The Coolest Family Hotels on Earth (That Happen to Be Good for Grown-Ups Too)
So Dreamy, So Wildly Unique, You’ll Never Do All-Inclusive Again
There’s a moment on a truly unforgettable family holiday — somewhere between the giraffe licking your child’s forehead and the zipline descent into your floating bedroom — when you realise: this is the stuff of lifelong memory.
Gone are the days when a kids’ menu and a laminated activity schedule passed for family-friendly. Today’s chic, curious families want more: more creativity, more authenticity, more actual joy. They want treehouses and elephants and sleeping under the stars — ideally with a cocktail or hot chocolate within reach. And they absolutely do not want ten variations of the same beige resort.
So we searched the globe — literally — to find ten of the most jaw-droppingly original, once-in-a-lifetime hotels for families. One per country, each with its own utterly distinctive concept. No repeats, no generic picks, just pure magic.
Ready to raise the bar (and maybe your children’s expectations forever)? Here we go.
1. Giraffe Manor — Nairobi, Kenya
Best for: Letting your children believe they’re Disney characters
This is not a drill: you can eat pancakes with a giraffe. In your actual dining room. Giraffe Manor is a 1930s colonial mansion in Nairobi where a herd of endangered Rothschild giraffes stroll the grounds like they own the place (because they sort of do). They pop their heads through the windows at breakfast, wander past your suite, and are known to photobomb family portraits with excellent comic timing. Elegant, eccentric, and completely unforgettable.
Beyond the giraffes, the manor offers afternoon tea on the lawn, guided nature walks, and access to nearby wildlife conservation centres. Rooms are plush, service is top-tier, and the magic? Off the charts.
💰 From £2,500/night for a family of four
🌐 thesafaricollection.com
2. Treehotel — Harads, Sweden
Best for: Architecture nerds raising aspiring astronauts
Ever wanted to sleep in a UFO, a mirror cube, or a bird’s nest — suspended in a forest? Welcome to Treehotel, where wildly creative treehouses are designed by Sweden’s top architects and flung (tastefully) into the canopy. Kids lose their minds over the futuristic forms. Adults quietly marvel at the craftsmanship — then throw snowballs. Winter brings northern lights and dog sledding; summer means midnight sun and silence. It's hide-and-seek heaven.
Each treehouse is unique, with heating, eco-toilets, and minimalist Nordic interiors. Meals are served in the main lodge, and families can explore the surrounding forest, forage for berries, or take guided wildlife tours.
💰 From £600/night for a family of four
🌐 treehotel.se
3. Fogo Island Inn — Newfoundland, Canada
Best for: Windswept wanderers and storybook souls
Imagine a sleek, modernist hotel perched on stilts at the edge of the North Atlantic. Now add handmade quilts, 100-year-old fishing tales, and a philosophy so community-focused it makes your school PTA look self-serving. Welcome to Fogo Island Inn. Whale watching from bed? Check. Artist residencies? Check. Kids can collect driftwood, build boats, and learn to bake traditional "toutons" while you soak in a rooftop wood-fired hot tub.
All 29 rooms have floor-to-ceiling ocean views. The inn reinvests profits back into the local community and offers cultural immersion like no other — guided geology walks, storytelling circles, and local cooking classes. It’s luxury with heart.
💰 From £2,200/night for a family of four
🌐 fogoislandinn.ca
4. Longitude 131° — Uluru, Australia
Best for: Outback luxe with a side of soul
Longitude 131° redefines glamping — more "desert butlers and floor-to-ceiling Uluru views" than "leaky canvas and ants in your trail mix." Here, you're nestled in a luxury tent in the red heart of Australia, learning Aboriginal stories by firelight while your children make dot paintings and ride camels at sunset. It's wild, wondrous, and ridiculously chic. Stargazing optional but highly recommended.
The 16 tented pavilions offer uninterrupted views of Uluru, complete with plush beds, curated indigenous art, and climate control. Cultural excursions, guided hikes, and bush tucker tastings are all part of the experience.
💰 From £3,500/night for a family of four
🌐 longitude131.com.au
5. Vigilius Mountain Resort — South Tyrol, Italy
Best for: Hikers, hideaways, and the "I just need clean air" crowd
If Marie Kondo opened a hotel in the Alps, this would be it. No cars. No roads. Just a cable car gliding into a mountaintop design dream where the kids can hike barefoot, you can meditate in linen, and everyone can eat ravioli the way nonna intended. The vibe is “alpine monastery meets magazine shoot.” There’s sledding in winter, meadows in summer, and no one will ask if your child wants ketchup.
