Latest news with #LaurenceRossignol
Telegraph
18-06-2025
- Telegraph
‘People want peace, not poolside tantrums': The rise of child-free holidays
A summer's morning, just after 9am, and something astonishing is happening: I am still in bed. In the six years since I have had children, this is entirely unheard of. There are no elephantine footsteps charging towards my bedroom; no clammy, jammy hands clawing at my covers; no piercing shrieks of 'Muuuuuum!' over cornflakes and toast. The silence – aside from birds chirruping through my open window – is deliciously deafening. I am, of course, not at home (where my harried husband is wrangling our two children through the morning rigmarole entirely solo) – but have spent the night at an adults-only hotel, one of a growing number of properties, both in the UK and abroad, that specifically ban under-16s. Statistics suggest there are now more than 1,000 such hotels, B&Bs and holiday resorts worldwide, driven by demand from child-free and solo travellers – not to mention parents who, like me, adore their offspring, but sometimes dream of getting far, far away from them. But that dream could be under threat due to a recent challenge under French law, which suggests the 'no-kids trend' could amount to 'violence against children' under equalities legislation. Laurence Rossignol, a socialist senator, is reportedly planning to introduce a Private Member's Bill to make it illegal to ban children from French hotels, restaurants and campsites – a move which could have dramatic repercussions for child-free venues around the world. This doesn't trouble Frank Lawrenson, the owner of Rectory Manor in Great Waldingfield, a picturesque village in rural Suffolk, which has been grown-ups-only since 2022. Indeed, Frank says he would have cut children from the guest list earlier, if only he hadn't had several of his own. 'Children can be so hard to manage, especially in a property like this,' says Frank, 58, who inherited the sprawling Georgian rectory – on a site that dates back 2,000 years – and turned it into a hotel, now a five-star country retreat with a swimming pool, tennis court and croquet lawn, in 2014. 'We wanted it to feel like a haven, and if you have children running around screaming, that's certainly not peaceful,' he adds. 'The policy is one of the main reasons guests choose to stay here.' He and his fiancée, Georgina, 48, have six children between them, now aged 18 to 23, and they first banned under-13s when their youngest turned 13. The lower age limit increased incrementally each year. Although both loved hosting families with younger guests, they decided it 'didn't suit the house' – certainly, there are sharp edges, uneven stairs and breakable ornaments everywhere. 'You might get a perfectly sweet two-year-old banging her spoon on the breakfast table and ruining the tranquillity for everyone else,' says Georgina. 'People come to escape. Even the best-behaved children can get on your nerves – especially when they're not your own.' The hotel seems to lavish in a sort of hedonism that simply wouldn't be possible with children around. Cut-glass decanters of whisky and gin adorn every room. Flames crackle perilously from open fireplaces. The artwork is eclectic and, in some quarters, verging on risqué. My room contains a roll-top bath, perched – somewhat incongruously – on a thick pile carpet. Quite delightfully, the property's motto, emblazoned on my key fob, is an Italian phrase – ' Non si vive solo per soffrire ' – which translates as 'One doesn't live only to suffer.' As a long-suffering, sleep-deprived, permanently frazzled parent, I could certainly get on board with that. Travel experts say adults-only hotels are part of a growing trend – dating back as far as the 1970s, when they first appeared in the Caribbean, and spreading to Spain and France in the early 2000s. But it's only in the past five years that they've really started booming in Britain, with mainstream holiday companies – such as Warner and Scott Dunn – now offering adults-only options. Online, you'll find copious Mumsnet threads devoted to child-free holidays, as well as luxury travel round-ups of five-star resorts that proudly ban children. According to Google Trends, searches for 'adults-only holidays' have soared in popularity since 2020. 'I've seen this trend gain real momentum,' says Liz Taylor, a hospitality and luxury brand consultant with 30 years' experience. 'Holidays have become more than a luxury – they're a lifeline. People want peace. They want to switch off. And, let's be honest, that's hard to do when you're dodging poolside tantrums or trying to enjoy a cocktail during a toddler's tea party.' Emma Latham, a Cheshire-based luxury travel planner, agrees. 'Not long ago, the only 'adults-only' offering in a resort might have been the later dinner setting,' she says. 'Today, we're seeing entire properties or dedicated areas within larger resorts designated specially for adult guests.' This, she explains, appeals to all sorts of holidaymakers – whether parents escaping their offspring for short getaways, couples without children who prefer to avoid family-focused environments, or empty nesters who want to enjoy their peace and quiet. Margaret and Jonathan Evans, from Pontypridd, are among the last. 