Hi-tech havens

Admiral Mews, Pembrokeshire
Plug the children into the DVD/CD/video while you retire to the Jacuzzi bath with a bottle of complimentary bubbly at Admiral Mews, a swish new complex of cottages soon to open in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. Originally built as a coastal training base for the forces of George V, the stone-built cottages have clifftop views over Carmarthen Bay, vaulted ceilings, Scandinavian style decor, all kitchen mod cons (including a dishwasher) and a shared on-site pool. You can bring Rover too and the beach is just 100 yards away. Open in March.

· Six properties, sleeping between two and 14 people, £802. Coastal Cottages of Pembrokeshire (01437 767600).

Island Farm, Argyll and Bute
This traditional stone farmhouse near Dunoon may look quaint and rustic from the outside, but step inside and it's another story: satellite television, video, microwave, dishwasher, tumble drier and a double Jacuzzi are just a few of the twenty-first century conveniences. It's the newest - and smartest - addition to Ecosse Unique's collection of Scottish properties. Open fire, beamed ceilings, five acres of enclosed gardens and a 200-yard stroll to the shore of Loch Eck complete the idyll.

· Sleeps seven, £650. Ecosse Unique (01835 870779).

Self-catering without the slog

Woodcutters Cottage, Norfolk
Self-catering holidays have one minor flaw - the self-catering part. The owners of this cottage deep in the heart of Thetford Forest have thoughtfully taken care of this: for an extra charge, they will deliver home-cooked meals to your door, do your laundry and even babysit for the kids. Don't think of it as a cottage, more like a new set of in-laws. And if that's not enough, they can even arrange husky sleigh riding_

· Sleeps four, £713. Rural Retreats (01386 701177).

Monkhouse Hill Cottages, Cumbria
More wholesome than a Chinese takeaway, meals from the farmhouse kitchen are delivered to your door at this complex of cottages on a 300-year-old Cumbrian hill farm (vegetarians catered for by takeaways from a local restaurant). There are nine cottages here, sleeping anything from two to 14, the latter divided into three family-friendly suites. There's a games room and an adventure play area and guests get free membership of the North Lakes Spa leisure club, a 15-minute drive away.

· A cottage sleeping four costs from £500 -£555. Monkhouse Hill Cottages (016974 76254).

Take the plunge

Park Farmhouse, Dorset
Who cares what the weather is like outside when you've got your very own indoor pool to splash around in? This thatched eighteenth-century farmhouse has a heated 28-foot pool, plus a games room with pool and table-tennis tables and a kids den with bean bags, television and video. If all play and no work sounds like too much fun, there's even a small office with a telephone where you can catch up on some paperwork.

· Sleeps 12-17. £1,629. Helpful Holidays (01647 433593).

Froyz Hall Barn, Essex
The star attraction at this recently converted 200-year-old barn on a rural estate near Halstead is the 40-foot heated outdoor pool. There's also a tennis court, woodland walks, fishing and horseriding. If cooking seems like too much effort, it's a 20-minute walk through a nature reserve to the nearest pub or the owners can provide a lunch and dinner service.

· Sleeps six, £847. Rural Retreats (01386 701177).

Themed breaks

Coombe Mill, Cornwall
Staying on the farm doesn't have to mean getting your welly boots dirty - unless you want to, of course. The West Country farm tourism consortium Cartwheel has details of dozens of farm cottages where wood-burning stoves and whirlpool baths come as standard and the children are kept busy with nature trails, farmyard activities and adventure playgrounds. At Coombe Mill in Cornwall you can enjoy a lie-in in your four-poster bed while the kids are taken on a morning tractor ride to feed the farm animals and the day's groceries are delivered to your doorstep.

· Six cottages and 12 lodges sleeping between two and six. A cottage for four costs £675. Coombe Mill (01208 850344). The Cartwheel brochure line is 0870 241 1098).

Navigators, Norfolk
If messing about on the water is your idea of heaven then Navigators could be the answer to your prayers. Overlooking the river, the three-storey house has its own private mooring and a rowing boat is provided. Sailing lessons are available nearby and landlubbers can use the owners' beach hut at Mundesley.

· Sleeps seven, £628. Norfolk Country Cottages (01603 871872).

Hyperactive holidays

Wye Lea Country Manor, Herefordshire
OK, so this is cheating a bit. A kind of halfway house between a cottage holiday and a holiday park, but all in the best possible taste. There are a number of cottages and apartments to choose from with unfortunate names like Dobbin and Squirrels. The kids will love the heated indoor pool, putting green, croquet lawn and tennis courts and you might even manage to fit in a massage or beauty treatment at the spa.

· Thirteen cottages and apartments sleeping from two to six people. A cottage for six is £1,235. Wye Lea (01989 562880).

Great Glen Water Park, Invernessshire
Don't let the park bit put you off - this is no Hi-de-hi! holiday camp. Activities range from abseiling and white-water rafting to jet-biking. There's an indoor pool, sauna and spa for the less adventurous. Accommodation is in 'Scandinavian' lodges with verandahs overlooking Loch Oich or Loch Lochy and the Highlands. The Loch Oich Lodges come with built-in barbecue, widescreen television with DVD/CD players, microwave, dishwashers and a fondue set. You won't get that in Butlins.

· Loch Oich Lodges sleep six, £700. Hoseasons (0870 333 2000).

· All prices are for one week in July/August.