We are going to be in Rome in July for a week followed by 4 days with friends in Umbria.We would like to then spend 4 or 5 days at the beach . Does anyone have any ideas that would suit 13 and 15 year olds, plus parents who would like a little luxury, nice food and preferably not too busy ?We will probably fly back from Rome.

what is your budget per night?

Dont mind...but do not want anywhere that is too pretentious..We will drive from Umbria ( Perugia).Thanks for your help.

tht only narrows it down to hundreds of places to stay. Have you done any searching on this or other sites to see what hotels have already been highly recommended? That way, you can come back here with at least of list of hotels that you like and we can help narrow it down for you. In what cities specifically are you looking for a hotel?

There is Il Pellicano in Porto Ercole. Very nice. I'm sure the kids would love the pool and beach. Slightly higher on the pretentious scale (not sure of your tolerability ratio between luxury and pretentiousness) is La Posta Vecchia. If you are willing to travel further, there is Sperlonga, Gaeta, San Felice di Circeo. Not much luxury there but nice beaches. Further still is the Amalfi Coast. I love Le Sirenuse in Positano. Certainly luxurious but some say very pretentious. I think the San Pietro is more pretentious. Also luxurious is the Santa Catarina in Amalfi. Lots more places that are very nice but not luxurious. If you are going next month, where you stay is going to depend on what is still available. You may not get your first, second or even third choice at this point.

Pick your budget---is 800E/nite OK?
What about 300E? It really does depend.

Sorry to be vague! 800 euros or thereabouts would be ok.Have been looking at the Pesaro - Ancona stretch but there does not appear to be much there. Dont want to go as far as Amalfi coast..dont think the teenagers will put up with too many hours in the car. Had looked at the Il Pellicano last week as brother in law had suggested the area around Grosseto but the web-site says "tiny" beach.Is there much to do round about? Thanks for all your replies and I know that they may all be in vain.....we are very much a last minute family. By the way..we are staying at the Exedra in Rome...any comments?

Thanks for your help Grinisa. Have managed to book II Pellicano...after a lot of phone calls! Think it must have been the last available rooms in July.Any ideas for trips/restaurants in surrounding area?

That's great that you got the Pellicano. The beach is fine; there are few hotels in Italy with long stretches of beach. There are plenty of restaurants and shops in Porto Ercole and also Porto Santo Stefano. Many other pretty beaches on the peninsula to explore. If you want to do a half day trip, Tarquinia and the Etruscan ruins are nearby.