BEST INTERNATIONAL HOTELS AND RESORTS FOR FAMILIES IN
With thrilling waterslides, fun cultural activities and awesome kids’ clubs, these hotels and resorts are guaranteed to provide a fantastic family holiday, as voted by you in the 2023 Out & About with Kids Readers’ Choice Awards.
Opening image: An aerial view of Malolo Island Resort in Fiji
Best kids’ club or nannies in Fiji: Malolo Island Resort
At Malolo Island Resort, you’ll find the secret ingredient to help parents truly relax: a fantastic kids club program. Award-winning Tia’s Treehouse creates memorable experiences for kids from four to 12 years old (under-4s can join in supervised by a parent or nanny). Daily activities celebrate Malolo Island culture and share the resort’s eco-friendly values with the next generation. For tweens and teens, Khail’s Club provides a cool hangout spot with a karaoke machine and dance floor. With all ages spoken for, parents can enjoy a ‘me time’ massage or lazy afternoon in the adults-only pool (with a swim-up bar and al fresco lounge).
Images: A girl discovering marine life with a nanny from Malolo Island Resort, A girl at the kids club
Best hotel or resort in Fiji (outer islands) for families: Plantation Island Resort
Plantation Island Resort helps you find the perfect balance of family time and parents’ retreat with a creche, nanny service and Coconut Kids' Club. Under-12s will be kept busy with a daily activities program, including coconut boat racing, fish feeding and cultural dance. Tweens and teens aren’t forgotten, with plenty of social activities to banish boredom. When it comes to family bonding time, take a dolphin safari or explore the island with beach cruiser bike hire. As a bonus, kids eat free with two paying adults.
Images: Waterslide fun at Plantation Island Resort in Fiji, Tavola pool, A Fijian warrior
Best hotel or resort in Fiji (mainland) for families: Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort
Located on Fiji’s Coral Coast, this five-star family resort is surrounded by 16 hectares of tropical gardens, with a large outdoor pool and spa. Families can make the most of free snorkelling, kayaking and cultural entertainment, including a kava ceremony and fire walks. Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort’s air-conditioned rooms and thatched-roof bungalows provide plenty of space for the kids, with 24-hour room service and seven eateries spread across the property. An hour from Nadi International Airport on Fiji’s “main” island of Viti Levu, the resort is convenient to top attractions like Kula WILD Adventure Park and the Sigatoka River Safari.
Image: Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort Meimei nannies with kids
Best Family Hotel or Resort in the Pacific Islands (Outside Fiji): Rarotongan Beach Resort and Lagoonarium, Rarotonga, Cook Islands
Located on the white sands of Aroa Beach, The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Lagoonarium is a four-star resort just steps from the unspoiled waters of Aroa Lagoonarium Marine Sanctuary and ten minutes’ drive from Rarotonga International Airport. The lagoon is perfect for stand-up paddle-boarding, kayaking, snorkelling and even night snorkelling! Two children aged up to 11 stay and play at the Moko Kids’ Club for free when sharing a room with up to two adults. The Resort offers an extensive daily activities program, a games room, Beach Bar & Grill and a spa.
Image: The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Lagoonarium in the Cook Islands © Paul Osta
Best hotel or resort in Bali for families: Bali Dynasty Resort, Kuta
Bali Dynasty Resort in South Kuta is a premier family beachside retreat known for its warm Balinese hospitality. The fully integrated resort offers six restaurants, five bars and four pools. Families can enjoy diverse amenities, including popular family rooms with bunk beds perfect for families of five. Experience the excitement of a 56-metre waterslide leading to a dedicated kids’ water fun zone. The complimentary new kids' club is perfect for ages four to 16 and is open daily from 9am to 6pm. Their engaging resort activities schedule keeps families entertained all day. At Bali Dynasty Resort, there's always something fun for everyone.
Images: The main pool at Bali Dynasty Resort, H2O Restaurant, Water slide fun
Best hotel or resort in Asia for families: Meliá Bali, Nusa Dua, Bali
‘Five-star luxury’ is the perfect way to describe this resort. Between the private beach, lagoon-style pool and 12 hours of daily children’s club activities, Meliá Bali creates an unforgettable experience for the whole family. Each spacious family suite is split into two levels so parents can enjoy a private master retreat. After plenty of lazy days, tennis courts, badminton and beach volleyball provide a refreshing change of pace. Delve into Balinese culture with traditional dance, fruit carving and delicious cuisine to complete your stay on the Island of the Gods.
