Babyhotel, in the Austrian town of Trebesing in Carinthia, is one of a growing chain of Austrian kiddy-friendly places to stay called Kinderhotels. And it is exactly that – a hotel designed for babies.

You realise that from the moment you clap eyes on the place – the shocking pink and yellow walls scream out at you from the lush green meadows and grey mountain backdrop. As if that weren’t enough, the hotel lawns are packed with every imaginable diversion for babies and young children. Bouncy castle – check. Go-karts – check. Soft-play centre – check. Aerial runway – check. Swings, slides, swimming pools – check, check, check. And that’s just outside.

If you’re expecting something like Moonfleet Manor, or one of those other British hotels that’s really targeted at adults who happen to have children rather than other way around, then Babyhotel is unlikely to appeal. In the words of one English mother, it was like “going to your child’s nursery and being able to stay”. Whether you think that’s a good or a bad thing is down to your temperament. Sharing lunch with a hundred hungry kids would test anyone’s mettle.

But for our two-year-old Lola (pictured), Babyhotel was heaven on earth. “I want to go on the bouncy castle and to see the pirate ship and stroke the rabbits and and and…”

Like any good child-centric environment, Babyhotel has a mascot. Hubsi Hu, a seven foot tall kangaroo (I thought this was Austria not Australia), appears at breakfast and at various points throughout the day to cuddle hyperexcited toddlers – Lola among them – and lead song and dance routines. The songs are in German but at that age does it really matter?

Childcare is central to the Babyhotel experience. Nursery is available for babies as young as a week old (yes really) in the optimistically titled Room of Tranquility and is included in your holiday price; one-on-one care is available at an extra fee. Childcare is grouped by age and kids can play in the Kids Workshop craft room, the Lego Room, the Pirateland softplay area or any of the outside area,

Baby and childcare includes one early morning a week so you can have a lie-in and one night of evening care so you can have a night out at the pub. There’s one within the grounds of the hotel with a relaxed atmosphere.

Which brings us to the baby monitors. Babyhotel has, quite possibly, the world’s most advanced baby listening system – a cordless phone-based system that has monitors in every room and handsets that work throughout the hotel and its grounds.

The hotel’s adult restaurant (kids are allowed but not encouraged) was probably the only one I have ever been in where if someone’s phone rings, you’re very happy. The ringtones of the cordless handsets are all identical so if one rings, there’s a reverse Mexican wave as everyone hunches over to see if its there’s and the look of satisfaction spread over their faces when they realise it someone else’s.

Dinner starts early and finishes early. We were the last in the restaurant one night at 8.30. While this may worry some parents whose kids a lucky to be in bed by then, Babyhotel has the answer. The Pirateland soft play centre is open from 6.30 to 8.30pm with supervision so that the adults can enjoy their food without constant whining about eating up all their greens. Kids eat earlier.

Holidays here are not just about the hotel. Carinthia, in the south of Austria, close to the border with Slovenia, is hot in summer and there are lots of great walks in the meadows and mountains. The 3km fairytale walk (Märchenwandermeile) is particularly good for families as it takes a pram-friendly route through the forest and across Austria’s longest pedestrian suspension bridge.

For me, the true test of any good family holiday is how you feel when you get back. If you feel more relaxed than when you went, I consider it a success. If you feel as though you need another holiday, preferably without the kids this time, then you know you have failed. Unlike many parents at the Babyhotel, we didn’t just throw our kids into childcare as soon as it opened and picked them up the moment before it closed. I’m of the opinion that holidays are for spending more time with your kids not less but I know that not everyone’s the same. From that point of view, the holiday was a great success.

But perhaps the biggest indicator of how good it was is Lola. It’s now been almost a year since we went to Babyhotel and hardly a week goes by without her talking about Hubsi Hu the Kangaroo. I suspect she may be planning our next family holiday already.

NEED TO KNOW

Room rates at Babyhotel in Carinthia start at £63 per adult per night, £23 per night for children under 6, £27 per night for children between 6 and 12 and £55 per night for children over 12 and au pairs. A booking fee of £45 per family and local taxes of £1.40 per adult per day also apply.

The prices include all childcare, all meals, baby formula as well as fresh fruit, biscuits and soft drinks all day long. Week long stays attract a discount and you’ll pay around £1,100 all inclusive for a family of four staying in low season. Even in the middle of summer, rates are not much more.

Single parents can also get deals for staying a week with one child of around £600, although these are not available over the summer. Flights to Klagenfurt, around 50 minutes from the hotel, with Ryanair from Stansted cost from £25 return including taxes.

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