Anonymous wrote:I think there are lots of hotels around the world like this. These are some I’ve been to with my family - we look for similar things to you, it sounds like, and avoid large resort hotels/kids clubs, etc:

This hotel in Crete: https://www.luxuryvillascrete.com/

This hotel on Lake Atitlan, Guatemala:
https://thelagunalodge.com/

This hotel in Tuscany:
https://www.borgosanfelice.com/

This hotel in the Douro Valley, Portugal:
https://douro.octanthotels.com/

Nice list here!

I think there are lots of hotels around the world like this. These are some I’ve been to with my family - we look for similar things to you, it sounds like, and avoid large resort hotels/kids clubs, etc:

This hotel in Crete: https://www.luxuryvillascrete.com/

This hotel on Lake Atitlan, Guatemala:
https://thelagunalodge.com/

This hotel in Tuscany:
https://www.borgosanfelice.com/

This hotel in the Douro Valley, Portugal:
https://douro.octanthotels.com/

New Zealand.

We stayed at a place like that in Mexico once but it got destroyed in a hurricane and never rebuilt afaik

Should add that the destinations could be cities too but I feel like this vibe is unlikely to be found in an urban area.

We visited CR about 7 years ago and stayed at the Hotel el Silencio del Campo in Arenal and Arenas Del Mar near Manuel Antonio. I think they are two of our favorite hotels ever, and the things we liked most was how small/cozy they felt, how in touch with their surroundings they were, and small things like local fresh fruit for breakfast. They did have pools or beach areas onsite, and weren’t far from other things, and the size of the resorts made it easier to hop in your car or get a ride elsewhere (although Arenas you had to golf cart shuttle offsite). Arenas also had a nice setup with a separate space for the kids to sleep but that isn’t a requirement. Staying at a large resort just doesn’t have the appeal for me like these places did. They were also both family friendly without being a kid destination like a Nickelodeon resort (we do Disney too so we check the kid box at other times). We aren’t likely to use kids clubs much as our kids are neurodiverse, and I just really like to spend time with them on vacation since we both work a lot.

Are there any other hotels you’ve stayed at with a similar vibe? Can be mountains, beach, rainforest, etc., as long as interesting activities in the area, but our kids are young enough that far flung destinations like Asia seem too far (8 and 11). But they’re both pretty good travelers so maybe one day! We aren’t super wealthy but can afford $10-15k for vacation (will stretch it for longer flights).