The rooms are wood-clad sanctuaries with floor-to-ceiling views, the spa is divine, and the hiking trails start right at the doorstep. And yes, the air really is different up here.
💰 From £800/night for a family of four
🌐 vigilius.it
6. Soneva Fushi — Maldives
Best for: Ocean-loving families with Bond villain aspirations
Yes, this is the one with the water villas that have slides. Into the sea. Soneva Fushi is the Maldives at its most extravagant — but also its most magical. While you're in the overwater spa or having dinner barefoot under the stars, your kids are at The Den, a mini-city of pirate ships, Lego towers, and chocolate rooms. There’s a telescope, a glass-blowing studio, and zero plastic in sight. Bliss for the eco-fabulous.
The villas are sprawling and secluded, surrounded by jungle and beach. The experience blends sustainability with barefoot luxury, offering private chefs, marine biology workshops, and some of the best stargazing on Earth.
💰 From £5,800/night for a family of four
🌐 soneva.com
7. Whitepod — Valais, Switzerland
Best for: Feeling like a stylish snow globe family
These sci-fi-looking domes on a snowy hill are the stuff of Nordic dreams. At Whitepod, you're glamping in high style — wood-burning stoves, organic bedding, jaw-dropping views. One pod even has its own sauna. Kids can sled down their own private slope, hang with huskies, and snowshoe through pine forests. Meanwhile, you? Fondue and mountain silence.
Each pod is energy efficient and beautifully minimalist. The resort offers yoga, dog sledding, and wellness treatments — and the pod-to-fireplace ratio is excellent. Expect quiet luxury with an alpine edge.
💰 From £600/night for a family of four
🌐 whitepod.com
8. Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp — Chiang Rai, Thailand
Best for: Living The Jungle Book — minus the danger
The phrase “bubble suite” takes on a whole new meaning here — you literally sleep in a see-through dome, surrounded by elephants. This luxurious eco-camp sits high in the misty hills where Thailand meets Laos and Myanmar. Families can meet rescued elephants (no rides, just respect), boat the Mekong, take Thai cooking classes, and zip around in vintage sidecars. Wild — but make it five-star.
The experience is immersive and ethical: kids learn about conservation while parents relax at the spa. There's also jungle trekking, hill tribe visits, and sunset cocktails overlooking the Mekong.
💰 From £4,000/night for a family of four
🌐 anantara.com
9. Song Saa Private Island — Cambodia
Best for: Remote luxury with marine biology on the side
Forget the Maldives — this is your new island crush. Song Saa is barefoot luxury with brains. Set across two lush private islands in the Cambodian archipelago, it’s home to stilted villas with private plunge pools and coral conservation programs where kids can actually help save the reef. Yoga at sunrise, jungle trails at sunset, and Khmer curry that will spoil you forever.
The resort is deeply committed to sustainability, with a marine reserve and community outreach programmes. Families can kayak through mangroves, snorkel with clownfish, and dine under a canopy of stars.
💰 From £2,500/night for a family of four
🌐 songsaacollective.com
10. Skylodge Adventure Suites — Sacred Valley, Peru
Best for: Hardcore bonding at 1,200 feet
Let’s be clear: you’re sleeping in a transparent capsule bolted to a cliff. Yes, it’s safe. No, it’s not for toddlers. But if you’ve got brave teens (or you’re a thrill-seeking parent), this is the kind of thing they’ll tell their grandkids. You get there by climbing or zip-lining, dine on Peruvian food with condors flying past, and sleep with the entire Sacred Valley glowing beneath you. One night is enough. Two makes you legendary.
The adventure includes harnesses, gourmet meals at altitude, and views that redefine "room with a view." For families who collect experiences, this is top shelf.
💰 From £1,100/night for a family of four
🌐 naturavive.com
And just like that, your dream travel wishlist writes itself. These aren’t just hotels — they’re time machines, fantasy lands, eco-wonders, and wild adventures. And trust us: your children will remember the UFO room, the elephants, and that one night dangling off a cliff far longer than they remember the mini disco.