'Since our youngest daughter left home last year, we wouldn't dream of staying anywhere that accepts children,' says Margaret, 67. 'It was hard enough going on holiday when our three were younger – always worrying about mealtimes, and whether they'd break anything or fall over. We couldn't switch off.' Geoff and Linda Banks, from Fleet, Hampshire, agree. 'I'd be so cross if the holiday I'd looked forward to for months was ruined by noisy children haring around the place,' says Geoff, 54. 'I just wish they did adults-only flights as well.' Staff members, too, say they prefer working at child-free properties – not only is there less mess to contend with, but they're not expected to act as makeshift babysitters. At Rectory Manor, the closest I come to youth in my 24-hour sojourn is 18-year-old waiter Cyrus, who serves a top-notch cooked breakfast, and tells me: 'When we allowed kids, the swimming pool was an issue – people were nipping to the mini-bar and expecting staff members to watch their children splashing about while they were gone. If anything had happened, we'd have been responsible.' Of course, the adults-only privilege comes at a premium: my weekday night away, plus breakfast, comes to £219. 'If you consider how much you would pay for a family of four to stay at a hotel for a week, would you pay the same amount for just two of you if it were an adult-only hotel? The answer seems to be yes,' says Aled Evans, a travel specialist at Our Local Tour. 'I most certainly would be willing to pay for it,' adds Raj Gill, a travel expert and the editor-at-large of Upscale Living magazine. 'I feel most people would be happy to pay extra to have a restful and relaxing holiday.' Consequently, holiday venues are reaping the rewards – both financial and reputational – of going adults-only. 'If a hotel or tour operator can differentiate itself and appeal to a certain demographic, then it has a market advantage,' Evans explains. There are, however, risks – not least alienating long-term guests who go on to have families and find themselves unwelcome. Frank Lawrenson admits that when he banned under-16s in 2022, there were some regulars – who had previously stayed with their children – who weren't happy about the change. 'It was sad, but ultimately for the best,' he says. But as the tide turns against children in Britain, do properties need to consider the legal ramifications of banning younger guests? In France, certainly, the 'no kids' policy seems to fly close to the wind, and the issue has reared its head in California, where a swath of stunning ocean-front properties – catering only to adults – have recently opened, prompting critics to question whether they contravene Section 51 of the state's Civil Code, which prevents discrimination. In the UK, under the Equality Act 2010, it is illegal to discriminate against someone because of their age when providing goods and services – but there are exceptions. If a service is genuinely 'adults only' – such as a spa treatment, sports competition or nightclub – this is justifiable, as it relates to the nature of the service. This, it seems, would equally apply to holiday properties that cater solely to grown-ups. 'I doubt there are any legal issues,' says Taylor. 'We're talking about creating environments tailored to specific needs and preferences. It's about choice; not exclusion.' Gill agrees – but says the onus rests on hotels, B&Bs and resorts to inform prospective guests of their policy. 'As long as the rules are clearly laid out from the off, and the age limits and boundaries are established, then I do not see any future issues,' she adds. Nor, it must be said, do I. Still reclining in my four-poster bed, contemplating whether to go for a morning swim or a leisurely breakfast, I find myself searching online for another child-free break – perhaps swapping sunny Suffolk for Bali or the Bahamas – with my husband in tow, this time. Non si vive solo per soffrire, after all…
Daily Mirror
02-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Livid parents call for adults-only holidays ban as 'no kids is discrimination'
A group of politicians in France are pushing for a ban on adults-only holidays in the country, arguing that the exclusion of children from such spaces is discrimination Parents and campaigners are calling for an end to adults -only holidays, branding the exclusion of children "violence". For many, the idea of a break away from the hubbub of a child-packed home where they can relax around the pool, a cocktail in hand and a book in the other, without the sound of infant wails shattering the silence, seems like a good time. For members of the growing pro-children-on-holiday movement in France, banning anyone of any age from accessing a certain hotel or resort is completely wrong. Laurence Rossignol, a socialist senator, is to table a private member's bill in the French senate that would make it illegal to ban children from such establishments, the Times reported. Sarah El Haïry, the French high commissioner for childhood, has said that government lawyers are looking into whether it would be possible to take legal action against places that exclude families. READ MORE: Ryanair introduces new route to 'beautiful' European city that's perfect for Christmas 'A child shouts, laughs and moves … we are institutionalising