Too many hotels and resorts say they invite children and little children, however few
genuinely give the young families the help or support they need to have a memorable winter holiday. Here's a list of location to have your perfect holiday.
- OMNI LA COSTA RESORT: CARLSBAD, CA
At first, you might
think that the plush Omni La Costa Resort was created just for grown-ups.
After all, it has two PGA championship golf courses, 21 tennis courts, a
world-famous spa, and the Chopra Center, a yoga and wellness center founded by
Deepak Chopra. Yet this resort caters to little ones, too, with
its excellent supervised children’s program (for kids 6 months and up) in
a 4,000-square-foot activity center called Kidtopia. There are three pools in
family-friendly playground called Splash Landing, including the Sandy
Beach Family Pool, whose zero-depth entry makes it ideal for those with small
children who can build a sandcastle and safely dip their toes in inches of
water. There's also an interactive water play zone that's fantastic for
the toddler set.
- TYLER PLACE FAMILY RESORT: HIGHGATE SPRINGS, VT
On
the shores of Lake Champlain in northwest Vermont, the award-winning
summer all-inclusive Tyler Place Family Resort goes above and beyond for
families with kids under 3. The secret sauce is the exceptional staff of
college-age and professional counselors, who provide a counselor-to-child ratio
of nearly 1:1. Bringing a baby to the Tyler Place means you'll
be given a parents' helper who provides one-on-one baby care and
companionship for the entire week. During the day, your baby and parents'
helper can attend an infant-friendly activity group. In the evenings, your
helper will give your child dinner and quiet playtime or take your
child back to your accommodations for an early bedtime while you enjoy dinner
at the inn. This is flexible care designed to give parents a caring support
system while also offering plenty of together time with their babies.
Hate
being nickeled and dimed? Not an issue here. Tyler Place is on our
shortlist of America's best all-inclusive resorts for families.
- FRANKLYN D. RESORT: RUNAWAY BAY, JAMAICA
While
many family resorts in the Caribbean offer terrific children's programs
clubs and non-stop activities, Franklyn D. Resort offers something
unbeatable for families with babies and little ones: your very own,
exclusive vacation nanny. For more than seven hours every day, your
nanny is available to look after your children and be your personal
guide at the resort. You can also hire her to babysit in the evening for a
nominal charge.
More
pluses: All-inclusive pricing and accommodations in one- to three-bedroom
suites that are considerably larger than you find at many Caribbean
all-inclusive resorts. Another benefit when you have small children is the
resort's compact size, which means it's always a short walk to get to
the pool, restaurant, or children’s center.
- DISNEY CRUISE LINE
For babies and toddlers
ages 6 to 35 months, Disney Cruise Line has what's arguably the best
childcare program afloat for the littlest cruisers. There are baby swings,
toys, books, Disney movies played on a TV, as well as a soft play area and
separate quiet area with cribs. Counselors will change diapers provided by
parents.
- CLUB MED: FLORIDA, MEXICO & DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Kids
under age 4 stay free at all-inclusive Club Med Resorts, whose
kid-friendly properties include: Sandpiper Bay in Florida; Punta Cana in
the Dominican Republic; Cancun Yucatan and Ixtapa Pacific,
both in Mexico. (Club Med Sandpiper Bay makes our shortlist of America's
best all-inclusive resorts for families.)
Babies
ages 4 to 23 months can take part in Baby Club Med, whose program follows
a set schedule including stimulating activities indoors and out,
well-balanced meals and an afternoon nap. In addition, parents get 24-hour
access to baby care rooms equipped with bottle warmers, a microwave,
fridge, mixer, sterilizer, and more. The resort can also loan strollers and other
baby items to families.
For
toddlers ages 2 to 3 years, Petit Club Med
offers age-appropriate activities and entertainment, meals and
downtimes for rest. There's a mix of stimulating games to arouse
curiosity, Baby Gym in the open air, nursery rhymes, quiet time, and more.
- SMUGGLERS' NOTCH: JEFFERSONVILLE, VT
Ski
lessons and learn-to-ski camps typically start at age 3 at the most
kid-friendly ski resorts, which leaves snow-loving families in need of
childcare options for their babies and toddlers. Voted No. 1 for family
programming by Ski magazine readers for more than 15
years in a row, Smugglers' Notch gets kids as young as 2-1/2 up on
skis (even if they’re not yet potty trained) and kids as young as 4 up
on snowboards.
For
little ones not quite ready for slope time, you'd be hard-pressed to find a
more impressive childcare center than Treasures, the state-of-the-art,
5,400-square-foot childcare center at Smuggs. Kids are divided by age into
three rooms (6 to 16 months; 17 months to 2-1/2 years; and 2-1/2 to 3 years),
with myriad age-appropriate toys, mats, climbing equipment, and playhouses for
everybody. Playrooms have a giant fish tank, little cots, and
blankets, bathrooms with tiny toilets and small sinks, and there are over 4,000
square feet of an outdoor playground, too. Babies and toddlers are cooed over by a team
of nannies, who lead their groups in interactive games, stories,
circle time, and bubble-blowing fun. There’s also radiant floor heating, a
one-way viewing window for parents, and ski-in/ski-out convenience. And once
kids get a bit older, Smuggs has one of the very best learn-to-ski programs in
the land.
- BEACHES RESORTS: THE CARIBBEAN
Beaches
Resorts are a trio of all-inclusive Caribbean resorts—two in Jamaica and one in
Turks and Caicos. For families with babies and toddlers, the chain gives
you certified nannies on the job every day from 9 am to 6 pm (and an
infant to staff ratio of 3:1). Nannies are also available for babysitting in
the evenings for an additional fee.
Beaches
Resorts also offers Sesame Street programming with
daily activities, weekly stage shows, and chances to meet the characters.
Happy holiday!
Happy holiday!
