Why not cover all the bases with “child-friendly stays”, you may ask?
Well, as every parent knows, travelling with a baby can be very different from travelling with a child or children. In fact, it seems the smaller the baby, the more equipment is needed!
So wouldn’t it be nice to know that there are some unusual places to stay that don’t just welcome your littlest family member, but also offer baby-friendly provisions that mean you can pack a little lighter?
To offer even more reassurance, each of the retreats featured in this list have been described by the owners themselves, with particular emphasis on safety and fun… essential aspects of any true baby-friendly escape.
Sleepy Owl Devon
Cosy Cowshed
Nest Treehouse
Hideout Treehouse
We pride ourselves on being family-friendly, so our retreats have been designed from the start so that you and your kids can have the best holiday in Devon.
We can provide baby cots, bath mats, seat cushions, baby baths, games and more! Each retreat has a separate kiddie bedroom, with colourful lights or canopies above the beds. There’s also a telescope, stacks of board games perfect for all ages, and fun activities and adventures across the entire secluded site.
Oh, and there’s also plenty in the area for all the family to enjoy, including theme parks, surfing, and miles of coast.
Airhouses
Airhouses
Airhouses is perfect for babies! Our larger lodges have free cots and high chairs available, stair gates in The Capercaillie, and the use of our fabulous Playden.
The Playden is full of toys suitable from birth to seven, and can be played in or toys taken back to your lodge for ease and hours of fun. You can also visit our friendly animals including KuneKune pigs, alpacas, Shetland ponies, pygmy goats, and fluffy sheep.
One Acre Wood
One Acre Wood
One Acre Wood is perfectly prepared to welcome guests of all ages, our youngest adventurer was 8 weeks old!
We provide an adjustable cot with bedding, a high chair, and infant-friendly plates, cups, and cutlery, as well as a bath and shower cradle with a seat for safe and easy bathing. There’s also a bed safety rail or a low-level bed and mattress for slightly older infants.
Wandering toddlers are kept safe with a stairgate, and at Fuggle Treehouse, step-free access and gated decks with latches positioned out of children’s reach provide extra peace of mind. Additionally, the cozy play nook under the stairs, with children’s books and toys, offers a perfect hideaway for toddlers to explore and enjoy.
Mayen Estate
Mayen Estate
Escape to our 700-acre Highland Estate for the ultimate family holiday, with unrivalled peace, privacy and nature all around.
Our cosy cottages provide all the tools and furnishings you need to feel at home and we even offer a travel cot with beautiful bedding, fire guards and high chairs for the little ones.
Families with babies and toddlers love exploring our estate and watching the free range ducks and chickens, deer, highland cows, sheep, pheasants and squirrels – to name a few around Mayen! – and we are close to so many brilliant family days out.
Finca de Arrieta Eco Cottages and Yurts
Finca de Arrieta Eco Cottages
Finca de Arrieta Yurts
Our Finca de Arrieta is a great place for families. Many families stay with us and comment on how safe and secure they feel with their young children.
We have a children’s play park, trampoline, an all-year-round solar heated pool, and baby equipment that we provide free of charge, such as travel cots, highchairs, potties, Ikea steps, and car seats. We also have a 24/7 Honesty Shop on site, selling nappies and wipes.
There are animals on site and families can enjoy a walk with the donkeys three times a week. We also have chickens, which means you can collect fresh eggs for breakfast.
Wannies Retreat
Wannies Retreat
Wannies Retreat is perfect for your littlest cherubs. You can request a travel cot and high chair to be ready for your arrival, which gives you that extra space always needed in the car!
Specially-made baby soap, produced using local goats milk, is left for you to use and take home, along with a super-soft flannel. We also have special cutlery and plates and stools for those not quite able to reach the sink, with lots of games, toys, and books aimed at our younger generation to teach them about the night sky and farming.
We also have a huge selection of outdoor games and toys to play with on the extensive grass area, as well as tables and chairs especially for little bums! Due to our location you can be safe in the knowledge that your little ones have the privacy and space to run around and make as much noise as they want – with no neighbours to complain (unless the sheep get grumpy!) you can relax and let them be free.
Wannies Retreat is a unique place to visit and we love to host families with young children. The look on their faces when they see the farm animals and wildlife around them is fantastic… and who doesn’t enjoy feeding baby lambs?
Seabank Selsey
Seabank Selsey
We often have baby visitors at Seabank. There’s a travel cot, high chair and changing mat, along with some toys – all on one level, being train carriages (which kids of all ages love!)
Author: Nina Jervis-Green
