7 Hotels with Kids Clubs So Good, You’ll Actually Get a Vacation
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Family vacations are a great way to bond and create new memories, but they can also be pretty hard work for parents. Picky eating and sleepless nights don’t stop just because you’ve flown halfway across the country—or the world.
All this to say: You shouldn’t feel guilty dropping your children off at a kids club so that you, too, can enjoy your spring break. In fact, at these next-level offerings in Mexico, Morocco and beyond, they’ll be having so much fun, they won’t even notice you’ve decamped to the spa. The little darlings will return home enriched, rejuvenated and hopefully a bit more curious about the big, wide world out there. And you? You’ll have had some real R&R in the meantime.
One&Only Mandarina
Riviera Nayarit, Mexico
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Designed by an award-winning art director, the KidsOnly club at this high-end resort in Riviera Nayarit on Mexico’s Pacific Coast is a 42,000-square-foot wonderland full of tree houses, hanging bridges, slides, trails and a butterfly garden. Scavenger hunts are something else here, and little ones will learn lots about the flora and fauna of the region as they play—discovering the life cycle of a bug, say, or working on art projects inspired by the local Huichol community. Supervised activities are available for ages 4 to 12, while teens can take part in the One Tribe program offering zip-lining, horseback riding, snorkeling and more. The hotel comprises cliff-top villas and tree houses surrounded by tropical rainforest and white-sand beaches; many accommodations even come with private terraces and pools. And amenities are designed with the whole family in mind, from the kid-friendly menus to the children’s spa treatments.
Montage Laguna Beach
Laguna Beach, California
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Montage Hotels & Resorts’ flagship property is one of Orange County’s most desirable destinations, thanks to its enviable beach bluff location and relaxed approach to luxury. Unsurprisingly, it has some seriously good options for children. Paintbox, for 5- to 12-year-olds, runs themed half- or full-day sessions that include time spent at the pool, beach, tide pools and events lawn. (Tiny tykes aged 2 to 4 can join Paintbox Petite.) Junior guests can also earn Montage Merit Badges, with 12 awards available for different skills and a Pirate Pin if they complete the set. A daily hourlong Parent and Me Playtime allows the whole family to get creative, and there’s plenty to keep grown-ups busy, too, from dining on Greek delights at Studio Mediterranean to hitting up the 20,000-square-foot spa for a couple’s massage.
Four Seasons Resort Hualalai
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
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Four Seasons’ Big Island outpost is big on childcare all year round, with its elevated Kids for All Seasons program running from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., plus its focus on marine biology (at the Kumu Kai Marine Center) and local culture (at the Ka‘upulehu Cultural Center). In the spring and summer and over the winter holidays, though, when more families tend to visit, the hotel steps it up a notch with Camp Manitou, a partnership with one of the leading summer camp operators in the U.S. Children aged 9 to 17 can enjoy full days of programming, with surfing, rock jumping and picnic lunches on the menu. They’ll also get the chance to head off-property to visit secret beaches, say, or snorkel among the colorful corals and tropical fish at Kealakekua Bay.
Royal Mansour Marrakech
Marrakech, Morocco
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One of the best things about visiting Marrakech is the chance to immerse yourself in Moroccan culture—and there’s no reason that should be limited to adults. At Royal Mansour Marrakech’s beautiful indoor-outdoor kids’ space, Le Jardin de Lila, younger guests can learn the basics of Arabic, consult a giant mural map explaining the geography and history of the region and more. The hotel is designed as a “medina within a medina,” where the 53 guest rooms are individual riads set among a sprawling estate full of alleys and hidden doorways in the heart of the city. It’s close to the bustling Jemaa el-Fnaa square and marketplace, where added entertainment can be found among the many musicians, snake charmers and tempting food stalls.
Atlantis The Palm, Dubai
Palm Jumeirah, Dubai
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Kitted out with 10 distinct play spaces, including slide and craft stations, a food prep kitchen and an outdoor adventure zone, the Atlantis Explorers Club feels more like a children’s museum than a hotel kids club. At the Creation Station, little ones can explore STEM activities, while at the Action Station, it’s all about sports and team games. At Explorers Town, meanwhile, they can role-play as firefighters or grocery shoppers—or perhaps take a turn investigating crime as a junior police officer. There’s also a snug for reading and a video-gaming station. Elsewhere at the lavish Dubai hotel, young travelers can take part in a group yoga session, learn to surf on a wave machine, try some of the more than 100 slides and attractions at the enormous Aquaventure Waterpark or meet some of the experts that look after the 65,000 marine animals, including sharks and dolphins, at the Lost World Aquarium.
The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island
Amelia Island, Florida
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Four- to 12-year-olds can sign up for the Ritz Kids program at this island compound, which sits along 13 miles of Atlantic shoreline on the southernmost of the Sea Islands—and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., they’ll enjoy a schedule of games, play and even some stealth education. The curriculum, developed in partnership with French oceanographer Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ocean Futures Society, teaches all about coral reefs, sharks and the importance of coastal cleanups. (Guests of all ages can also hone their appreciation of the environment at the Nature Center, where in-house naturalists run hands-on activities and facilitate self-guided tours.) Lunch at the club is included for full-day guests, and there’s a Kids’ Night Out option in the evenings; parents can use that time to golf on the 18-hole championship course, take a tennis lesson with a pro, embark on a guided kayak tour of the nearby salt marshes or just relax in a poolside cabana.
Marbella Club
Marbella, Spain
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Your progeny are going to be busy at this club, set in the largely outdoor heart of this Spanish hotel’s finca (or estate). When they’re not picking ingredients for perfume in the herb garden or rustling up something tasty to eat with local ingredients, they’ll be gardening, making candles or canoeing in the gentle waters of the nearby ocean. Other options at the center, which is open 365 days a year from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., include music and dance sessions with traditional Spanish costumes and various crafts in the chic indoor art room. Marbella Club can host pretty extravagant birthday parties, too, with magicians, picnics and even a bird show on call. The hotel itself, on Spain’s southern coast in the Andalusia region, comprises botanical gardens, a spa, a saltwater pool, a pádel court and more. Eight different dining options offer a whole host of Spanish delights—think Iberian ham or Galician mussels with lemon confit—and an even broader index of local seafood, including octopus, tiger prawns, clams and squid. The whole family will eat, play and relax well.
Booking With Chase Travel
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Looking for inspiration? Eligible Chase cardmembers can explore hotel reviews and editor-curated guides at chasetravel.com.
Lead photo courtesy of One&Only Mandarina.
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