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1. Dominican Republic: Club Med Punta Cana
Club Med, a pioneer in all-inclusive vacations, employs its decades of experience to create an exceptional family club. Spread out on 70 acres with 2,000 feet of white sand beach, the property, despite 553 rooms, almost never feels crowded. At the comprehensive program for ages four to five, six to seven, and eight to ten, kids learn to fly on a trapeze, play tennis, create science experiments, shoot hoops, and snorkel as well as romp through the waterpark's sprays and pools. At Passworld, teens hang out, go rollerblading and take scratch DJ lessons. Updated rooms feature new fabrics, furnishings and flat-screen televisions plus the resort offers two-bedroom, 720-square foot family suites that come with room service. Care for ages four months to 23 months and tots two to three costs extra.
2. Florida: Club Med Sandpiper
Club Med appears on our list a second time because the luxurious, kid-friendly, all-inclusive resort also has one U.S. location, in sunny Florida. The resort features three swimming pools, an 18-hole golf course, an International Tennis Academy, and kids' programs for all ages, including Baby Club Med for ages 4 months to 2 years and Petit Club Med for ages 2 to 4 (both requiring an additional fee) and the free Mini Club Med for ages 4 to 11 and Club Med Passworld for ages 11 to 18. The resort's 337 rooms are divided between seven three-story buildings along the St. Lucie River. Families can dine in two on-site restaurants and one casual sports bar, with Market Place featuring its Baby Corner for children to play in during dinner, while 'tweens and teens may enjoy their own bar lounge, just for them.
3. Mexico: Grand Velas All Suites Spa & Resort, Riviera Maya
A stay at this resort, divided into adult and family areas, will change your perceptions about all-inclusives. You no longer need sacrifice luxury for the convenience of an up-front price. Lunch buffets include freshly made lobster tacos, salmon salad and duck kebabs. The bars use premium brand liquors and the specialty restaurants really are special and don't cost extra. Frida, serving Mexican cuisine, is a good choice for families; kids' menus are available. To be near the beach, book lodging in the Ambassador section. At 1,270 square feet the rooms offer plenty of space for sharing. Although the children's program targets ages four to 12, the crafts and games likely engage ages four to eight. Older kids may be bored.
4. Michigan: Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island
Pull up a rocker on the geranium-lined front porch, reputedly the world's longest at 660-feet, and sit a spell, savoring the expansive green lawns and the blue of Lake Huron. A grande dame property, the resort, sometimes dubbed America's summer palace dates to 1887 when the wealthy arrived by steamer for the summer season. You still arrive by boat and typically are met by a horse-drawn carriage as motorized vehicles remain prohibited. Part of the old-fashioned fun is getting around by bicycles, horse carriages or by foot. Although not a traditional all-inclusive, the Grand Hotel's rates include a full breakfast and dinner, plus supervised children's activities for ages five to 14 from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 6 to 9:30 p.m., Memorial Day to Labor Day. While you enjoy adult meals, kids play bocci, croquet and mini-golf, hike in the woods and tour the stables. Also, included: swimming in the 500,000-gallon pool.
5. New York: Mohonk Mountain House, New Paltz
Rock scrambles, carriage rides, woodland hikes, trout fishing, lake swims and campfires with S'mores are just some of the activities featured at Mohonk Mountain House, a 265-room resort owned by the Smiley family since 1869. Sprawled on 2,200 acres in the Shawangunk Mountains, the castle-like resort also offers a complimentary Kids' Club for ages two to three, four to six and seven to 12 daily in summer and on holidays and weekends. Young kids can ride ponies and boats and go on frog hunts while older ones can choose tennis, hiking, orienteering and other activities. In summer, teens watch movies at the Teen Lounge, tackle all-day hikes, play golf and tennis. For an extra fee, relax at the spa or try guided rock climbing, a new full- or half-day program.
6. Pennsylvania: Woodloch Pines, Hawley
Woodloch Pines traces much of its success as a family resort for 40-plus years to its decision not to host a children's program. Instead, the lakefront Poconos resort on 1,200 acres provides much for families to do together. In summer, waterski, kayak, sail, bike, hike, play mini-golf and swim in indoor and outdoor pools. Join in family Olympics, cookouts, scavenger hunts and Karaoke. In winter, go snowtubing, iceskating and fishing. Room rates come with meals and most activities. The two- to five-bedroom Woodloch Springs' Guest Homes may be rented with or without a meal plan.
7. St. Lucia: Coconut Bay Resort & Spa
At this moderately priced all-inclusive, adults cleave to the Harmony side of the property while families take over Splash, the fun side with waterslides and a lazy river plus a beach and CocoLand, the children's center and site of the Kidz Klub. Nannies care for infants and tots while ages two through 12 paint coconuts, go on nature hikes and run through the facility's waterscape, a colorful mix of fountains, bucket dumps, sprays and water cannon. With 254 rooms on 85 acres, you won't feel crowded. The food is reasonable, the rooms are comfortable, but not stylish, and the staff is friendly.
8. Turks & Caicos: Beaches Turks & Caicos
With waterparks and supervised programs for infants through teens plus parades and activities with Count, Elmo, Cookie Monster and other kiddie idols from Sesame Street, the Beaches collection of resorts delivers an exciting vacation for tots and gradeschoolers. The Turks & Caicos property, the largest of the four Beaches' resorts, has 615 rooms. A $125-million renovation completed in 2009 expanded the waterpark to a whopping 45,000 square feet and added 162 luxury suites, part of the new Italian Village. At the expanded Pirate's Island, kids zip down slides, float on a lazy river, try boogie boarding on a simulated wave machine and target each other with water cannons. The family suites feature separate master bedrooms and a kids' room with bunk beds and their own Xbox console. The Imperial rooms add living and dining areas plus butler service.
9. Vermont: Tyler Place, Highgate Springs
Celebrating its 77th season this summer, the family-owned and operated Tyler Place's formula for good, old-fashioned family fun features morning and evening children's programs with afternoons free for families to bike, hike, canoe and sail together. The Tyler Place divides children into groups for ages two-and-a half to three, four to five, six to seven, eight to nine, 10 to 12,and 13 to 15. Little ones fish for perch and play dress-up; preschoolers listen to stories and jump on trampolines and gradeschoolers go on nature hikes, do gymnastics and put on marionette shows. Tweens take to zip lines and go on fishing trips while teens add bicycle trips and water skiing. The accommodations, whether inn rooms or cabins, tend toward basic, but comfortable. For an extra fee, the resort also offers infant care and programs for tots as well as special sessions devoted to these ages from late May to mid-June and late-August to mid-September.
10. Wyoming: Paradise Guest Ranch, Buffalo
The peaks of the Big Horn National Forest surround Paradise Guest Ranch, located in north central Wyoming. A week long vacation here (the typical summer stay), turns kids as young as six as well as adults into range riding dudes. As the week progresses and you get better at horseback riding, saddle-up for chuckwagon dinners and daylong journeys. Teens can opt for an overnight campout. Ages three to six ride ponies in a ring and enjoy a variety of crafts and nature walks. The evening cowboy poetry sessions, campfire sing-a-longs and square dancing add Western fun. The saddle sore can fish and hike or simply enjoy the spectacular scenery. Choose from one- to four-bedroom cabins.
For more great beach vacation ideas, try:
Check out these great all inclusive areas:
- Caribbean All Inclusive Family Resorts
- Florida All Inclusive Family Resorts
- Mexico All Inclusive Family Resorts
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