FIVE-STARS FOR THE FAMILY
What does five-star mean for kids? It's certainly not the same as for adults. I don't think the eight-year-old twins would be very impressed by the fact that their mum can have a lavender and ginger aromatherapy rock massage in the spa or that their dad is provided with kippers at breakfast and endless newspapers to read, or that, maybe, he can even have his shoes shined for once. That's five-star amenities for adults only and, to be frank, what the majority of upmarket hotels offer. It's rare for five-star luxury to be designed with the whole family in mind.
But the K Club (www.kclub.com), a country-house hotel set in an estate with a golf course on the outskirts of Dublin, managed to provide a top-class service and experience for all of us. On our first morning Albert the gillie turned up to take us all fishing on the lake. The twins were kitted out in wax Barbour jackets and long green wellies, ready to wade among the bullrushes. (Dressing up is a delight for all children.) Albert taught them how to spin a line and pull it in quick enough to hook a fish. Both the kids caught a rainbow trout; us adults returned with nothing.
Ireland is particularly good at five-star family experiences. I've mentioned before the large and lustrous Lough Erne in Enniskillen (www.loughernegolfresort.com), where, as if we were strange cartoon characters, we walked around with binoculars permanently held up in front of our faces, spotting the ducks.
There are, of course, also hotels elsewhere in the world that make everyone, of every age, feel spoilt. All of my family felt like honoured guests at the Half Moon in Montego Bay (www.halfmoon.com), where they organise special beach parties for children, with tales of Anancy, the spider from Jamaican folklore. At the Molino Stucky in Venice (www.molinostuckyhilton.com), the twins had Italian cooking classes, learning to make authentic pizza that doesn't come frozen out of a packet. At the Andaman Langkawi resort in Malaysia (www.theandaman.com), snuggled in the rainforest, we all went on an early morning walk through the jungle, spotting wild birds and giant creepy crawlies. The Hotel del Coronado (www.hoteldel.com), just outside San Diego, managed to boast being the location for my favourite ever movie ? Some Like It Hot ? as well as the place the twins favourite ever book was written ? The Wizard of Oz. I could visit the suite where Marilyn Monroe stayed while filming, while the twins tried out a paddleboat for the first time.
So what is five-star for families? It's not concealing the twins in a kids' club while the adults are pampered. Whatever your age, it's about having the chance to indulge in something you never would do at home ? whether that's fishing or a facial.
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