Family-friendly holiday rentals in Southend-on-Sea

What a hidden gem of a place! We feel so lucky to have found Stable Oak Cottages and to have spent New Year there with our family celebrating our sons 18th. The place was gorgeous and the hot tub such a treat! The alpacas were great entertainment and the luxurious little touches from bath robes and sliders, to home baked bread and muffins were just wonderful. Highly recommend.

We have spent half term at Lisa’s place, the house is very spacious, located in quiet residential area, about 10 minutes walk from the train station and 25-30 from the town centre which was exactly what we wanted. Lovely large property for our group of 9, we love the gym and hot tub plus a basket of goodies on arrival was an unexpected touch. We had a great stay and was so lucky with the weather too, did lots of small trips with kids so train station nearly was very handy. Would definitely recommend it.

Angela met us on arrival and made us feel very welcome. The accommodation was great, very clean and comfortable. The hot tub was fab,our grandchildren absolutely loved it! Howletts wildlife park was less than five minute drive away. The location was peaceful. Our grandchildren loved feeding the goats and chickens in the morning and toasting marshmallows over the fire pit in the evening. Would absolutely recommend this place. Thank you Angela for a wonderful weekend.

My family and I had the most wonderful stay at the River View barn. The barn was lovely and so peaceful with a beautiful view. We had such a great time and would recommend this to everyone.

Absolutely amazing. Beautiful inside and the grounds were even better. I booked this for my mum 60th birthday and we all had an incredible time. All rooms were beautiful with a lovely kitchen too, even better the welcome pack they leave you. The wrap around veranda was the highlight for us, we spent most of the days on that with the hot tub, we were lucky enough to have good weather so we could really make the most of it. The fishing lake was lovely my partner fished and enjoyed it. The owner was always happy to answer any questions whenever I needed them. Thankyou so much.

Highly recommended. The lodge was lovely, spacious and had everything we needed. We will definitely be coming back!

We had the most magical stay at this stunning countryside home for a bachelorette celebration, hands down the best Airbnb we’ve ever stayed in! The house is beautifully designed, warm, and had everything we could’ve needed and more. Set in the most picturesque spot, with rolling field views full of yellow flowers, it truly felt like the ultimate countryside escape. The open-plan kitchen and living area was perfect for our intimate dinner party, spacious yet cosy, and ideal for gathering as a group. Each bedroom had its own charm and was so comfortable and inviting. Outside, the garden was just as beautiful, and the hot tub was a total highlight! The attention to detail throughout the property made it feel really special, and the overall experience felt both luxurious and homely. Communication with the host was seamless and so helpful from start to finish. We’re already dreaming about our return!

Andy was a fantastic host and gave clear instructions on getting to the location and how to get in. The replies were also quick when I had questions to ask on the day and thankfully Andy was there to respond quickly. The house was in good condition and was clean and tidy ready for mine and my partner’s arrival. I and my partner had a lovely time and was a well needed break, there were also plenty of animals around the location which made it even better for us to watch them. Would recommend to anyone needing a little peaceful getaway for those who also love nature.

We had a fantastic stay at Sophie’s home. Communication was excellent from the start, and was really flexible and accommodating. The home is exactly as shown online, if not even better! It was warm, cosy, and full of lovely personal touches that made it feel really special. The stairs are quite steep, but we just took them slowly nothing unmanageable for adults. It was the perfect base for a relaxing break, with easy routes nearby for 5–10k runs and just a 10-minute walk to the seafront. There are plenty of great places to eat, drink, and shop just make sure to book restaurants in advance! Parking is on the street, and while it’s first-come, we managed to get spots right outside the house. The area feels very safe and welcoming to leave cars not near by. I honestly can’t wait to come back four days wasn’t nearly enough to explore everything!

We really enjoyed our stay at Maya’s cottage. We would love to come back and would recommend to anyone wanting a place to stay in Whitstable!

Thank you for such a wonderful stay. The cottage was beautiful inside and out, and a perfect location to walk and explore the surrounding area and enjoy all that Whitstable has to offer. Charlotte offered great recommendations for places to eat and drink. We loved our stay at Seabird Cottage, thank you.

Host was lovely. Polite, helpful and quick to help with all queries i had. Place itself was perfect for our little getaway to see family. Garden was great size for dogs to chill outside when needed. Kitchen had everything needed when away from home. Overal very happy with the service and home will definitely use again when visiting next.

What an amazing place, Seasalter Cabin provided us with a “home” to stay for 4 days. There were lots of options if you want to eat out, or cook! We love your kitchen and that dining table. Feeling energised and chilled afterwards. Thank you!

Lovely place, very well kept. Ruben was always responded in a timly mannor. A very good find!

Alison dough cottage was lovely and spacious, great for dogs. High end fixtures and fittings. lovely welcome hamper. whitstable right on your doorstep, with parking places in street around the back. pubs restaurants and takeaways a stones throw away.

Great place from which to explore whitstable, and a lucent place to stay

Absolutely great place,it does look 100% way better then what you see in pictures Literally you can get there the most peaceful getaway ,we already recommended this place to friends and we will definitely use this place again Worth for the price 100%.

Jenny, I hope you like my review, we enjoyed our short holiday in your caravan. I think you will need to fix some of the furniture, like the wardrobe door in the double room. Otherwise everything was fine, thanks. Peter

Lovely place with great facilities and Wendy was so nice and welcoming.

Van is in one of the best spots for views and privacy. Very comfortable with everything you need close by. Another fab stay.

Great stay, felt like home from home. Host Alex was extremely accommodating and friendly. Would definitely recommend!

Great late May bank holiday with daughter, son in law and two grandchildren. We had such a good time. Very comfy, great sea view, short walk to swimming pool and nice to have the football pitch just nearby. Hot tub much appreciated.

We were very impressed on arrival. Lovely peaceful grounds, pool bigger than we’d expected and great games area. Good place to stay with our extended family, good central location, really enjoyed nearby Canterbury. We were lucky with the weather. We visited Howletts zoo & 2 different sea-sides. The house is quite warm, it’s great fans are provided in all bedrooms. Improvements- Need better extraction for the kitchen- & update the book on what to do if the smoke alarm goes off! The agency were quick to help but with poor phone signal this was tricky to arrange. Bigger beds/ new mattresses Downstairs loo had no toilet lid Other reviews mentioned cobwebs & the place seeming a bit ‘tired’, I’d agree with some of that but it didn’t stop us having a wonderful time & a few cobwebs don’t bother me, everything else was clean and we’d love to return .

This was our second visit to the Lighthouse and it still is an amazing place, from the panoramic sea views to a lovely warm inviting home. A dip in the pool before breakfast, sitting with a coffee watching the seascape, as far as Essex and beyond, sunsets and so much more. I will make the same comment as I did last, this goes for the whole of our party across 3 generations and the dogs, the only bad thing about the Lighthouse is having to leave. Hopefully this will not be our last visit.