Fun-Filled Family Experiences at Belmond's Italian Resorts

These family-friendly luxury hotels offer an array of kids’ facilities such as special restaurant menus, children’s spa treatments and in-room bathrobes and slippers. Family experiences on offer include:

Venetian Treasure Hunt at Belmond Hotel Cipriani

Positioned beside the lagoon on the tip of Giudecca Island, Belmond Hotel Cipriani is a true Venetian legend famous for its exquisite interiors and incredible cuisine. The iconic hotel’s younger guests have use of a dedicated kids’ pool, while at the fun-packed Smile Club an English-speaking tutor leads activities such as picnics and pastry lessons.

And the fun doesn’t stop there – beyond the hotel, children can become mini sleuths on a treasure hunt around Venice, tracking down hidden clues in St Mark's Square before embarking on a gondola ride. Budding artists, meanwhile, can paint a typical Venetian boatyard before learning how the vessels are built followed by an ice-cream along the Fondamenta delle Zattere waterfront; or decorate a traditional Venetian mask before wearing it on a guided tour around the city, learning the history and secrets of the Carnival of Venice.

Private Aquarium Experience at Belmond Hotel Splendido

Set overlooking the picture-perfect harbour of Portofino with its luxury yachts bobbing at anchor, Belmond Hotel Splendido is one of Italy’s most glamorous retreats. The child-friendly luxury hotel offers a host of activities for little ones, from learning Italian to angling with a local fisherman. Other fun-filled diversions include children’s yoga sessions, tennis lessons and pizza-making classes.

For families seeking a truly unforgettable holiday experience, the hotel can arrange an exclusive after-hours evening visit to the Genoa Aquarium. Children can meet the resident dolphins with a marine biologist and enjoy a special behind-the-scenes tour before the family sits down to dinner before the shark tank; or feed the aquarium’s adorable penguins before enjoying brunch or dinner with the sharks or dolphins.



Underwater Photography at Belmond Grand Hotel Timeo and Belmond Villa Sant’Andrea

Belmond Grand Hotel Timeo sits adjacent to Taormina’s Greek Theatre in Sicily with unrivalled views of the coastline and Mount Etna, while sister hotel Belmond Villa Sant’Andrea is set on its own exclusive beach down in the beautiful Bay of Mazzarò.

Belmond Villa Sant’Andrea’s dedicated kids’ club is available to guests of both hotels, offering a range of fun-filled activities including sandcastle contests and fishing trips with a Sicilian fisherman. Children can also splash out with a supervised underwater photography session at both hotels. Water babies are provided with an underwater camera and goggles, allowing them to snap away as they play in the swimming pool. Children can then keep their underwater camera as a gift from the hotels.

Open-Air Cinema at Belmond Villa San Michele

Nestled on a hilltop amid lush trees and terraced gardens, Belmond Villa San Michele is a 15th-century national monument with unparalleled vistas of Florence. Parents can unwind over a poolside family barbecue, arrange fun days out with the hotel’s dedicated Kids’ Concierge and send the kids off for pizza-making demonstrations and picnics at the supervised Smile Club (open from mid-June until the end of August).

Families can embark on a photographic treasure hunt of Florence, listening for clues on a guided tour before racing to be the first destination to snap a picture of the site in question, before returning to Belmond Villa San Michele where kids can enjoy a weekly open-air cinema night complete with pizzas and popcorn. Parents wanting to jazz up their children’s mealtimes back home can even join a special workshop at the hotel’s acclaimed cookery school, where they will learn to create animal faces and enchanted scenes out of their ingredients.

Holiday Movie-Making at Belmond Hotel Caruso

A former 11th-century palace set on cliffs beside the Amalfi Coast, Belmond Hotel Caruso in Italy seems to drift on a ‘balcony’ above the Mediterranean Sea. Children staying at the hotel are kept occupied with a range of activities including local tennis lessons and pizza-making classes – and can even create a special holiday scrapbook.

For the ultimate keepsake, little ones can capture their holiday adventures on film by directing their own short movie. Led by a talented local film-maker, cameraman and sound engineer, children select the location and soundtrack, plan the scene and act it out for the camera before their film is edited in HD for the family to take home.

Based in the newly renovated club room, the hotel’s Smile Club offers activities including craftwork, face-painting and dancing. Children can also take pottery classes with the resident sculptor, book tennis coaching at the on-site championship courts and embark on a ramble with the hotel’s three donkeys, Pancho, Luna and Alba. Belmond La Residencia can also arrange a personalised underwater photographic portrait. Expert Carmelo Serra assists guests in diving underwater before producing a fine art photographic print.

Visit website: belmond.com