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8 Resorts the Whole Family Will Love

There's something for everyone at these multi-generational escapes.

With tweens only interested if there's WiFi, toddlers who want a splash pad, and mom who is on the lookout for the spa, getting everything a family needs in a single vacation can be a challenge. Well, usually. This time you’re in luck. We’ve crisscrossed the globe in search of the ultimate family-friendly resorts (some even have nannies on the property!). Whether you're looking for a tropical island, sun-soaked desert, or mountain escape, you’re sure to find something among our favorites.

Note: Traveling remains a risk with young children. The CDC recommends delaying travel until you are fully vaccinated. If you are not fully vaccinated and must travel, follow CDC's recommendations for unvaccinated people.

  1. Yosemite Rush Creek Lodge, Groveland, California

Photo: Yosemite Rush Creek Lodge

If a trip to Yosemite National Park is on your family’s bucket list, this 143-room woodsy hideaway is a top spot to book. Each of the accommodations features spacious decks for taking in the surrounding forest, and the lodge is chock-full of awesome amenities including a salt-water pool. The playground, which is designed to look like part of the natural landscape and features a 60-foot embankment slide, is a popular attraction, as are the zip lines and bocce ball court. Events include painting parties, nature crafts, and nightly s’mores around the fire. Don’t miss a night of stargazing from one of the hot tubs. Meals are best enjoyed at the on-site Rush Creek, where reservations are recommended.

2. Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, Maui, Hawaii

Photo: Four Seasons Resort Maui

Booking into this ocean-front property is paradise found for all ages. Upon check-in, children are welcomed with much fanfare, receiving personal beach bags, stuffed animals, robes and more. Then it’s off to explore—there’s a cool kids club for 5- to 12-year-olds and an alcohol-free game room for teens.

Property highlights include three pools (one is adults-only), tennis courts, golf and multiple restaurants. Don’t miss the only-in-Hawaii adventures like the Outrigger canoe ride, which takes guests ages 9 and up along the coast to see migrating whales and sea turtles. Parenting win: The property will child-proof rooms before arrival. And for the youngest guests, the resort is stocked with all the gear from baby monitors to strollers. There’s also the option to have a tent built inside so little ones can “camp” out.

3. Grand Velas Riviera Maya, Playa Del Carmen, Mexico

Photo: Grand Velas Riviera Maya

Positioned between the Yucatan jungle and the Caribbean Sea, Grand Velas Riviera Maya is three hotels in one resort: a secluded getaway, a romantic retreat, and a family-friendly property. Reserve a stay with the Ambassador experience for quick access to the beach, kids' club, parents-free teen zone, and three of the property’s restaurants including an Italian family-style eatery and a modern Mexican outpost. Many of the 195 suites showcase ocean vistas and have private plunge pools. Family excursions include kayaking tours, snorkeling adventures and swimming with dolphins. Adults will love the 75,000-square-foot spa.

4. Enchantment Resort, Sedona, Arizona

Photo: Enchantment Resort

This luxe oasis sits in the epic desert landscape of Arizona's mystical portal of Sedona. Come for the outdoor action—hiking, biking, and rock climbing—and relish the stay for the the-spiritual vortex offerings—psychic readings, intuitive massages, aura photos. A full-service experience, the aptly named property offers classes in art (painting, photography, pottery) and fitness (yoga, Pilates, barre). Kids ages 4 to 12 love Camp Coyote, which offers full- and half-days that include scavenger hunts, arts and crafts, and nature walks. Tip: Book the family adventure package. It includes a family mountain bike ride, a hike to one of Sedona’s famous vortexes, a Jeep tour of the canyons, and a private BBQ on your suite’s terrace.

5. Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort, Savusavu, Fiji

Photo: Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort

True to its moniker, diving is the main attraction at this eco-friendly resort. And with a robust activity calendar offering everything from outdoor yoga and beachside spa treatments to waterfall hikes and market tours, there’s plenty to see and do with your head above water.

Accommodations are thatched-roofed, ocean-facing bures (bungalows), all of which promise the perfect sunrise and sunset views. In addition to the idyllic setting, the food is an organic standout with most of it sourced on property. And the kids' programming is top notch. All children under 5 are assigned a nanny who can accompany them to the kids' club. Older children, ages 6 to 12, can hang out in groups of five led by a buddy. The kids' club is expansive with three pools, a zip line, a jungle gym, a trampoline, and an arts and crafts center. Kid-friendly meals are also served here.

6. The Resort at Paws Up, Greenough, Montana

Photo: The Resort at Paws

If your crew includes a four-legged member or two, this dog-friendly ranch resort is a place you can all roam free. Located on a working cattle ranch in Big Sky Country, Paws Up is wilderness luxury at its best. Families can choose to stay in a suite, an entire home, or a safari-style tent, and there are plenty of ways to enjoy the surroundings year-round.

The resort offers endless activities (horseback riding, fly-fishing, paintball, canoeing, whitewater rafting, jet-skiing, snowmobiling), which are available based on age. Kids can also do their own thing at the half-day adventure club, which takes guests aged 3- to 12 on such excursions such as sapphire hunting, archery, and rustic cooking classes. Breakfast and lunch are enjoyed at the various camps (there are six), while two central restaurants offer dinner. Don’t miss the chuck wagon dining experience, a family-style meal prepared on and by the campfire.

7. Soneva Kiri, Trat, Thailand

Photo: Soneva Kiri, Trat

This sustainably designed resort of 34 villas positioned on a verdant island in the Gulf of Thailand, is in perfect commune with its epic surroundings. Kids will be enchanted with The Den, a bamboo playground shaped like a manta ray, and there’s an eco-friendly program for children ages 1 to 5 that only uses toys and activities that meet the resort’s threshold for social and environmental responsibility. Plus, the hotel’s pro childcare team leads art and music classes, and adults, along with kids, will surely enjoy hikes to waterfalls, Thai cooking classes, sunrise jetty breakfasts. Plus, everyone will love the outdoor movie screenings, tree-pod dining, and ice cream parlor serving 60 flavors. Bonus: Children under 15 can stay free.

8. Club Med, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Photo: Club Med

This all-inclusive resort is peak Caribbean vacation. Kids will never be bored—they are given a choice of three activities per hour during the day—and there are four different clubs, broken down by age: 4 to 23 months, 2 to 3, 4 to 10, and 11 to 17. There’s also a Cirque du Soleil–inspired circus school where anyone age 4 and up can swing from a trapeze, jump on a trampoline, and dance with aerial silk. Parents can sneak away to the adults-only hideaway to sip smoothies, lounge poolside, and get a spa treatment. Food and drinks are unlimited—there are four bars and three restaurants—and the activities might as well be, as there are over 60 to choose from. But these are all just diversions from what you really came for: the blue water and white sand outside your door.

** This article was originally published by Colleen Barrett on Good Housekeeping. CLICK HERE to view the full article.