We are no longer the cool couple with the throw-away lifestyle, the fabulous wardrobe of designer styles and the list of RSVPs to get through. A weekend away at a designer hotel, strutting onto the plane in killer heels pulling designer luggage is something in my history books. The plane is now a 4×4, the killer heels, hiking boots, designer luggage? – the only luggage is pure essentials as the toys and kids clothes take up all the space and the only thing I pull is my 50kg dog.

I used to book a weekend away every six weeks and those weekends always involved a flight and a lot of room service. Now the only places that will have us (with our child and dog) are those horrid places that have polyester bedding and no heating in winter. Room service? – there is generally not even coffee or tea supplied.

So, I spend an awful lot of time searching the wwweb for pet-friendly holiday accommodation and usually end up not going away due to never being able to find something that is suitable for both pooch and us and I am still more than reluctant to put him in kennels because … well, because he is not so much a pooch as my first born (but you know this already). House/dog-sitters are rare but when found I thought it would be a breeze to book luxury accommodation for two adults and a toddler. Not so! I have been amazed at how much effort I have had to put into a search, only to find on step 12 or 13 that kids are either not allowed or are only accepted after a certain age. That was until I discovered the Portfolio Collection website. They have a specific search for places where children are welcome.

Check out their travel blog too, and look at the Kids of Nature website, where you can browse through other parents’ stories of traveling with their kids and share your own travel tips too.