Is it possible to have a luxury staycation with the kids in tow? This hotel offers a range of features to make family holidays more fun, including complimentary childcare for kid-free time
Moonfleet Manor has child-friendly facilities such as a kids club(Image: Moonfleet Manor)
If you’re looking for a family staycation that’s close to the coast, yet also has plenty for the kids to do, and even gives you the chance for some child-free time, then read on.
A hotel in Dorset is offering luxury family-friendly accommodation overlooking spectacular Chesil Beach, with lots of thoughtful touches to make your time away easier. Moonfleet Manor is set in a beautiful Georgian property and is an excellent place to explore the Jurassic Coast.
While we all love spending time with our kids on holiday, one of the main services that’s bound to appeal to worn-out parents is the hotel’s Four Bears Den Kids Club.
This Ofsted-registered onsite club takes care of kids from three months to eight years, and all guests get a complimentary two-hour session per night’s stay, starting at either 9.30am or 2.30pm. This gives you kid-free time to enjoy a romantic stroll, have a spa treatment, or just read a book in peace.
In the evenings, you can also hire a video monitor for free, so while the kids nap in the room, you can enjoy a nightcap. The hotel also offers a babysitting service for an additional fee if you want to explore the local area.
During the school holidays and weekends, the kids club offers a program of activities designed for family fun, from toasting marshmallows to scavenger hunts, so all ages can enjoy quality time together.
Just a short walk from the hotel is an indoor pool available for guests to enjoy throughout their stay, plus there’s a sauna and the option to book spa treatments for the grown-ups, including facials and ocean-inspired rituals.
Kids can enjoy the colourful play barn, where you’ll find an under-5s play area, table tennis, arcade games, and even a hands-on Science Room for young Einsteins to play in.
The problem with some family hotels is that they tend to focus just on practicalities, and they can be quite dull for adults. But Moonfleet Manor has a luxury, design-led style, so rooms are inviting whether you are staying as a couple or with kids.
There are also two-bedroom family rooms available that offer a separate sleeping area for the kids. This means you can tuck them away in bed and enjoy your evening without worrying about keeping them awake.
The hotel overlooks the unspoiled shingle shores of Chesil Beach, an 18-mile stretch of seafront that’s full of incredible fossils and spectacular scenery. Between the beach and the hotel is the Fleet Lagoon, a marine-protected area full of wildlife and seabirds, so you can’t walk directly onto the shingle from Moonfleet. However, you can drive a short distance to Abbotsbury or Portland for a beach walk or fossil hunt.
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Less than 20 minutes away is the seaside town of Weymouth, a family favorite for many generations. Here you’ll find a SEALIFE Center, Sandworld – an impressive collection of sand sculptures and castles, and the sandy Weymouth Beach, which is set in a cove, so kids can paddle and swim on sunny days.
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