ALMOST half of us are happy not to leave our hotel for the entire break, according to a Loveholidays poll.
No wonder when there can be so much on your doorstep. Sophie Swietochowski looks at six top ‘whole-stay’ resorts.
5
ATLANTIS THE PALM, DUBAI: If you want to relax on a sunlounger while the kids frolic for hours in a pool or games area, Atlantis The Palm is for you.
It’s home to the world’s largest waterpark, with dolphin experiences and humongous water slides, as well as The Lost Chambers Aquarium with more than 65,000 marine animals.
If that’s not enough for the little ones, there’s an Explorers Club, a gaming room and Aquatrek experience.
Meanwhile, parents can take advantage of elegant beach clubs, an excellent spa and bars serving freshly-shaken cocktails.
And there are 17 restaurants, with options from celebrity chefs including Gordon Ramsay.
Seven nights’ half-board is from £2,300pp, including flights from Heathrow on January 21, 2024. See loveholidays.com.
ISLAND OF LEGENDS, KINGDOM HOTEL, TURKEY: A legendary place, and not just by name.
5
The Kingdom Hotel, within the Land of Legends theme park in Antalya, Turkey, is every child’s fantasy.
You will find hyper-coasters, water slides and kid-friendly rides in the theme park, plus musical shows and a huge shopping mall with all the big brands, from Adidas and Gap to Lacoste and Armani Exchange.
Rooms at the Kingdom hotel have wacky neon colours and murals on the walls. There’s also a spa, swimming pool and fitness centre.
Seven nights’ all-inclusive is from £797.18pp, including flights from London on November 22 and with free access to the theme park.
See tui.co.uk.
HYATT REGENCY KOH SAMUI, THAILAND: At the Hyatt Regency Koh Samui, you’ll feel completely secluded but have everything you desire at your fingertips.
5
The luxury retreat is surrounded by lush coconut trees and backs on to the ocean.
When you’re not relaxing in your pool villa, you can join one of the many cultural activities such as Thai cooking classes and coconut leaf origami workshops.
Adults will love lounging by the rainbow-tiled infinity pool or sipping on a pina colada from the bar KUBE.
You will have a wealth of dining options to pick from too, such as the Sea Sun grill serving fresh seafood and the traditional Yangna restaurant with live cooking stations.
Seven nights’ B&B costs from £1,573pp, including flights from Heathrow on November 14.
See loveholidays.com.
BUTLIN’S BOGNOR REGIS, UK: Budget quite slim?
5
You can still have heaps of fun right here in the UK — and Butlin’s is putting on such a show for the festive season, you’ll never want to leave.
As well as fairground rides and the pools and slides of Splash Waterworld, there are lots of live performances and entertainment.
Things are really taken up a notch at Christmas, too, with special movie nights, festive lights and character experiences, plus new for this year is the Father Christmas Delivery.
This grotto experience will give little ones the chance to meet the big man himself and there will be plenty of photo opportunities.
A four-night Christmas Festive Wonderland break costs from £83 per family, staying in a two-bedroom Silver Room in Bognor Regis on December 11.
Dining packages start from £22.75 per adult, per day; £13.65 per child aged six to 14, per day; and £6.80 per child ages two to five. See butlins.com.
NICKELODEON HOTEL & RESORT, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Children can meet all their favourite TV characters at this resort, overlooking the sea in the Dominican Republic.
5
Tuck into brunch, pizzas and burgers with SpongeBob, Dora The Explorer and the Paw Patrol cast, or enjoy some out-of-this-world grub at the Spacewalker restaurant, where the waiters are dressed as astronauts.
You can even stay in the two-bedroom pineapple villa inspired by SpongeBob’s home.
But the adults might prefer the spa, where the Sweet Honey ritual includes a marshmallow butter massage.
Seven nights’ all-inclusive costs from £1,454pp, including flights from Heathrow on December 5.
See loveholidays.com.
EXCALIBUR HOTEL, LAS VEGAS: For those after an adults break, look no further than Vegas, where bright and flashy resorts offer up endless entertainment.
The Excalibur Hotel and Casino on Sin City’s main strip has 12 bars and restaurants, a lavish spa and a giant casino where you can play the slots.
There’s a pool with waterslides and plenty of sun loungers too, plus some excellent night-time entertainment, including performances from a Spice Girls tribute band.
If you do want to leave the resort, you won’t have far to walk to find huge shopping malls, pool parties and one-off experiences such as gondola rides in The Venetian.
Four nights’ room-only is from £904pp, including flights from Heathrow on January 11, 2024.
See virginholidays.co.uk or call 0344 557 3859. For more info, see visitlasvegas.com.
