It’s never too early to start thinking about whether your next family vacation will be a snowy winter getaway or a sunny summer escape. We selected the eight resorts on this list for their kid-centric activities and rooms and how they go out of their way to make children feel extra special. Our agency can help you sift through the choices, maximize your vacation budget and ensure that your family is greeted like welcomed guests upon arrival.
Beaches Negril
1. Beaches® Negril
Negril, Jamaica
Settle into Beaches Negril, an all-inclusive beachfront resort that includes outstanding accommodations, airport transfers, activities, entertainment and meals. Try a different water sport each day with options like water skiing, paddle boarding, kayaking, windsurfing and Banana Boat trips. Through their partnership with Sesame Street, Beaches Resorts offers special activities like a meet-and-greet character breakfast, baking cookies with Cookie Monster, a bedtime story with Elmo or a private birthday party with cake, music and decorations. Take the kids to a Jamaican school in Negril where they can engage with the community, donate supplies and read stories. Plan ahead by packing a suitcase with pencils, rulers, deflated soccer balls and Band-Aids to make a big impact.
Moon Palace The Grand
2. Moon Palace The Grand
Cancun, Mexico
Head to the Yucatan for a sunny escape in a luxurious all-inclusive resort where everyone in the family can do what they want by day and come together over a shared table for the evening meal. Swim-up suites dedicated to hosting families provide beach toys, sunscreen and child-sized robes. A fun-filled waterpark with waterslides, a wave pool, surfing simulator and lazy river is monitored by watchful lifeguards. Step into the two-story playroom to find a video game arcade, kid-sized labyrinth, neon mini-golf and bumper cars. Parents will appreciate the extensive fitness center — with complimentary green juice — and a restful spa with a menu of regionally inspired massages, facials, wraps and beauty services. After sunset, nightlife heats up with dazzling all-ages stage performances, lively karaoke and all-night dancing to songs you’ll want to sing out loud.
Sailrock South Caicos
3. Sailrock South Caicos
Located on a dazzling stretch of white-sand beach, this tropical resort delivers a luxe villa experience. Well-known figures like Hailey and Justin Bieber, Regina King and Neil Patrick Harris & family have visited this dreamscape for its authentic, peaceful atmosphere. Spacious beachfront villas have oversized outdoor terraces and private, temperature-controlled swimming pools. Maximize family time and create treasured beach vacation memories with simple pleasures like building a sandcastle, collecting shells or playing in the surf.
Take the whole group on a chartered boat for a world-class fishing or snorkeling excursion in crystal-clear waters. Finally, gather at the Great House Restaurant’s wrap-around terrace at sunset for its sweeping ocean views and quintessential Caribbean dishes like snapper ceviche and grilled lobster.
Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort
4. Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort
Maui, Hawaii
Hawaii is a perennial favorite for vacationers thanks to its extraordinary beaches in a palette of colors ranging from cream to onyx along with its volcanic phenomena, spectacular reef fish and hospitable aloha culture. The Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort is set on 15 acres of swimmable Mokapu Beach with mesmerizing views of the Pacific. Get the kids involved in quintessential Hawaiian activities like hula lessons, lei making and outrigger canoe paddling. Book a traditional luau dinner with live performances of original music, Samoan fire dancing, legendary tales of demi-god Maui and a Polynesian meal served family-style. Popular daytrips on Maui include snorkeling at the nearby crescent-shaped islet called Molokini and a summit-to-sea downhill bike ride from the scenic crater overlook at Haleakala National Park to the laid-back surf town of Pa’ia.
Grand Resort Bad Ragaz
5. Grand Resort Bad Ragaz
Bad Ragaz, Switzerland
Steeped in history, this jewel in the foothills of the Swiss Alps has drawn visitors to its thermal waters since huntsmen first discovered its natural spring in 1242. With a bathing tradition spanning centuries, today’s iteration is a 6,000-square-foot family spa sanctuary for healing, relaxation and deep regeneration with dedicated children’s water-play areas and massage treatments available for teens. Wow the kids with a helicopter ride directly to the slopes of fabled St. Moritz for a day of downhill skiing with personal coaching and lunch on the mountaintop. Guided snowshoe tours take guests through the Heidiland region, a snowy picturesque location named for Heidi, the children’s book character. Leave the youngest with the Children’s Villa childcare team, open daily from 9 to 5 and by appointment during dinner hours. At day’s end, retire to a two-room family suite where everyone can enjoy a restful night.
Stein Eriksen Lodge
6. Stein Eriksen Lodge
Deer Valley, Utah
Thanks to a recent expansion, Deer Valley Resort now has 200+ runs ranging from easy to difficult to match skiers at all levels — no snowboards allowed here. Spanning nearly three miles, Utah’s first gondola has continuously moving 10-passenger cabins arriving every 12 seconds with individual heated seats and floor-to-ceiling glass windows. Scandinavian-inspired Stein Eriksen lodge offers alpine coziness and engaging entertainment spaces specifically for the younger set with complimentary arcade games and kid-friendly fare. Spacious suites have a separate living room with fireplace, full-size kitchen and private deck with hot tub. Don’t miss the generous Sunday brunch at Glitretind restaurant for fresh crepes, an omelet station and raw bar framed by panoramic views of Deer Valley below. Reserve an alpenglobe — a wood-framed, climate-controlled igloo — on the terrace to make it a memorable culinary event.
Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono
7. Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono
Hokkaido, Japan
On Japan’s northernmost island of Hokkaido is Niseko, a popular western-style skiing and snowboarding destination attracting global alpine connoisseurs. A coveted ski-in/ski-out resort, Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono is set into a spectacular natural landscape with stunning views across the Annupuri range. Be the first leave your mark with First Track, a guided backcountry powder adventure excursion where guests can access the lift and enter the ski resort before it opens to the public. When your day is done, leave your equipment in the hands of the efficient ski valet service offering boot dryers, personal lockers and overnight storage. On-site dining options include robatayaki, teppanyaki, sushi and French cuisine by acclaimed chefs. Cap off the week by watching a fireworks display from your balcony, typically held every Saturday in January.
Aman Le Mélézin
8. Aman Le Mélézin
Courchevel, France
In the posh Three Valleys ski area of the French Alps, Aman Le Melezin brings together an invigorating ski escape interpreted in the classic tradition of a fine French chateaux. Located directly on the Bellecote Piste just above the enchanting village of Courchevel, the hotel makes your ski days effortless thanks to a team of Ski Butlers who transport equipment on heated racks and expert instructors who provide private lessons. Spend an evening at their mountain chalet — reached by snowmobile — where a five-course menu is served before a roaring fire and kids can sled beneath the stars. Return to your family apartment, a two-bedroom accommodation serving up to five guests accessed by a secret corridor.
