I recently wrote about a family stay in Mallorca and what we look for when booking a trip abroad with a toddler. A lot of what we look for when planning a family trip can also be applied when arranging a staycation or weekend away in Ireland. As such, this article focuses on some great Irish accommodation options when looking to organise a family get away. So here is the Wild Irish Walks view on the best hotels for toddlers in Ireland.
What We Look For When Booking a Family Break in Ireland
When looking for the best hotels for toddlers, we have a wish list of facilities which really make the trip more enjoyable for everyone. These are:
- Separate sleeping and living area. The dream is where we can put our little one down to bed at night and then the grown ups can relax, have a glass of wine and just chill out in a separate area beside the bedroom.
- Self catering facilities. For longer stays, the ability to have breakfast every morning in our own accommodation is very handy. It means we can also prep lunches and bring them with us for whatever adventure we have planned for the day. So renting an apartment or house works great. However, we find that having all the facilities of a hotel included really makes things easier and definitely adds to the experience.
- Family friendly amenities. Things like a playground on site or a swimming pool at the location are great.
Centre Parcs – Newcastle Wood, County Longford
The ultimate family friendly resort in Ireland. This place was built with families and children in mind. The list of activities on offer seems endless. Some toddler specific ones will really make this an amazing holiday for your little one – things like designated pool sessions for under 3s, pottery painting, sensory play and even baby owl sessions.
The lodges in Centre Parcs are designed for families as are the many baby friendly restaurants within the resort.
Centre Parcs can be quite expensive. My recommendation would be to take advantage of the reduced rates for mid-week stays during term time before your toddler reaches school going age.
If you get a chance, try to check out the fab spa on site too. My advice here is to grab a waterbed if there’s one available as you move through the spa experiences – these are the most comfortable things in the world!
Wildlands, Moycullen, County Galway
Offering a similar vibe to Centre Parcs but with a more homelier feel. Wildlands is on a much smaller scale with 14 log cabins available. With loads of activities for bigger children and toddler friendly facilities such as mini jeep drives (must be over 3), fun playgrounds and a fairy trail. The Baile Beag mini village always proves a big hit with toddler sized shops, hairdressers, post office, Garda station and more.The littles ones love to wander around and lose themselves in their imagination. It makes for some great photo ops too!
Kelly’s, Rosslare Strand, Co. Wexford
Kellys has a long tradition of providing excellent family friendly facilities for holiday makers. Being right on the beach helps but the hotel also has a sand-filled playground, movie nights, junior discos every day and a designated swimming pool for children.
A kelly’s stay is really built around children with loads of organised fun included in the kids club (Starfish club for ages 1-3).
Kellys offers guest tournaments for a variety of things like tennis, badminton and crazy golf and really means you get to know your fellow guests (and the children get to make some great new friends).
If possible, and if you have a large enough group, I would recommend trying to book the Leinster Lodge. This 6 room guest house across the road from the main hotel offers a wonderful self-catering option. Perfect for making your own breakfasts and lunches while still being able to avail of all the resort has to offer.
Clonakilty Park Hotel, County Cork
Similar to Kelly’s but without some of the more luxurious aspects. This 3-star resort still is perfect for a family getaway. Again, they offer a kids club, playground, indoor soft play area, swimming pool, cinema, Junior disco and buffet style dinner options.
As a side note, I cannot recommend buffet type dining enough when you have a rowdy toddler with you. We find it great to not have to wait for food. Also you get to enjoy the meal time at our own pace.
With the town of Clonakilty being such a popular tourist area, you have the benefit of a lot of cool attractions nearby. I would recommend the Model Railway Centre or the spectacular Inchydoney Beach.
Woodlands House Hotel, Adare, Co. Limerick
The Woodlands House Hotel gets special mention for having an on-site pet farm. How cool is that? That alone definitely makes it one of the best hotels for toddlers in Ireland.
However, Woodlands is more than just a pet farm. Facilities such as a fairy trail, outdoor playing fields, playground, soft play area, babysitting service as well as a dedicated kids club all make this a great option for a family stay.
We particularly liked the outdoor dining option at The Treehouse.
Again, Adare has loads to offer. Check out what else to do in Adare!
Hodson Bay, Athlone, Co. Roscommon
Again, back to the midlands, this time the Roscommon side of the Shannon in Athlone.
While no self catering options are available, rooms with small microwaves and mini fridges can be booked. Within the Hotel, the Hodson Bay has a kids pool area, a toddler playroom and Kids Adventure Club during the summer.
Parknasilla, Sneem, Co. Kerry
Given the picturesque location along the Wild Atlantic way, amazing views and scenery go hand in hand with a stay at the Parknasilla Resort.
The resort caters for families really well with fairy and adventure trails within the 500 acres of Hotel grounds. Plus, you have organised nature walks along the beach, as well as visiting Owl Experts and Animal Road Shows. Perfect for little nature lovers!
The resort boasts a wonderful swimming pool, movie nights, a game room. These are in addition to organised activities like face painting, puppet shows and arts and crafts. All part of the kids club available in the resort.
For families, you have two and three bedroom self catering lodges to choose from. Staying here can be pricey but ideal if you are looking for a real treat for all the family.
Amber Springs, Gorey, Co. Wexford
They love catering for children in the sunny south east. The Amber Springs is deservedly included in our list of best hotels for Toddlers. Accommodation consists of hotel rooms rather than self catering accommodations but the resort is loaded with attractions that will keep children happy such as their mini farm, fab outdoor playground as well as indoor play zone. They even have an Amber Express train!
I feel this option is slightly more geared towards older children with go-karting, archery, a game zone and a really cool cinema.
Druid’s Glen, Co. Wicklow
At the other end of the scale, Druids Glen might actually be geared towards smaller babies than toddlers. I’ll always remember here though – the first little getaway we brought our little one on.
We loved the dedicated baby swim times available in the pool as well as the 24 hour baby pantry with essential baby supplies like formula, nappies. We found the pantry also equipped with sterilisers and microwaves. Very handy.
We saw loads of other couples with small babies there which is always a nice reassurance.
Druids Glen also has a playground and walking trails with fairy gardens.
Best Hotels for Toddlers
I hope this article has given you some inspiration if you’re looking for your next family stay in Ireland. The aim is to showcase the best hotels for toddlers.
If you book through any of the hotels above by clicking the links in this article, I will earn a small fee through an affiliate programme with booking.com. This comes at no extra cost to you but will help with the running and upkeep of this site.