A real garden is the most underrated amenity in family travel. It is the place a toddler can be put down and simply left to walk, the shaded corner a parent reads in while a four-year-old investigates a beetle for forty minutes, and the space that makes the hour before dinner survivable rather than something to be endured indoors. The hotels in this collection have gardens worth the name. Think mature planting and real shade rather than a strip of lawn, enclosed or clearly bounded grounds so small children can roam without a running commentary of warnings, paths a stroller can actually get down, and lawns that are open to guests rather than roped off for photographs. The best of them add a kitchen garden the kids can pick from, and seating placed where parents can see the whole space at once. Below are the top family hotels with gardens, sorted by overall score.