Luxury Family Break Jersey The Channel Islands

It has to be said that Jersey really is one of the most beautiful places we have visited. Not only is the island just 40 minutes flying time away from London Gatwick, but when you get there it is also incredibly easy to negotiate yourself around thanks to its small but perfectly formed size.

Hiring a car is the most convenient way to see the entire island, Hertz do some great deals along with a great fleet to choose from and it couldn`t be more convenient collecting the car from just outside the airport. As with all short breaks, before arriving it`s quite normal to have preconceived ideas of what you are going to find, but even with the weather being a little drab at the time, we have to say that it far exceeded our expectations – there really is something for everyone to enjoy.

Jersey is incredibly quaint, the charm being the tree lined French roads, clean sandy beaches, picturesque bays and views in every direction. A real attraction for us was the stunning architecture; old French style farmhouses combined with the super modern Miami style beachfront pads – a mix of old and new was quite refreshing, perfect for the creative soul. There is an underlying calmness to this place, which definitely makes for a relaxing visit.

The Atlantic Hotel Jersey – Exterior

While we were there we stayed in The Atlantic Hotel Jersey, an intimate setting situated above the stunning St Ouen`s Bay, a conservation area of outstanding natural beauty and around 30 minutes from St. Helier. It was luxurious, tranquil and super friendly; the staff were incredibly warm and their customer service was faultless, A-class in fact, and also demonstrated consistency throughout the duration of our stay. Our only question is why this place is only 4 star and not 5.

Garden Studio

Our garden studio had glorious views overlooking the hotel`s well-kept garden, outdoor swimming pool and the mystical Atlantic Ocean. The hotel prides itself on its family ownership ever since it opened in 1970, which accounts for its established reputation for friendly and attentive service – we couldn`t fault a single thing. The hotel was immaculate; its designer inspiration coming from the sea. Our room was a substantial size (even with the cot erected), the bathroom too was a great size with his and hers sinks, and we were able to indulge in an array of Molton Brown toiletries.

Ocean Restaurant

We were fortunate enough to enjoy breakfast every morning in the Ocean restaurant with its interior inspired by the glorious coastal setting. The choices were great and the cooked Full Jersey breakfast with all the trimmings will definitely set you up for the day of exploring ahead. This restaurant also showcases exceptional fine dining in the evening combining modern British cooking in a classic setting with the emphasis very much presenting the best and the freshest Jersey produce. During our evening meal in this Michelin Star restaurant, as absolute fish lovers we opted for seafood all the way. The fish dishes we sampled were deliciously fresh and overflowed with astounding rich flavours. The sommelier was excellent in his job of recommending just the right wines to compliment our dishes – they tasted exactly as he had described, which was incredibly refreshing. We definitely recommend that you leave the wine selection in his hands!

The Palm Club, the hotel`s health club is a fantastic asset that comprises an indoor heated swimming pool, Jacuzzi, gymnasium and saunas – it`s the perfect place to unwind or workout. Our 15 month old daughter loved her swimming session in the pool and it was the first time she had ever experienced a spa pool. There are floats and inflatable pool rings for children to use leaving us with the feeling that every aspect of the hotel had been thought through properly to make it easy and enjoyable for all ages. The hotel doesn`t provide spa treatments within the health club itself, however, there are a number of other luxurious spas that cater for those looking for some pampering during their stay on the island. I chose to visit The Hotel de France and Ayush Wellness Spa, as the authentic Ayurveda treatments appealed to me and the entire spa complex came highly recommended. My treatment called Udvartana was essentially a herbal body massage. It incorporated a full body powder massage using specially formulated Ayurvedic herbs that smelt gorgeous and powerful. Fundamentally helping to aid digestion, break down fatty deposits and stimulate circulation. Afterwards my skin felt absolutely amazing, ever so smooth and incredibly soft!

Ayush Wellness Spa, The Hotel de France

I sent my husband off on a coasteering session (climbing around rocky coastlines and jumping in rock pools) organised and run by John Fox of Jersey Adventures. By all accounts he had a fantastic 2 hour experience learning about the local legends, sea life and discovering secret coves. If you are more the adventurous type then this is definitely an experience for you. Book in advance to avoid disappointment.

Coasteering Session

There`s so much to see and do in Jersey. If you were staying for more than one night then we would advise getting your hands on a Jersey Pass that would act as your passport to the island. These 2-day, 4-day or 6-day passes will allow you to visit numerous places of interest and top attractions on the island, from beautiful gardens, museums and children`s attractions to castles and even wine estates. If travelling with small children then we would definitely recommend Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, founded by the late author and naturalist Gerald Durrell. The grounds are lush and over 130 endangered species live within these beautiful landscapes totalling 32 acres.

However, for those visitors looking for something more historic then you won`t go far wrong with visiting the Jersey War Tunnels complex. You`ll find a series of thought provoking galleries that detail the German Occupation of Jersey during the Second World War. There`s also an option for visitors to travel to the War Tunnels in style on an original Jersey vintage bus, complete with on-board local Occupation commentary. The shuttle bus runs from Liberation Station in the heart of St, Helier daily from Stand M and departs every 15 minutes past every hour from 10.15am onwards. We thoroughly enjoyed both attractions.

If you`re real foodie types (like us) then you`ll have a hard choice to choose where to eat during your stay on the island. You`ll find fabulous seafood cafés, fine dining establishments, child-friendly eateries and traditional country pubs all over the island. If you`re into seafood and shell fish then you`ve got to try The Crab Shack in St. Brelades Bay complete with it`s unique and quirky shack-inspired interior. It`s tucked away along the promenade, tricky to see from the road, but you should definitely check this place out – it was jam-packed full of hungry tables of people waiting to taste some of Jersey`s finest seafood – the Fruits de Mer is a must! Enjoy a whole Chancre crab, cockles, mussels, prawns, gambas and oysters with sauces of marie rose and mayo to dip into. The portions are huge so we just about managed to have a starter and main course, sadly we didn`t have the room to squeeze in a dessert – shame on us!

The Crab Shack, St. Brelades Bay

Overall, we fell in love with the island and that said we`d love to arrange another trip to Jersey, but for longer next time so that we can enjoy more of the sights, attractions and amazing beaches.