When kids think of luxury holidays, they would trade in sun loungers for water slides and pina coladas for ice cream, looking for something more adventurous.
Kids’ happiness on holiday is key and searches for ‘child-friendly holidays’ have proved popular this year, with many parents looking for resorts to please their little ones. But how can parents make sure a holiday has everything their child might need?
Club Med has compiled an index of the most luxurious holiday destinations in the world for kids, ranked on an overall score out of 100 and based on a number of different factors – so parents can choose the perfect destination for their kids and the whole family!
Rank |
Country |
Capital |
Tourists/ Year |
Ice Cream Shops |
Family Friendly Eateries |
Hotels with Entertain-ment |
Adventure/Water Parks |
Family-Friendly Hotel |
Kids Go Free Hotels |
Hotels with Pools |
Index score (out of 100) |
1 |
Italy |
Rome |
38.419,000 |
633 |
5,401 |
192 |
171 |
2,912 |
71 |
1,388 |
85 |
2 |
Indonesia |
Jakarta |
4,053,000 |
111 |
1,141 |
78 |
236 |
2,073 |
426 |
2,213 |
80 |
3 |
France |
Paris |
117,109,000 |
92 |
6,664 |
66 |
516 |
2,339 |
36 |
1,545 |
76 |
4 |
Spain |
Madrid |
36,410,000 |
95 |
3,614 |
345 |
195 |
2,163 |
42 |
1,616 |
75 |
5 |
UK |
London |
11,101,000 |
215 |
7,593 |
89 |
229 |
1,828 |
34 |
342 |
71 |
6 |
Mexico |
Mexico City |
51,128,000 |
38 |
1,493 |
230 |
192 |
1,505 |
171 |
1,787 |
71 |
7 |
Turkey |
Ankara |
15,971,000 |
98 |
2,049 |
500 |
100 |
1,971 |
299 |
1,233 |
70 |
8 |
Greece |
Athens |
7,406,000 |
55 |
911 |
236 |
60 |
2,320 |
66 |
1,857 |
67 |
9 |
USA |
Washington, D.C. |
45,037,000 |
46 |
863 |
350 |
1,436 |
1,792 |
434 |
1,390 |
67 |
10 |
Portugal |
Lisbon |
4,208,000 |
68 |
2,072 |
127 |
59 |
2,001 |
33 |
1,613 |
65 |
11 |
Japan |
Tokyo |
4,115,000 |
105 |
2,223 |
23 |
499 |
1,633 |
50 |
290 |
63 |
12 |
Germany |
Berlin |
12,449,000 |
102 |
2,901 |
1 |
112 |
2,317 |
61 |
530 |
61 |
13 |
South Africa |
Cape Town |
3,886,000 |
37 |
941 |
38 |
47 |
1,802 |
70 |
2,237 |
59 |
14 |
Vietnam |
Hanoi |
3,837,000 |
42 |
686 |
72 |
42 |
1,871 |
231 |
1,011 |
59 |
15 |
Austria |
Vienna |
15,091,000 |
71 |
1,745 |
44 |
92 |
2,283 |
45 |
927 |
59 |
16 |
UAE |
Abu Dhabi |
8,084,000 |
134 |
613 |
75 |
52 |
589 |
329 |
1,641 |
55 |
17 |
China |
Beijing |
30,402,000 |
13 |
396 |
11 |
489 |
1,062 |
301 |
913 |
52 |
18 |
Malaysia |
Kuala Lumpur |
4,333,000 |
58 |
1,252 |
14 |
51 |
1,318 |
152 |
788 |
52 |
19 |
Netherlands |
Amsterdam |
7,265,000 |
32 |
1,759 |
6 |
118 |
1,561 |
20 |
343 |
44 |
20 |
Hungary |
Budapest |
31,641,000 |
55 |
1,174 |
0 |
40 |
1,405 |
30 |
563 |
38 |
Italy takes top spot
The research found that Italy is the most luxurious destination in the world for kids! With an overall score of 85 out of 100, Italy would be the perfect location for your next adventure with the family.
Italy came out on top due to the incredible 633 ice cream shops it has to offer in its capital city alone, which is not only great for kids but any sweet-toothed adult too!
Italy also topped the charts for the number of family-friendly hotels, with a whopping 2,912 to choose from, as well as boasting 5,401 family-friendly restaurants for everyone to try out.
Indonesia came in second place, scoring 80 out of 100 in the index thanks to its 426 ‘kids go free’ hotels – allowing parents to feel more at ease, and with some extra cash in their pockets when booking a holiday! Indonesia also has 236 adventure/water parks on offer, so you know your little ones definitely won’t be bored.
France secures third space for the most luxurious holiday destination for kids
France rounds off the top 3 as the perfect destination for kids hoping to make a splash! With 1,545 hotels with pools, along with 516 water parks, France is perfect for any little mermaids looking for luxury, or even just a paddle in the shallow end!
France scored a respectable score of 76 out of 100 in the index and has the second-highest number of family-friendly hotels in the top 20, with 2,339 to choose from.