Smith & Family – a family-friendly website and hotel booking service from the team behind Mr & Mrs Smith – has launched a new guide to family travel. A hip holiday handbook, the Smith & Family Annual 2014 is packed with inspiring ideas, giving you the lowdown on everything from superb summer getaways to the hottest half-term escapes, with every trip tested by parents.

The booklet takes the fretting out of family travel, and includes hints and tips for panic-free planning – ensuring a great time for you and your children. Smith’s travel experts share their family-holiday know-how and give you the inside scoop on making the most of your precious time together, with advice on fun free things to do on the beach, the best kit to pack, and surviving a long-haul flight – as well as a handy travel calendar highlighting where to go when.

Here’s a snapshot of what’s on offer:

• Sun, sea and sanity – summer’s coolest coastal escapes
  Enjoy the best of both worlds at Provence play-station Chateau de Valmer: minutes from a private beach with watersports centre, this chic child-friendly retreat also features a tranquil rose garden and elegant rooms. Or head to beautiful Borgo Egnazia in Italy for a modern-day fairy-tale fantasy: little ones will delight in pounding pizza dough, paddling at the beach or playing in the pools.

• Wallet-friendly wonders – the best budget boutique stays
  Just outside Marrakech, a short drive from the souks and sights, is Fellah Hotel – children can roam its desert garden, pitch in on the mini-farm or monkey around in the treehouse. Visually, it’s a design-connoisseur’s dream with quirky art installations. Or try crisp and calm Le Lodge Kerisper in Brittany with its pretty walled garden, pocket-sized pool and comfy cubbyhole bar, a stroll from beaches, boats and bistros.

• Half-term hotlist– sunshine-soaked mid-haul holidays
  A real Greek goddess of a getaway, Cyprus’ spa star Anassa offers toddler-tailored facilities, family-bonding fishing trips and visits to a turtle-breeding station. For adventure further afield, Six Senses Zighy Bay on Oman’s Musandam Peninsula sits in a wild and remote Arabian landscape. The fishing-village feel gives this luxury lair a low-key spin: hang out en famille in a private pool, or under the stars at an al fresco film screening.

Customers can request a free copy of the Smith & Family Annual 2014 by signing up here. What’s more, parents get two free nights’ babysitting at more than 60 hotels worldwide when they book a holiday of seven nights or more with Smith & Family. For the full list of hotels taking part, see smithandfamily.co.uk/free-babysitting.

ENDS

Smith & Family is the new collection of parent-approved resorts and boutique hotels launched by Mr & Mrs Smith in 2013. More than 100 hand-picked family-friendly hotels can be booked online at smithandfamily.co.uk or by calling the expert Travel Team on 0845 313 9007, for money back on every booking, best available rates and a Smith extra on arrival.

Mr & Mrs Smith is an award-winning hotel website, booking service and free-to-join travel club, specialising in stylish boutique and luxury hotels around the globe. Founded in 2003, Smith has published nine coffee-table guidebooks and maintains a hand-picked and anonymously reviewed collection of around 950 of the world’s most inspiring stays at mrandmrssmith.com.

For more information, contact Mr & Mrs Smith's PR manager Elizabeth Rhodes: elizabeth.rhodes@smithhotels.com |  020 8987 6980