Traveling with children can often leave adults staring wistfully at the lobby bar, quietly mourning the vacations of yore. Yet a handful of hotels have perfected a certain art: delighting the young without abandoning the grown-ups to a weekend in primary-colored purgatory. Whimsy, after all, isn’t just childish kitsch—at its best, it’s imagination with sophistication. Here are five whimsical hotels around the world that manage the rare trick of captivating kids and adults in equal measure.
Charmed Resorts — Alberta, Canada
Ever wonder what it might feel like to step inside a storybook? Charmed Resorts, hidden in the forests of Alberta, turns whimsical fantasy into elegant reality. The cottages look as though they sprang from the minds of imaginative, slightly mischievous architects who never quite grew up: Hobbit-style dwellings with round wooden doors and fairy-tale castles boasting real turrets and winding staircases. This place knows its audience—kids sprint around searching for secret fairy doors, while adults sit back with a glass of wine on stylish patios, appreciating the absurdity (and blissful comfort) of sipping Merlot from the front porch of a wizard’s tower. The genius here is that none of this feels like an amusement park; instead, it feels like a sophisticated escape wrapped in childhood nostalgia.
Märchenhotel Braunwald — Braunwald, Switzerland
Switzerland doesn’t typically indulge in theatrics, which makes Märchenhotel Braunwald—affectionately called the Fairy Tale Hotel—even more refreshing. Forget neon-lit rides or cartoon mascots; here, the enchantment is subtle. Guest rooms quietly evoke timeless Swiss stories of forest-dwelling creatures and gentle mountain giants, without tipping into childish territory. Children happily lose themselves in treasure hunts and storytelling sessions beneath Alpine peaks, while parents, glass in hand, sink into loungers overlooking valleys so picturesque they appear hand-painted. Even the spa maintains a discreet sense of fantasy, a reassuring hint that imagination doesn’t need to make a scene to be memorable.
Treehotel — Harads, Sweden
Anyone recalling childhood treehouses as precarious constructions of plywood and nails is in for a pleasant shock at Sweden’s Treehotel. Suspended elegantly amid tall pines, these futuristic cabins—sleek mirrored cubes, streamlined UFO pods—redefine what a treetop hideaway can be. Interiors are pure Scandinavian minimalism, stylish and warm, where adults can genuinely relax without enduring bright colors or plastic furniture. Meanwhile, children immediately recognize these elevated suites as secret command posts and futuristic playhouses. Come nightfall, everyone gathers at enormous windows, eyes wide as the Northern Lights swirl gently across the sky. Here, whimsy is so sophisticated, even grown-ups secretly hope bedtime never arrives.
Giraffe Manor — Nairobi, Kenya
Most hotels serve breakfast with the usual assortment of pastries, fresh fruit, and coffee. Giraffe Manor, however, tosses in a bonus: giraffes popping their heads through the open windows. This stately 1930s property in Nairobi feels pulled from the pages of an old-fashioned safari novel—lush gardens, rich decor, and a refined, colonial elegance that appeals to grown-ups seeking nostalgia. Kids, on the other hand, couldn’t care less about the historic provenance; for them, breakfast companions with impossibly long necks and curious expressions are all the history lesson they need. Watching a giraffe politely nudge your child’s toast away might feel surreal at first, but soon, everyone at the table—adults included—is laughing in astonished delight. Here, whimsy arrives entirely on its own terms, effortlessly charming every age.
Icehotel — Jukkasjärvi, Sweden
Most hotels boast about permanence, heritage, or timelessness, but Sweden’s Icehotel delights precisely because it’s ephemeral. Every winter, an ambitious team of sculptors rebuilds the place entirely from scratch, meticulously stacking blocks of crystalline ice harvested directly from the Torne River. Children dash excitedly through icy halls, marveling at towering sculptures and sparkling passageways as if they’ve wandered into some fantastical northern palace. Adults, meanwhile, casually sip vodka cocktails at the frozen bar, momentarily cast as sophisticated extras in a wintry spy flick. Guests sleep wrapped in reindeer pelts atop thermal bedding—luxury amidst ice. And when spring inevitably arrives, the hotel dissolves gently back into its river source, a poetic reminder that whimsy, like winter itself, is best savored before it fades.
Whimsy doesn’t have to feel juvenile, and luxury doesn’t need to mean stuffy. Each of these properties understands this well, creating environments where imaginative escapes coexist with grown-up tastes. For traveling families weary of compromising sophistication for kids’ entertainment, here are five places that happily—and brilliantly—deliver both.
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