Image: Movie night at Melia Bali
Best hotel or resort in Thailand for families: Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket
Centara Grand Resorts are known for creating a top-notch family experience, and this Phuket paradise is no exception. Inspired by classic Sino-Portuguese architecture, you’ll find beautifully appointed pool suites, private pool villas and luxurious rooms to suit families of all sizes. The water park is the centrepiece of Centara Grand Beach Resort, featuring a waterslide, waterfalls and cliff jumps, plus a lazy river for more chilled-out moments. Supervised kids’ clubs and on-site babysitting lets parents escape to the award-winning SPA Cenvaree for some much-needed R&R. Three on-site restaurants mean you’re never short of dining options, but a quick 15-minute walk brings you right to the heart of Karon Beach (and all the delicious local cuisine on offer).
Image: The lazy river and water slides at Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket
Best Family Hotel or Resort in Hawai'i: Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa
Drawing on the celebrated storytelling magic of Disney and traditions and heritage of the people of Hawai‘i, this luxury resort is built on eight hectares of oceanfront property in Ko Olina, adjacent to a large lagoon and white sand beach. Here children can explore Hawaiian culture through supervised entertainment, including interactive touch tables, wildlife and nature programs, arts and crafts, Disney movies and traditional games. Children of all ages will delight in Waikolohe Valley, Aulani’s vast water play area, which includes a tube-floating watercourse, the Tubestone Curl tube slide and Volcanic Vertical tunnel slide. Guests can also interact with a variety of native fish, in the huge Rainbow Reef snorkel lagoon.
Image: Aulani, A Disney Resort and Spa
Best hotel or resort on mainland USA for families: Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, Anaheim, California
Built in the turn-of-the-century California craftsman style, the luxurious Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa has a private entrance into Disney California Adventure Park, themed pools and waterslides, a spa and two restaurants. Children can enjoy breakfast with Disney characters at Storytellers Café or Disney princesses at the upscale eatery Napa Rose. Rooms are also decorated with whimsical touches, such as a mural above the headboards that depicts a blossoming orange tree with Chip ‘n Dale playing in the branches and artwork of woodland creatures from Bambi.
Images: Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa
Best hotel or resort in New Zealand for families: Taupō Debretts Spa Resort
Hot springs await at Taupō DeBretts Spa Resort! The North Island’s legendary volcanic hot spots are the source of this resort’s magic, providing healing mineral-rich water to pools and spas. Kids can splash and slide in the geothermally-heated water park (which includes a safe shallow pool for littlies). After a day of fun on Lake Taupō, settle into your choice of campsite, chalet or lake-view villa. Located midway between Auckland and Wellington, don’t miss this destination on your New Zealand road trip.
Image: Mine Bay Maori Rock Carvings on Lake Taupo
Best Family Hotel or Resort in Europe: Disneyland Hotel Paris
Little princes and princesses will receive royal treatment with a stay at the five-stary Disneyland Hotel Paris, at the entrance to Disneyland Park. Your story begins the moment you set foot in the hotel’s lobby, where a Royal Greeter will welcome you into a majestic library, and Story Keepers are ready to reveal hidden details of this enchanting setting. And watch out for surprise theatrical performances from La Troupe Royale Disney and sometimes even Disney characters. It has a kids' club with activities for four to 11-year-olds, a pool, sauna, fitness suite, two restaurants and a bar.
Image: A family at Disneyland Paris
Best Luxury Family Resort or Experience: Sabi Sabi, South Africa
Located in Greater Kruger National Park, Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve has four luxury lodges, with Bush Lodge (which has two pools and a wildlife viewing deck) catering especially for families with younger children. Whether it’s watching a pride of lions on the hunt from an open-top safari vehicle, exploring the bush on foot or ticking off your birding list, Sabi Sabi is somewhere where life-long memories are made. Children of all ages can enjoy the EleFun Centre, a fully-fledged children’s facility offering environmentally-themed activities.
Image: The safari deck at Bush Lodge at Sabi Sabi
