If you fancy a relaxed family holiday away from crowded beaches, you'll find a Kinderhotel in Austria a refreshing change

The Austrian-based brand of Kinderhotels caters especially for families, and offers a blend of child-friendly and comfortable accommodation, great activities for the kids, and relaxing 'me time' for parents. Each hotel is different, ranging from luxury hotels with spas, to simple Alpine farmsteads, but they all adhere to the Kinderhotel philosophy of 'Children are not just tolerated, but treasured'.

We spent time in Gina's Adventure Hotel at Lake Faaker in southern Austria, set amongst stunning mountain scenery. The hotel is beautifully arranged with indoor and outdoor swimming pools, children's play areas (including soft play and bouncy castle), tennis courts and a small cinema.

Family holiday fun
The array of activities, for both children and their parents is staggering. Whole family activities range from Nordic walking, canoeing and mountain biking, while kids can sign up to the diving, swim or theatre 'schools', play football, go fishing, paint t-shirts - the list is endless.

The great idea behind Kinderhotels is that the whole family can join in any of the activities together (we had a great time fishing and then took a tractor ride to the woods for a treasure hunt), or the kids can be entertained by the specially trained staff while the parents relax, take a yoga class or be pampered at the spa.

Kinderhotels love an event, and there seems to be something that every child (and parent) would enjoy, ranging from a Knight's Tournament (which went down a storm with my seven-year-old, who wore full knight's armour, wielding a sword), to Water Olympics and magic shows. For older children, Gina's offers a night spent in a tepee, with songs and stories around a campfire.

'Me time'
The spa at Gina's Hotel is an oasis of calm, where parents can indulge in cosmetic treatments and massage; they also offer a variety of Ayurvedic treatments. If you do fancy a couple of child-free hours, there are fully qualified childminders to keep the little ones amused, keeping in contact via the 'babyphone' system (you pick up a mobile phone on your arrival, which can also be linked to the phone in your room for when the kids are in bed). Kids care at Gina's is offered free from Monday to Friday from 10am until 8pm and on weekends from 2pm until 8pm.

Room to manoeuvre
The accommodation is spacious, with various forms of 'apartments' to choose from - ours had a living area, three bedrooms and a huge family bathroom (with two adult sinks and a kid-sized sink) - and come equipped with everything you need as a family. Cots, high chairs, bibs, buggies, bottles and baby food - there was even a spare dummy - are provided, along with 24-hour medical service and free laundry facilities.

Making the most of Austria
Kinderhotels are set amongst the mountains and lakes of Austria, and outside the hotel there are many beautiful places to visit, where you can swim in a mountain lake, hike, canoe, indulge in a spot of white water rafting, or simply wander around one of the delightful towns.

We took a day trip to Heidi's Meadow in Carinthia, at Lake Falkert, where we left the hustle and bustle behind with a gentle stroll around a mountain-top meadow and the kids followed Heidi and Peter through scenes from this famous storybook. You can fish in the lake, meet the goats and have lunch in the clear mountain air.

Winter fun
We visited Gina's during summer, but in winter you can ski, snowboard, skate, toboggan or take a sleigh ride. All hotels are within easy reach of some great family skiing areas, and the kids can either attend ski school or be looked after while you hit the slopes.

The marvellous thing about Kinderhotels is that you can choose which type of holiday you have: action-packed fun for the kids, some child-free time to relax, or whole family activities - and a bit of everything means that everyone has a great time. An ideal family holiday

Practical information
An all-inclusive (including childcare) holiday, staying in a small family apartment at Gina's Adventure Hotel for 7 nights for 2 adults and 1 baby or child up to 12 years starts at £970. Not including flights.

For more information about Kinderhotels, visit the UK website at www.kinderhotels.co.uk, or call the Kinderhotel Hotline on 0845 0822 422 within the UK or 1850 930 430 if calling from Ireland.