stations

EVERY family hopes for a stress-free holiday and this hotel gives you the best chance of that.

From kids clubs to complimentary baby equipment, a hotel in the Algarve has incredible children’s facilities not to mention beautiful nearby beaches.

The Telegraph named the Martinhal Sagres as being the hotel that’s ‘Best for Families’ in its world’s 50 greatest hotels.

The publication said that one reason is thanks to the staff who “set up colouring stations to allow parents to finish their food peacefully to playing football with junior guests on the beach.”

The hotel states on its website that “everything about Martinhal Sagres is designed with families in mind. Stylish and design-oriented.

“Martinhal Sagres offers families a luxury beach holiday experience with high-class family-friendly accommodation, restaurants and bars, kids’ and leisure services to suit the needs of each family member.”

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The hotel even offers family and baby concierges which give personal assistance for families and their little ones.

With them you can get expert advice on childcare and family-friendly activities.

You can also pre-book complimentary baby equipment – from small items like door protectors, potties, bottle sterilizers and warmers, to cots, baby baths and pushchairs.

The hotel has its own crèche for children between six and 23 months which has activities like hand and foot painting.

Raposinhos is a club for two to five-year-olds with story time, puppet shows as well as arts and crafts – and time outside in the playground and on tricycles.

The Fox Club is for six to eight-year-olds where they can play football and play games outside, as well as explore the small on-site forest.

Other leisure activities that children can join in with include horse riding, tennis or head to the watersport academy for fun on inflatables.

Other facilities include a spa, gym, heated indoor pool, games room with play corners, pool table, Xbox and PlayStation.

Outside of the hotel are plenty of the Algarve’s beaches, the nearest being Praia do Martinhal.

When it comes to food, there’s a family-friendly restaurant called Quinta do Lago which has a special children’s menu and fresh purees for babies.

Accommodation varies from a stay in one of the main hotel rooms, as well as houses with two or three bedrooms all the way up to its luxury villas.

It even has a ‘Baby’s First Holiday package’ which is four nights in a Beach Room or 1-bedroom apartment with breakfast included.

It includes a baby welcome pack upon arrival, a first water experience, one session in the crèche each day, a spa treatment for parents and a dinner where a hotel babysitter will take care of the little one.

This offer is €129 (£112.64) per adult per night for two adults and one baby (from 6 months up to 23 months).

This English hotel was named the best for families with ‘milk butlers’, film screenings and cookies at bedtime…

This plush hotel in the New Forest is every parent’s dream.

With lots of children’s activities and even complimentary daycare, it’s the ideal hotel for both kids and parents.

New Park Manor in Brockenhurst has everything for families to have fun, but also experience a relaxing break altogether.

It was even awarded the title of “best family-friendly hotel” by The Times in its 100 Best Places to Stay in the UK for 2025.

The hotel offers many ways for a family-friendly break including a “milk butler service”.

Front of house staff will prepare little ones a bottle of warm milk whether it’s day or night, and they get a choice of cow’s, soya, and oat milk.

What was described as a “game changer” is the complimentary time at the kids’ club.

The hotel offers all guests a free two hour session per night’s stay.

The Four Bears Den is an Ofsted-registered kids’ club within the hotel and has entertainment for children aged 3 months to 8 years.

Some adults even said they took the time away from their children to “sneak off to the spa” in their Tripadvisor review.

For adults, there’s a heated pool, steam room, spa and adults-only sun terrace with two outdoor hot tubs.

For more on the Algarve, check out what Assistant Travel Editor, Sophie Swietochowski, made of her trip – from where to eat to finding hidden coves.

Plus, discover the countryside spa hotel with outdoor hot tubs overlooking Highland cows.

FIVE train stations in the UK left deserted for decades have undergone major renovation projects and will soon have new routes to a major city.

The five stations include three on the Camp Hill Line and two between Wolverhampton and Walsall.

All five of the stations will welcome new West Midlands Railway services in early 2026.

On the Camp Hill Line, £120million has been spent on three stations at Moseley Village, Kings Heath and Pineapple Road to reopen them.

Moseley Village, Kings Heath and Pineapple Road train stations all closed in 1941 during the Second World War and never reopened.

Ahead of services starting early next year, construction work at each of the stations has been completed.

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Each station will have two platforms for six-carriage trains, bike parking, ticket machines, information screens and lifts.

There will also be pick up and drop off zones at Moseley Village and Pineapple Road stations.

This also means that the stations will gain services for the first time since World War II.

The services will call at each of the stations every 30 minutes, with destinations including Birmingham New Street and Kings Norton.

It is estimated that the reopened stations will cut journey times to Birmingham New Street by between nine and 31 minutes.

As for the two stations between Wolverhampton and Walsall – Darlaston and Willenhall – there will be train services for the first time since 1965 when the stations were both closed.

To begin with, there will be two services an hour between Wolverhampton and Birmingham.

A direct service to Walsall town centre, known as the ‘leather capital of the world’ due to its leatherworking history, is also being discussed with the Department for Transport and Walsall Council.

In total, the two stations have cost £85million to reopen.

Walsall Council hopes that the stations will better connect local residents to the wider region, as well as create more opportunities for people to travel, whether that be for holidays or for work.

Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “For some communities, this is the first time in more than 80 years they’ve had their own train service.

“That changes everyday life. Getting to work, college or seeing family becomes simpler and quicker.

“It also means more people coming into town centres. More footfall for shops and cafés. More confidence for local businesses to invest and grow.

“This is what delivery looks like – backing places that have waited far too long for decent connections.”

In other train news, here’s the first look at the new Virgin Trains that will take Brits from UK to France, Belgium and Netherlands.

Plus, the low-cost train launching more routes between two popular UK cities – and tickets are £33.