful touches and kid-orientated activities. None of this means adults can’t relax though. Indeed, the hotels we’ve selected don’t just look after children really well – they also ensure adults can relax, too.