Four Great Beach Resorts
Beach resorts are the dream vacation, for many parents: no stress, no mess; warm seas, lush gardens, great swimming pools, molten sunsets. And you don't have to stand in line and go on roller coasters.
If you wish, your children can join kids' programs or even be tended by your own personal nanny.
The beach resort concept typically includes some combination of:
- all-inclusive price that includes meals, drinks, and most sports and activities
- lots of sports and activities geared to kids
- special activities for the whole family
- swimming pools with waterslides or waterfalls, or maybe even a full-blown waterpark; kiddie pools may be on-site too
- daily programs at a Kids Club, and often Kids Night Out evening programs (such as theme parties)
- infant care
- teen programs and / or entertainment zones
- suites that provide conveniences suited to families
- kids' meals, kids' restaurants, ice-cream stands, etc.
Below are profiles of four beach resorts: three are in the Caribbean, including two all-inclusives. The fourth is on Hawaii's Big Island.
- Beaches, Turks & Caicos beach resort - "Beaches" is the family-resort brand of the Sandals chain of Caribbean all-inclusive resorts. This property is known for beautiful white-sand beach, and pirate-themed area with waterpark features.
- Franklyn D. Resort, mid-sized Jamaica beach resort, all-inclusive, with kids programs AND each family has a vacation nanny during their stay. Sister resort Pebbles likewise has "vacation nannies", and is located on Jamaica's north coast.
-- See Top Caribbean Beach Resorts for more all-inclusives in the Caribbean
- Atlantis Resort, Bahamas - 93 acres of "waterscape", with thrill waterslides; state-of-the-art River Loop that's nearly one mile long, with lifts, drops, Rapids, underground caves, and a conveyor up to waterslides; shark lagoons, fountains, waterfalls; giant aquariums viewed in Atlantis-themed underground maze "The Dig"; large kiddie pool, kids' waterplay zone, kids' club designed with Discovery Channel; out-of-this-world architecture; and much much more.
- Hilton Waikoloa Village, Big Island, Hawaii - On the Kohala Coast, with 65 acres with pools galore, waterfalls, grottos, slides; salt-water lagoon with water-toys and snorkeling (-sea turtles swim in); and -- a novelty kids love-- a monorail and canal-boats to get around the large grounds.
For many more suggestions, see: Beach Resorts A to Z
