Free vs paid kids clubs: what to check before you book

"Kids club" is one of the most abused phrases in family travel. It can mean a genuine, staffed, all-day club that gives you an actual break, or a locked room with some crayons that opens for two hours if enough people show up. And sometimes it costs 50 to 100 euros a day per child, which quietly changes the price of your whole holiday. Here is how to tell the difference before you book.

Free is not always free

The first question is the obvious one, and the one hotels are cagey about: is the club included, or is it extra? A resort that looks cheaper can end up dearer once you add a paid club for two kids across a week. When we score a hotel, a genuinely free club scores far higher than a paid one, because that is how a family actually experiences it.

The questions that reveal a real club

A real club and a token one describe themselves the same way online. These questions separate them.

• What hours does it run? All day (roughly 9 to 6) is a real club. Two hours after lunch is a babysitting slot.
• Is it split by age? Good clubs separate toddlers from older kids. One room for ages 3 to 12 rarely works for anyone.
• What is the ratio? Ask how many staff per child. Vague answers are a bad sign.
• Do you need to book, and is there a waiting list in summer? Popular free clubs fill up.
• Is there an evening session? A mini-disco or an evening club is what buys the adults dinner.

A free club that runs a full day, split by age, is worth more to a family than a spa, a sea view, or a second pool. It is the single feature that turns a holiday with kids into a holiday.

Match the club to the age

A brilliant club is wasted on a baby who cannot use it, and a toddler club bores a ten year old. On this site every hotel shows the ages it really suits, so you can see at a glance whether the club fits your children, not just whether it exists.

When you have found a resort that passes, the live map on its page lets you check dates and prices in a couple of clicks.