Large families count the cost of kids on holiday

Families with three or more children will be facing an annual headache as they try to find affordable and practical accommodation. With most hotels only offering rooms that sleep four, families face paying for two or more rooms and spending time apart.

Renting a holiday cottage can solve this, but having to block book for a week and doing the chores yourself make this a less attractive option for those wanting to make the most of their time away.

Apartments linked to hotels offer the best of both worlds – the flexibility of self-catering accommodation with the convenience of room service and on-site facilities when you want them.

“I think large families get a raw deal from the hotel industry,” says Ray Blackburn, proprietor of The Derwent Lodge in the Lake District which provides a selection of apartments attached to the hotel.

“If you are a big family you want to stay together, not spend all holiday in a corridor rushing between rooms.”

“All of our apartments have their own kitchens so food can be prepared, but there is also full room service available when mum or dad need a little pampering."

The Derwent Lodge is located in Embleton, by Bassenthwaite Lake, in the Lake District. Fourteen million people are expected to visit the National Park this year, and the wealth and variety of activities on offer is making it increasingly popular with families.

For information and bookings, go to thederwentlodge.co.uk.