THE key to a successful family holiday is keeping everybody happy... if the children are having a whale of a time, you can guarantee Mum and Dad will be smiling too.
While relaxation might be harder to come by when you鈥檙e taking little ones with you, the least you can expect is for everything to run smoothly and be hassle-free.
The stunning Thomas Cook, five-star, all-inclusive in Antalya on Turkey鈥檚 Turquoise Coast aims to do just that with its welcoming staff and fantastic facilities.
Boredom is never a problem when there鈥檚 a splash park and water slides, three pools 鈥 two outdoor and one indoor, a private beach and a kids鈥 club. Not to mention tennis, basketball, beach volleyball courts and football pitches.
Our sport-mad eight year old reporter Edward spent a week at the with his sister and parents, and here鈥檚 what he thought - along with some of his drawings to illustrate the trip.
His dad, Mirror journalist Mark, has chipped in too with his verdict...
By EDWARD (aged eight)
Our hotel had lots and lots of scary see-through lifts I liked riding on, and loads of restaurants and loads of pools.
I was scared when I went on my first water slide, but by the end of the first day I had even been on the highest flume.
You went really quickly and it was totally dark, but then you find yourself in multicoloured loveliness before it spat you out. I felt really proud I found the courage and it was amazing.
Daddy loved the slides and he really wanted to go on them again and again with me.
When we went to the kids鈥 club we designed our own football kit and the man running it made us laugh by trying to get us to see if we could speak Italian.
I wasn鈥檛 keen on going to the kids鈥 club at first, but when I got there it was very good fun because I played some fun games and my sister was with me too.
We also went to a movies and munchies night where we watched The Greatest Showman and ate lots of treats.
All of the hotel staff were really nice, but my favourite was a waiter who made us different things out of napkins.
He made me a frog and my sister a butterfly. To say thank you, I made him a house out of my napkin.
Flying there and back with was great. I like it best when the plane takes off, but I can鈥檛 tell you anything about the journey home as I slept for most of it!
DAD MARK'S VIEW
The journey to and from a holiday is always the most stressful part.
When Ed has flown before he has been excited by the prospect, but we always have a bag packed full of activity books to keep him occupied.
We had pre-booked our seats and checked in online to make things easier. The hotel even allowed us to before we flew out which was a great idea.
The is a big hotel and everything is on a grand scale.
That said, you鈥檙e never stuck without a sun lounger or table.
Even at peak times in the main dining area when the buffet seemed busy, you could always find space where you wanted to sit. You鈥檙e never far from a bar to grab a cold drink.
This modern hotel has only been open a couple of years. It is kept immaculately clean and stands out as one of the best I have ever stayed in.
And the coolest thing... the air con was amazing!
Every member of staff we spoke to went out of their way to make our children smile.
Whether it was the napkin-folding waiter or the bar staff showing off their (alcohol-free) cocktail skills, their focus was always on keeping the children happy.
From the ma卯tre d鈥 in the themed restaurants to the chambermaids cleaning our rooms, they were courteous and smiley.
They are all so aware that happy children make happy parents 鈥 and happy parents will return!
- Get 拢100 off on selected Thomas Cook holidays using the code 'JUNIOR100'. Full terms and conditions below apply. Visit for the latest deals.
Terms and conditions
- Minimum spend of 拢1300.
- On selected holidays where you see this promo code discount code being advertised, this code must be entered on the payment page of this website to get either 拢100 off per booking 鈥 the amount you save will be calculated on the payment page after you enter the promo code and will be based on the total holiday cost (excluding travel insurance).
- The saving applies to selected Thomas Cook, Airtours, Manos or Club 18-30 branded package holidays flying with Thomas Cook Airlines and departing up to the 31 October 2019.
- You must search and book via the 鈥淗olidays鈥 tab on this website.
- Saving applies only to those selected holidays displaying the promo code advert within the main holiday photo are included in the promotion.
- Only one promo code per booking can be used.
- Saving cannot be combined with any other promo code, offer or discount unless stated otherwise.
- Offer available for a limited time only and may be withdrawn or altered without notice.
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