Travel: Travelling in a pack in Lanzarote PLANNING holidays used to be a relaxed affair. Low-cost flight at an unearthly hour from down south to a remote airport an hour's bus ride from where we want to be? Not a problem. Two weeks staying in the spare room of a friend of a friend? Bring it on. Ah yes, those were the heady holidays before children. Now with husband, a four-year-old and an 18-month-old in tow and another on the way, the mere thought of going on holiday becomes a whole new logistical operation. With this in mind, the words "package holiday" started appearing in my search engine. Previously, and no doubt unfairly, we would have avoided a package holiday like the plague, but this time round the convenience of a break planned out to the finer details appealed. Surely, though, there had to be more to it than the towering hotels and identikit apartment blocks that give some costas a bad name? More online research brought up Sovereign holidays, a specialist in luxury travel and, importantly, a specialist in luxury family travel. Perfect. We had a few definites on our tick-list: flights at a decent time of day, short to mid-haul, somewhere not too hot with plenty of child-friendly activities. One hotel in particular looked like the business - the Princesa Yaiza in Playa Blanca, on the south-west coast of Lanzarote. Flying from Edinburgh with Thomson also meant keeping our travel time at an absolute minimum. The Yaiza is a big complex, sprawled over a couple of blocks, with 385 bedrooms and suites, but well-designed - thanks to Lanzarote's strict planning laws that keep monstrous developments in check - and manages to make you feel special, especially those travelling en famille. Launched earlier in the year, the hotel's Royal Kiko Suites are housed together in one area with its own pool area (meaning you don't have to worry too much about disturbing someone else's couple time), and are kitted out with everything you could need for the children whatever age they are. We were provided with a spare buggy (invaluable), travel cot, high chair, step-up stool, as well as a welcome pack of colouring pens and pencils, some armbands and an inflatable for the pool. There was also a games console with age-appropriate games, and a TV in each room. Best of all, there was a separate room for the children, allowing for some peace and quiet. These rooms also come with two hours of complimentary babysitting if you book a meal at the inhouse gourmet restaurant or a treatment at the hotel's amazing spa. Facilities in the hotel live up to the promise of being child-friendly. As well as the numerous pools (some adult-only), there's an outside playpark, inside soft play area, kids" clubs catering for ages up to 16, and the back of the hotel is literally a few steps across the promenade to the sheltered, white sandy beach. Dining is as relaxed or as formal as you want it to be, whether, like us, you need to grab something quick or have time to sit and enjoy a grown-up meal. The buffet-style dining rooms are efficient, welcoming and offer a huge array of food. Children's breakfasts are brightened by the arrival of Kiko the duck, the hotel's kids" club mascot, who arrives to say hello, and their evenings are topped off with a disco or other entertainment to tire them out completely. With so many great facilities for the children, it would be easy to spend a whole holiday within the bounds of the Princesa Yaiza, but we decided to break out and explore Playa Blanca and some of Lanzarote too. Our extremely helpful rep, suggested a half-day trip, taking in many of the island's attractions, and it turned out to be a great way to get a flavour of this unique isle. Those with more time might like to hire a car or go on a longer trip - at only 60km north to south and 25km east to west, it's easy to explore on your own. Lanzarote has an amazing geological history - it was formed from volcanoes and its unique landscape means it has Unesco Biosphere Reserve status. The Timafanya National Park is a huge area of 51 square km and its moonscape appearance is often used as a film location - famously in One Million Years BC, and the Stone Roses" Fools" Gold video. Today, only registered tourist buses are allowed to drive through the park, to the visitor centre at the top (designed by Lanzarote's most famous artist, César Manrique, who is also responsible for those strict planning laws). There you can see a geyser in action and go some way to understanding the natural power that lies beneath. A whistle-stop tour of El Golfo, a volcanic lagoon coloured bright green by algae, and one of the island's many vineyards completed the tour. Hearing about the hardships the inhabitants have overcome during the history of this beautiful Canary Island really gave us a new-found respect for them. Their pride in the island was also very much in evidence back at the Yaiza, where nothing seems like too much trouble. If this is what today's package holidays can offer, we'll certainly be back for more. n Thomson flies direct from Edinburgh and Glasgow to Lanzarote (www.thomsonfly.com). Prices start at £219 per person return. To find out more, visit a Thomson travel shop (0871 230 2555, www.thomson.co.uk). Princesa Yaiza Suite Hotel Resort, Lanzarote (www.princesayaiza.com). Sovereign Luxury Travel (0844 415 1936, www.sovereign.com) is offering 15 per cent early booking discount and online discount. Exclusive to Sovereign customers - one free child place, €100 resort credit and £150 event discount - seven nights B&B from £2,365 per family of three (saving up to £1,223) and seven nights B&B from £3,085 per family of four (saving up to £1,322), leaving on 22 August. Prices include return flights from Scotland and transfers.