It appears that when it comes to family holidays our requirements do not meet with even the premier hotel room configuration offerings.

My husband and I are looking to book a good family holiday for June 2008. At the time of travel our son will be 4 years old and our twin daughters will be 18 months. We are struggling to find a good hotel that offers suitable rooms. It seems everyone is geared up for 2 adults and 2 children and at most can accommodate 1 cot.

Please can you suggest some premier hotels that have excellent children’s facilities in the Algarve or Sardinia (must be shorthaul) which can accommodate us all. Liz Hunter, via e-mail

Family travel expert Emma Mahony (middle in picture above right) responds: : As a mother of twins and an older child I fully sympathise with your hotel plight, but don’t despair. I’m guessing that you are hotel-centric, and your priorities are keeping the children occupied in a kids’ club for part of the day. Because you are looking in the premier league, could I suggest a couple of upmarket all-inclusive resorts in Sardinia? Expect bike riding, giant slides, trampolining, go-karting, banana boating and mini West End Shows if you go to one of the seven 4-star or 5-star hotels at Forte village in Sardinia. Their crèche takes babies from nought as well, so the twins can also toddle off for some entertainment. Still in Sardinia, the Chia Laguna resort has 372 rooms and a Children’s club from aged 3, so the twins would have to take the mini-train with you to the beach. All are geared up for families.

The Almyra and Annassa hotels in Cyprus are a family-owned group where traditional meets trendy. Built to simulate a Greek village, there are health spas and a Smiling Dolphin Kiddies Club as well as four recommended restaurants. Once again, the kids club is for 4 and up, but there will be plenty of activity around the pool and play areas for the twins. Fuller reviews of these resorts can be found in the new book Heaven on Earth Kids.

Let me also take you on a tour around some related articles we have here in travel online with other suggestions. Because flying with 18-month old twins needs military planning, do look at my colleague Chloe Bryan-Brown’s great tips for Surviving the Airport with Baby. For a one-off short-haul trip to Austria, do read At last! A hotel built for toddlers. For tips and suggestions on taking a large brood away, have a look at Holidays – with three kids or more. And, whatever you do, don’t forget your camera. However exhausting the experience, the snaps of your tiny smiling brood will look unbelievably sweet in years to come.

Got a question about family travel? Email our trio of experts at yoursay@timesonline.co.uk - Chloe Bryan-Brown takes care of questions for the 0-6 year olds, Emma Mahony handles the 7-12 age group and Jane Owen writes about teenage and single parent travel

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