A few weeks ago we returned from our first family holiday abroad as a three and I would definitely recommend both the resort we went to and the hotel to anyone with children under three.
We may have spent hours online trawling the Thomson website and TripAdvisor for reviews on every available hotel and its location but the investment was rewarded when we came across the Macarella Hotel in Cala n' Bosch in Menorca. We've never been to the Balearic Islands before, as we normally venture a little further afield to locations like Croatia or Greece for our summer holiday, however with a little one in tow we decided that somewhere a little closer to home would probably be more advisable.
I must admit that both my husband and I were pleasantly surprised with Menorca. I think we both had visions of Brits abroad and a wholly British influence everywhere we went, however that couldn't be further from the truth. Apart from one, slightly cringeworthy bar called Chaplins on the edge of the marina, which we avoided like the plague, there were no other British shops, restaurants or bars.
The resort of Cala n' Bosch, where we stayed was a really pretty, quaint and chilled out little resort which was centred around a horseshoe shaped marina fringed with restaurants and bars. All the restaurants had a great choice of food with an abundance of fresh seafood as well as meats, and traditional Spanish dishes like paella. We never had a bad meal to speak of but the best thing about the restaurants was that the waiters were really child friendly and went out of their way to help entertain Isaac. In one or two restaurants we were provided with crayons and paper, which Isaac proceeded on eating, and in another restaurant they brought out glove puppets and soft toys for him. One of the bars we regularly visited even gave us a ball and soft toy for him to keep!
We decided to abandon our usual bedtime routine knowing full well that Isaac would probably stay awake the evenings, however we did have a few child-free evenings where he slept for the duration of the meal. More evenings that not though, we found ourselves finding ways of entertaining him while we tried to enjoy a glass of wine and a meal. A couple of evenings we were luckily (strategically placed) near a bandstand with live music so he enjoyed having a little boogie with me while we waited for food to arrive. One of the restaurants in the marina did actually have a fantastic play room at the back with a camera and TV screens so you could enjoy a glass of wine in peace while they played. On the other side of the marina there was also an arcade with several ride on machines for the children which were really cheap and definitely kept Isaac entertained on several occasions.
The hotel we chose was called the Macarella, which is part of the Grupotel chain and it was perfect for families with small children. All the rooms in the hotel are like mini apartments with a kitchenette and lounge area complete with fridge, hob and all the utensils you could ask for. You could also hire high-chairs for your room for just £10 for the entire stay which was really handy.
The pool itself was also brilliant. It was huge and had a shore/beach entry one end so it was very shallow but slowly got deeper and the far end (where most of the couples and families without small children sat) it was over 2m deep.
We tended to lounge around the very shallow end along with the other families with small children, while Isaac splashed around and played in the water. Much to my delight Isaac was a real little water baby on holiday and was at his happiest when he was crawling around in the water. The hotel had a huge chest with loads of communal toys that people had bought in the shop next to the hotel and left behind so there were lots of buckets, spades, balls and all sorts of water toys for the children to play with. Although as per usual sharing was the only slight problem!
We were very lucky with the weather as we had glorious sunshine pretty much every day so we could bask in the sun while Isaac played, or go for a leisurely walk around the marina or to the lighthouse. It really was a lovely holiday and I would recommend both the hotel and resort to anyone looking to book a holiday with young children. The only downside is that the resort is small and after two weeks we were a little bored of the same restaurants, walks and views. However, if you hired a car I know the rep said there are an abundance of beautiful beaches and coves to explore only a short distance away.
To check it out click this link
http://www.thomson.co.uk/destinations/europe/spain/menorca/calan-bosch/apartments/grupotel-macarella-suites-and-spa.html?im_id=PPC&s_kwcid=AL!3093!3!69635300575!p!!s!!grupotel%20macarella%20suites&device=c&gclid=COO-l-jprM4CFYQcGwodc4AC-g
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