The Spread:
On the sugar-soft sands of Jamaica's Negril, this 210-room resort snags 20 acres of the region's best oceanfront real estate. And with lodging, children's programs, water sports, meals, and entertainment all bundled into the room rate, parents can relax knowing what their vacations will cost. The accommodations at this resort are more cushy than at your typical all-inclusive, too. Book a two-bedroom suite and Beaches throws in the free services of a butler, who will draw you a bubble bath or arrange a romantic meal on your balcony, a family float trip, or an outing to local markets. Kids like the activities, especially those with Sesame Street characters.
Why Families Love It:
The beach at Negril is the stuff of dreamsturquoise waters, white sands dotted with palm trees, and lounge chairs for snoozes in the sun. You can relax while younger family members join the comprehensive kids' program for ages 12 and younger. From 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., infants up to 23 months get rocked, hugged, and read to at the nursery. Tots two to five splash in a wading pool, collect shells, and make puppets, as well as attend story time with Elmo, dance with Zoe, and bake cookies with Cookie Monster. Parents and kids can also eat breakfast with the Sesame Street gang and join their fuzzy friends as they parade on the beach.
At Kids Kamp, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six- to seven-year-olds build sandcastles, swim, take nature walks, do arts and crafts, play sports, and learn local geology with projects that include digging for artificial gems and sharks' teeth. From 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., ages eight to 12 sail, snorkel, swim, or play volleyball, XBOX challenges, and golf games. These kids also have the option to sign up for PADI-endorsed Bubblemaker and Seal Team programs to learn basic dive techniques ($105). Teens have plenty of places to hangout, including pizza and soda bars, a teen dance club, tennis clinics, and teen-only cruises.
Looking for a place to get remarried? New this year are Beaches Resorts' FamilyMoons, ceremonies and festivities that celebrate the joining of two families and their children. For single parents, all four Beaches' properties, including Negril, waive the single-parent supplement (up to $180 per night) at certain times, typically in May and from mid-August through October. Dates vary each season.
Special Events & Activities:
Join the Sesame Street character parades and don't miss the family beach parties.