Travel with kids can be an absolute joy. It can also have its challenges. And we can’t blame any parent who wants (or needs) a break from their little ones. Hotel kids’ clubs can be a blessing for those situations. And these days, there are clubs offering children such fun amenities, they may never want to hang out with you again.
We’re talking cooking classes, flower arranging, snorkeling trips, rides on vintage fire trucks, s’mores roasting, epic playsets, and more. There are kids’ clubs that support special needs, and hotels that will teach your kids to ski. We rounded up some of the most impressive programs around the world. Consider them next time you’d like a holiday inside a holiday.
Tyler Place Family Resort
Highgate Springs, Vermont
This all-inclusive family resort is only open in the summer months. And it’s practically a kids’ club for the whole clan. Programs for children change weekly and include bike rides, field trips, hikes in nearby forests, as well as swimming in some of Vermont’s secret watering holes! Kids and teens can also enjoy lawn games, supervised rock-climbing and stand-up paddle boarding before falling asleep in the private family cottages. tylerplace.com
The Nantucket Hotel & Resort
Nantucket, Massachusetts
The Nantucket Hotel and Resort may seem like your own private island with your kids cared for in the complimentary kids’ club. There are crafts like tie-dyeing and activities such as crabbing and nature walks. Things really get exciting on Saturdays when kids are taken on antique fire truck rides through town after their morning walking session with former residents who live on the Island. Evening activities are tasty too–they include s’mores by the fire. thenantuckethotel.com
The Kulm Hotel
St. Moritz, Switzerland
The 5-star luxury hotel in the Swiss Alps is not an all-inclusive hotel but it feels like one. Kids have their own private club that lets adults ski in the surrounding mountains without a care in the world. The Wunderwald Kids club is for children aged 3 and over, and includes a menu of activities such as jewelry making, flower arranging (with the in-house florist) and supervised activities in the water park. Teens can take skiing and snowboarding lessons, as well as access a room with wi-fi and pinball machines. Children also have their own supervised dinner service with hot dogs, saffron risotto and Swiss cream served over crunchy meringues. kulm.com
Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort
Honolulu, Hawaii
With direct access to Waikiki Beach, the Hilton Hawaiian Village hotel has a great kids’ club for children 5 to 12. Activities range from hula classes to lei making. There are also excursions to the Honolulu Zoo and Waikiki Aquarium. If that is not enough, your kids will love exploring the resort’s swimming pools, waterfalls and waterslides with the fam. Don’t forget the submarine rides and fireworks on Fridays. hilton.com
The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Lagoonarium
Cook Islands
Give kids a culturally enriching experience at the Rarotongan Beach Resort and Lagoonarium in the Cook Islands . The Moko Kids Club is for children 2 to 11, and is guilt-free for parents. Kids can take supervised snorkeling expeditions off the resort’s private beach, go on a 4WD mountain safari tour with a jungle expert and join a huge array of other activities, including hula dance classes, gecko hunting and coconut painting. Free snacks and drinks are also provided. therarotongan.com
Shangri-La’s Rasa Sentosa Resort & Spa
Singapore
The kids club at Shangri-La is free for all younger guests, no matter their age. Toddlers are supervised in the Mini Toots Club, which has its own jungle-themed play area. Grade schoolers can try the giant treehouse slide in the Toots Club. There’s a game room for older kids, who will also enjoy excursions to nearby Siloso Beach and the Nestopia play area, which has climbing towers, mesh bridges and giant slides. For the whole family, there’s the resort’s swimming pool and water world, which includes a splash pad and multiple waterslides. shangri-la.com
Club Med Tomamu
Hokkaido, Japan
Hokkaido is Japan’s premier ski resort region, with more than 350 acres of pistes making for an enormous family playground. But if you want to relax in the hotel’s wellness area and not be disturbed, send your kids to the kid’s club, which caters to children from 2 to 17. There are groups for different ages; they can ski from age 4 and take snowboarding lessons from ages 8 and above. For indoor activities, expect movie screenings and play/game rooms. clubmed.ch
Kempinski Palace Engelberg
Engelberg, Switzerland
More and more Americans are heading to lesser-known ski resorts in Switzerland, including Engelberg Palace. The only 5-star hotel in the region, Kempinski Palace Engelberg has a new kids’ club for children aged 3 to 12. Parents can roam freely on Titlis mountain, riding up in a 360 degree rotating cable car or skiing off-piste, while kids can enjoy seasonal activities, such as making crafts unique to the region and baking biscuits with the hotel’s pastry chef. kempinski.com
Beaches Turks & Caicos
Turks and Caicos
There is a lot to love about the kids club at Beaches Resort in Turks and Caicos. The resort is essentially five villages linked together, with a 45,000 square-foot water park, more than 20 gourmet restaurants and access to a 12-mile beach. Aside from that, kids have a teen disco, playlounge and dedicated infant program—plus the Caribbean’s first autism-friendly kids’ camp. Children can improve their communication skills with trained staff and have fun with real-life Sesame Street characters. beaches.com
