How We Review
We travel first. Then we tell you what we think.
A hotel website will tell you how many pools it has.
We want to tell you whether your children will actually want to swim in them.
Far & Family reviews are written for one person: the family deciding whether to book.
That means we look beyond thread counts and cocktail menus to the things that genuinely determine whether a family holiday works.
Can everyone sleep properly?
Is the kids’ club somewhere children want to go?
How painful is the transfer?
Can you walk to dinner?
Does the pool have enough loungers?
Are there things to do when it rains?
Will older children be bored?
Is it actually worth the money?
And, most importantly:
Would we go back?
Our Three Types Of Guide
To make it clear where our knowledge comes from, Far & Family uses three editorial labels.
Family Tested
Visited firsthand by our family.
These are the places we’ve slept, eaten, swum, explored and experienced ourselves.
Our reviews are based on what actually happened rather than what the brochure promised.
Ready-made Itineraries
Visited firsthand by a Far & Family contributor.
Our contributors provide their photographs, itinerary, practical information and honest observations. Every piece is edited by Far & Family before publication.
F&F Researched Guide
Sometimes we publish a guide ahead of a forthcoming trip, or cover a destination where we believe the research itself will be useful.
These articles draw on authoritative sources, extensive research and traveller experience, but we don’t pretend we’ve been somewhere when we haven’t.
Where we later visit, we’ll update the article with our firsthand verdict.
What We Score
For hotel reviews, we consider six things.
Family
How well does the hotel actually work with children?
Rooms, pools, food, freedom, childcare, practicality and whether families genuinely feel welcome.
Adventure
Does staying here unlock memorable experiences?
Wildlife, mountains, watersports, culture, exploration or simply something children wouldn’t encounter at home.
Luxury
Not just how expensive it is.
Design, service, comfort, attention to detail and whether the grown-ups feel they’re getting a holiday too.
Food
From breakfast to children’s menus and whether you’d still happily eat in the hotel on night five.
Location
What is outside the door — and how easy it is to reach the places you’ve actually come to see.
Value
Not “cheap”.
Whether the experience justifies the price.
What We Always Try To Tell You
A Far & Family review should answer:
- Who is this place really best for?
- What ages does it suit?
- How many nights should you stay?
- Which room should a family book?
- What should you make sure you do?
- What isn’t as good as it looks?
- What would we change?
- Is there somewhere else we’d choose instead?
- And would we spend our own money to return?
Complimentary Stays
From time to time, Far & Family may accept complimentary accommodation, upgrades, activities or other travel support from hotels and partners.
When that happens, we’ll say so.
A complimentary stay never guarantees a positive review, a particular score or even a recommendation.
Hotels are welcome to host us.
They don’t get to write the verdict.
Our first responsibility is to the families reading.