When it comes to family vacations, it’s all about balancing recreation with relaxation. Dedicated childrens’ activities are important, but so are spa treatments, fine dining and a little alone time for mom and dad.
Located in must-visit vacation destinations, such as Florida, Hawaii and Las Vegas, Gayot’s favorite family resorts offer close proximity to top tourist attractions, as well as envious on-site movie theaters, bowling alleys and water parks.
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There’s plenty to do for adults and kids at this casino hotel off the Strip. (Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa)
Plus, when it comes time to take a break from the action, parents will enjoy escaping to adults-only swimming pools, chic lounges and elegant restaurants while the kids partake in supervised enrichment programs.
1. Club Med Sandpiper Bay – Port St. Lucie, FL
The only all-inclusive Club Med family resort in the United States, this laidback destination enjoys a terrific location between Miami and Orlando. Four dedicated kids’ clubs are divided by age, and unique activities range from flying trapeze lessons to circus school. The rates also include tennis, golf and beach volleyball academies, sailing lessons, a water park and a wide variety of dining options. Soleil serves gourmet fare overlooking the St. Lucie River, while The Marketplace offers a Baby Corner so parents can easily prepare meals for their infants. Luxuries such as an adults-only pool and Club Med Spa by L’Occitane offer a welcome break from the whirlwind of nonstop family fun.
2. Red Jacket Mountain View Resort – North Conway, NH
With its own 40,000-square-foot indoor water park, this wilderness resort has “family vacation” written all over it. Along with water slides and a wave pool that are open year-round, this 25-acre property also boasts family-friendly features such as bonfires, movie nights and Xbox tournaments. Views unfurl across the Saco River Valley and Moat Mountain Range, and adult offerings include a full-service spa, lounge with live entertainment and classic New England cuisine at Champney’s. For more casual dining, guests can opt for poolside barbecues. A variety of accommodations are available: standard hotel guest rooms, two-bedroom townhouses with full kitchens and four-bedroom homes for groups of up to 10. Hiking, whitewater rafting and horseback riding are just a few of the outdoor attractions.
3. Ojai Valley Inn & Spa – Ojai, CA
Popular as a weekend spa and golf escape for Angelenos, the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa is an ideal retreat for adults and children. Dating back to the 1920s, this sumptuous property features a wealth of family activities, including biking and fishing. Camp Oak (ages 4 to 12) offers kid-friendly activities like dive-in movies at the pool, as well as themed programs ranging from Undersea Adventures to Camp Oak Laboratory. Teens also enjoy age-appropriate activities such as rock climbing, geocaching, surfing and golfing. Accommodations are residential in style with comfy, contemporary décor, and dining celebrates fresh California produce. In short, this is the place to go when you want to combine luxury with an enriching experience for all ages.
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Enjoy 22-acres of lushly landscaped resort grounds. (Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort)
4. Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort – Honolulu, HI
Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort takes family-friendly amenities to the next level with everything from submarine tours to starlight luaus complete with hula lessons. This 22-acre beachfront property boasts a 10,000-square-foot Super Pool, the multi-level Paradise Pool, the longest water slide in Waikiki, 20 dining options, a lavish Mandara Spa and Camp Penguin, which features a different program each day. Children can take guided tours of the Waikiki Aquarium, build model volcanoes on the beach or learn more about Hawaii’s past at the State Museum of Natural and Cultural History.
5. Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa – Las Vegas, NV
While hotels such as Circus Circus or Excalibur may seem the obvious choices for a family-friendly Las Vegas escape, we like to think outside the box…and off the Strip. Just 20 minutes from the action, this resort is also only a few minutes from high desert adventures in Red Rock Canyon — mountain biking, horseback riding, river rafting, hot springs and Native American petroglyphs are just a few of the local draws. As for the resort itself, it has all the usual attractions (a casino with poolside gaming, a 25,000-square-foot spa, fine dining) and then some. Both parents and kids enjoy the three-acre “backyard” pool area, IMAX movie theater and bowling alley. When mom and dad want to take in a lounge act or hit the tables, the Kids Quest indoor playground offers supervised games, crafts, a science lab, climbing maze and themed activities.