the idea that silence is a luxury and the absence of children is a luxury," she told the French international radio station RFI. Ms El Haïry criticised the 'no kids trend', claiming it amounted to 'violence against children'. Senator Rossignol added: "Children are not a nuisance. We cannot accept that some people decide they no longer want to tolerate a particular section of the population, in this case children. We cannot allow our society to be organised around our intolerance of others, where people organise themselves to keep their distance from anyone who does not fit into their idea of their neighbours." Travel Companies Union roughly estimates that three per cent of holiday venues in France are adult-only facilities. The topic of how children fit into society is a live one in France. The French Federation of Nurseries has made repeated calls to lawmakers to ensure children's right "to make noise". This has been coupled with rising concerns about how much screen time children have, while the High Council for Family, Children and Age has warned that a lack of space for kids to play outdoors could have "harmful consequences for their physical and mental health". Not everyone is happy with the idea of an adults-only holiday ban. Sara Lewis told the Guardian that she thinks a ban would be a 'totally unreasonable deprivation of people's liberty'. 'It amounts to forcing people to accept others' kids, of which there's more than enough of already,' the retired copyeditor from Brussels said. Emilie, a stay-at-home mother, agreed with the politicians that such holidays treated children as "pariahs", but questioned whether the ban would get to the root cause. In her opinion, it is wrong to create spaces where adults can live parallel lives free from children. 'I think it's more about the French relationship with children. There is a popular saying in France about children: Les enfants doivent être vus, et non entendus, which means children should be seen, not heard," Emilie said.
The Guardian
31-05-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
French venues are in hot water for banning kids. Is adult-only a luxury or a necessity?
Hospitality venues in France such as hotels, restaurants and campsites that do not admit children could face prosecution under proposals for a crackdown that emerged this week. Laurence Rossignol, a socialist senator, plans to introduce a private member's bill to make it illegal to ban children from such establishments, the Times reported, while the French high commissioner for childhood, Sarah El Haïry, said government lawyers were looking into whether it would be possible to take legal action against places that exclude families. She told the French international radio station RFI that the move would address the 'no kids trend', which amounted to 'violence against children', adding: 'A child shouts, laughs and moves … we are institutionalising the idea that silence is a luxury and the absence of children is a luxury.' Here, four people from across Europe share their thoughts on the idea. Emilie, who is a stay-at-home mother, thinks it's 'healthy' that French politicians want to stop the trend that 'turns children into pariahs' but does not think a ban would deal with the root cause. 'I think it's more about the French relationship with children,' says the 39-year-old, who is French but lives in Southend-on-Sea, Essex. 'There is a popular saying in France about children: Les enfants doivent être vus, et non entendus, which means children should be seen, not heard.' From her experience, family life is important in France and children are taught manners when they are young and become used to eating in restaurants from an early age. There is, therefore, an expectation that children are well-behaved in public. Emilie is in two minds about a ban. One one hand she feels that people who do not want to be around children 'are not suddenly going to show patience because they are forced to cohabit with them'. However, she also believes children are part of everyday life and that 'adults can't build a parallel society that is free of children'. 'It's difficult but it's one of the reasons I want to stay in the UK. I think my son would be much happier growing up here than in France.' After each one of Jo's six IVF attempts were unsuccessful, she and her husband took a break to an adult-only hotel for a few days. 'We didn't want to constantly be faced with children and the reminder of what we wanted but couldn't achieve,' says the 40-year-old project manager from Lancashire. For Jo, the French proposals do not consider those who are childless not by choice. 'It's been five years since our final attempt at IVF, but my husband and I still get a bit upset sometimes thinking about how we couldn't have the children we thought we would have. 'It's not that we don't like them – we have five nephews – but when we're on holiday it's nice to know that we've got a somewhat safe space. It's about protecting yourself a bit.' Since being diagnosed with ME, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome, Jo is also more sensitive to noise than she used to be. 