Reimagined spaces and immersive programming give kids (and parents) time to explore.

by Regan Stephens

In The Big Hotel Report, we’re checking in on the world of luxe retreats now.

My girls, ages 5, 7, and 11, were a few hundred yards away in the Four Seasons Peninsula Papagayo’s hotel kids’ club. Each morning at the 197-room resort on Costa Rica’s northern Pacific coast, they followed a sandy path to a bright beachside sanctuary decked in mangrove-themed decor inspired by the local landscape, giving my husband and I a few hours to read books, swim, and talk to each other without interruption. It was the first time since becoming a parent that I felt like I wasn’t just on a trip – living our regular nonstop-hustle life in a far more beautiful locale – but on a real family vacation.

Advisor Tip
“On Barbados, Sandy Lane resort’s Treehouse Club offers swimming lessons and a dinner program with movies, so parents can enjoy a leisurely evening while their kids have fun. Forte Village Hotel Castello in Sardinia has created an entire village dedicated to children. In addition to youth soccer and basketball camps led by professional athletes, there’s a kid-sized play village with a grocery store, a gas station, and even a hot-pink Barbie-themed cottage.”
– Kristen Fernandez

While resort kids’ clubs aren’t a new concept, travel advisors are seeing an uptick in family travel. Hotel properties are taking notice, putting added consideration into their young guests’ experience. The result? Fun and engaging programming inside (and outside) immersive spaces where kids actually want to spend time.