While South Florida’s appeal continues to grow for adults seeking their own sophisticated playground of boats, the arts, and food, families must be a little more savvy to seek it out child-friendly vacation options with more hotels seem to rival Vegas with rousing nightlife.
There are jewels that not only welcome families, but embrace them with exceptional kids club programs and services perfect for a luxe family vacation.
Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne
At the very Southern tip of the Miami area, The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne welcomes kids with pools, kids clubs, and beach toys. Although the other two beachfront Ritz-Carlton properties in Miami also do a great job making families feel welcome, the Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne has been known to place bouncy houses inside their ballrooms during popular family holiday weekends.
St. Regis Bal Harbor
The St. Regis Bal Harbor is a standout for its extremely elegant and modern design. As a result, families don’t frequent the resort as much as its neighbors, but it means children in residence get some extra pampering. My young son tripped in the lobby and hurt his knee. Staff people were so concerned and helpful. We returned to lunch, and various members of the staff kept returning with more St. Regis swag for kids like stuffed animals, frisbees, that we left our lunch with an entire bag full of new toys. Rooms aren’t configured well, however, for families more than three.
Acqualina
Acqualina, in Sunny Isles (or North Miami Beach) is a family favorite for its gorgeously furnished rooms and suites that can accommodate large families. Some have full kitchens as well. Acqualina offers many family pool areas, a soccer field filled with children playing in their official football jerseys. Acqualina feels as intimate as a boutique hotel because there aren’t that many suites on each floor of the tower that offers excellent shade in the beach every afternoon. An expansive beach area that remains shaded by Acqualina’s signature cardinal red umbrellas is filled with buckets and pails for those eager to build sand castles. Acqualina makes smart use of its property, fitting in both secluded pool areas for adults and families. Even the spa has its own pool reserved for the use of the day’s spa patrons.
Eau Palm Beach
Heading further north, Palm Beach offers two beachfront resorts perfect for some family pampering. The Eau Palm Beach claims it is the new Palm Beach, and the Jonathan Adler design is vibrant, whimsical, and playful. The kids’ club goes beyond a craft table and television screen. Way beyond. There’s a deejay stand, a mini spa, a dress up closet, and a rock climbing wall to entertain children for hours. The spa is well known for its innovative design and a great thing to do while your kids learn to scratch records. After choosing the beach or the pools for some sun, families can be spoiled by the five star service when attendants crouch down low to serve your offspring frozen grapes while swimming around in their floaties.
The Breakers
The grande dame on the exclusive island of Palm Beach is The Breakers, a guided age vision to recreate an Italian palace. Despite The Breakers’ austerity in design and appearance, it is completely embracing of families. Every manicured lawn during my stay was filled with children and parents tossing a Frisbee or kicking a soccer ball. The Breakers has family pools and cabanas separate from the adult pools, and an adorable children’s boutique for shopping. The kids’ club is within a complex that has an onsite playground, an arcade, and a brilliantly designed Italian restaurant that offers a play area behind a glass wall for parents to keep an eye on their squirmy preschoolers building blocks while sipping a glass of Montalcino.
These five South Florida resorts offer families sand and surf, five-star service, kids clubs, and incredible spas for every member of the family to enjoy.
Robin Hutson is a luxury family travel writer based in Boston who features the best hotels for families on Luxe Recess.