'Being out somewhere with loud children is not enjoyable for me at all – something I know other people with health issues or neurodivergence also struggle with.' Franz Peter Weeren, a retired hotelier and chef, thinks a ban would be 'absolutely ludicrous'. As someone who has worked in the hospitality industry since the 1980s, he says most of the problems he has faced with children were caused by parents who were unwilling or, more frequently, incapable of controlling their offspring when they misbehaved. 'One time a 12-year-old tripped over a waitress who was serving a tray full of cocktails and the parents just said: 'Oh well, they're children.' They kicked up a fuss when I upped their bill for damages,' recalls the 68-year-old from Paderborn, Germany. At the time, when Weeren was running an inn in Austria, he considered not allowing children under-14 in but realised he couldn't if his business was to be successful. Attracting more than 100 million visitors in 2024, France is the world's top tourist destination. However, Weeren thinks a proposed ban on adult-focused venues might cause a dip in its popularity. 'Some businesses will adapt but others will close rather than make any changes, and others just won't go to France because they want to enjoy a child-free environment.' Sara Lewis thinks a ban would be a 'totally unreasonable deprivation of people's liberty' and that the plan is too extreme. 'It amounts to forcing people to accept others' kids, of which there's more than enough of already,' says the retired copyeditor from Brussels. She believes it's time to end the stigmatisation of people who prefer to avoid children, and instead of adult-only venues she thinks 'specific child-tolerated places' might be better. For Lewis, the problem is not from children themselves but parents letting them do what they like and expecting others to put up with their behaviour. She feels parents should 'teach their children to be unobtrusive in public'. 'If I go to a restaurant, cafe or hotel I would expect other people, adults or children, to respect me as I would respect them,' Lewis says. 'Children by nature want to be lively and run around but that's not always appropriate, depending on the environment. In the same way that I wouldn't play opera music very loudly in public, as much as I like it.'
Daily Mail
28-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- Daily Mail
Adults-only hotels risk being BANNED in popular European country - as they are a 'threat to society'
Adults-only hotels, campsites and restaurants could be banned in France as part of a planned government crackdown. Sarah El Haïry, France's high commissioner for childhood, has said that the country's 'no kids trend' has caused 'violence against children', reports The Times. The commissioner said that people who complain about children being noisy are spreading the 'idea that children are a nuisance'. She claimed that adults-only venues were dividing society and putting pressure on parents. El Haïry told RTL: 'There is a growing intolerance and we must not allow it to take hold. 'It's not in our culture, it's not in our philosophy, and it's not what we want to see as the norm in our country.' She explained that government lawyers are currently looking at taking legal action against hotels that refuse to allow children. France 24 reports that adults-only venues currently represent around three per cent of the country's travel market. A socialist senator, Laurence Rossignol, is now planning to introduce a bill to make it illegal to ban children from venues. El Haïry is reportedly planning to bring together those in the travel industry to encourage them to take a 'pro-kids' approach. Adults-only venues - and flights - can be a divisive issue among travellers. A mother recently went viral after she slammed Japan Airlines for its controversial booking feature where people can see where babies are seated before picking their own seat. Sophie Kalimeridou, a 'mumfluencer' who specialises in family-friendly travel content, took to Instagram earlier this month to vent her frustration with the airline's policy after flying with her toddler daughter and young son. Sharing a video from her business class seat, she accused Japan Airlines of alienating parents and children in favour of passengers who prefer a quieter journey.
South China Morning Post
28-05-2025
- General
- South China Morning Post
Should adult-only hotels and restaurants be allowed? France considers banning them
The French government is mulling measures to clamp down on adult-only hotels and restaurants, with a top official warning that hospitality venues excluding children in a so-called 'no kids' strategy were dividing society. While Paris is considered one of the most child-friendly cities in the world, more venues in France have been shunning children in an effort to shield customers from kids' unpredictable behaviour and noise. The government this week held a round table meeting with key industry players to discuss a trend that France's high commissioner for childhood, Sarah El Hairy, has said should end. Socialist senator Laurence Rossignol has introduced a bill that would make it illegal to ban children from venues in France. We are pushing children and families out, and in a way, this is real violence. France's high commissioner for childhood, Sarah El Hairy 'Children are not a nuisance,' said Rossignol, adding that the bill is aimed at promoting 'a society that is open to children'.
