Scrubbing up nicely at The Elms

We love a recommendation from someone we trust, especially when it comes to precious time away. And who better than the coolest travel gurus in the world, Mr & Mrs Smith? We know, we know, you might be thinking that they offer the kind of hotels and self-catering pads we stayed in before having children? Well, listen to what editor-in-chief Juliet Kinsman has to stay, and start packing the clothes you wore before having children, along with the nappies and Calpol.

”Think a holiday with the kids means sacrificing stylish surroundings? Think again’, says Juliet Kinsman. ‘From Ofsted-registered crèches, to trampolines and Xboxes, Mr & Mrs Smith has found the cream of the child-friendly crop for its Smith & Kids collection”.

Barn Cottage
Style Red-brick barn, Scandinavian style
Setting North Devon farmland, Cornish coastline

If you’re looking for a cute cottage close to the coast, this lovingly converted two-bedroom barn in North Devon is just the ticket. Sandwiched between nature reserves and slap bang on farmland, Barn Cottage is great for kids of all ages. Only a 10-minute drive from Cornwall’s coast, rockpooling and sandcastle-building also awaits. A high chair, cot, and even a car seat are available, and the sitting room is stocked with board games and books.
Rates £500–£950 a week; long weekends available, except from early July until the end of August.

Higher Westcott Farm
Style Home-grown gastro glamour
Setting Wild and wuthering Dartmoor

Perched atop Dartmoor’s picnic-perfect landcape, Higher Westcott Farm epitomises gastro deluxe. Run by a graphic designer and former Conran restaurant manager, it fuses country-kitchen cooking with contemporary-but-comfortable design. Ideal for those with babes in arms, Higher Westcott Farm can be kitted out with cots, changing mats, Bugaboos – all your baby essentials. Kids in boots will love it too, with quad bikes available for all-terrain motoring across Dartmoor’s Middle Earth woodland. Chef Jo Gossett is happy to prepare packed lunches for a day of fishing or canoeing, and you’d be mad to miss her fabulous cream tea.
Rates £90–£130, including full English breakfast. You can rent the whole house for £460 a night.

Strattons
Style Eco, eccentric, arty and eclectic
Setting The Brecks in Norfolk

Tucked off the high street of the market town of Swaffham in Norfolk, this eclectic, eco bolthole is child-friendly to boot. As well as chairs and cots, children’s toiletries are at hand – the Edie Suite has even been designed with asthma sufferers in mind. Little ones are welcome in the restaurant for breakfast, and Strattons will whip up a fabulous organic packed lunch for a picnic at your request.
Rates £150–£225, including breakfast.

The Elms
Style Chilled-out and child-friendly
Setting Amid the Malverns

Set in the heart of the Worcestershire countryside, the Elms is a chic and child-friendly country pile: a fully stocked games room and Ofsted-registered crèche make this a playground for tots and teens alike. Little ones can learn how to grow vegetables in the kitchen garden while older kids battle it out on the Xbox, leaving you time for a little R&R in the spa. Extra beds and cots are available, and a series of interconnecting rooms are ideal for bigger families. The hotel’s Pear Tree Brasserie has been designed with kids in mind, but if you fancy a night of fine dining at the Elms’ smarter restaurant, the Brooke, staff will be happy to babysit.
Rates  £250–£325, including full English breakfast and tax.

Rose Cottage
Style Graceful gamekeeper’s cottage
Setting Georgical Gutch Common

This graceful gamekeeper’s cottage on the Dorset/Wiltshire border promises a taste of the great outdoors.  Woodland stomps are right on your doorstep, and the Dorset coast is an hour away by car. Directly behind the house is a 14-acre bird reserve, which makes a great 30-minute circular ramble with kids. For more exotic nature-spotting, Longleat safari park is also within reach. Little ones will love retreating to the garden house to play on the Wii, giving you space for a romantic evening should you desire.
Rates From £995 for a three-night weekend to £1,736 for a week in low season and £2,184 for a week in high season (Easter, May bank holidays, June to September, half-term dates and Christmas and new year).

To book any of these hotels or houses, ring 0845 034 0700 or go to Mr & Mrs Smith. Our travel team love a chat, and can match the perfect property to your family, dates and budget, and fill you in on exactly what’s there, from high chairs to interconnecting rooms.