The Best Resorts for Families With Infants and Toddlers
No matter how seasoned a traveler you were before having kids, a baby or toddler has a way of humbling you. I say this as someone who has schlepped my son Julian—now three—through more than 27 countries and lived to tell the tale. Along the way, I’ve learned that not all “family-friendly” resorts are created equal; some merely allow children, while others actually make life easier for the grown-ups in charge of them.
What separates a truly infant- and toddler-ready property apart comes down to how much gear they spare you from packing (think strollers, bottle warmers, and blackout curtains); whether there’s on-site childcare and activities with the under-five crowd in mind; and how gracious the staff is when your kid inevitably melts down at breakfast.
The good news? Around the world—from Colorado to the Cyclades—there are resorts that make traveling with little ones not just manageable, but genuinely joyful. My son and I have personally vetted more than half a dozen of the properties on this list, and the picks below represent the places that always go above and beyond for their littlest guests. These are the best resorts for toddlers and infants (and their families), according to both a mom and child.
Courtesy The Breakers Palm BeachhotelThe Breakers Palm Beach
$$$ |
Gold List 2024 
Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024Location: Palm Beach, Florida
Price: From $690 per nightFlorida is a perennially popular destination for young families, and no resort rolls out the red carpet for babies better than The Breakers Palm Beach. Founded in 1896, the luxury hotel has a private beach and four oceanfront pools, including a zero-entry one designed specifically for youngsters. There’s also a 4,500-square-foot playground with slides, tunnels, and bridges, and a sprawling arcade for older kids. Infant baths, bottle warmers, and strollers are available upon request, as is the childproofing of guest rooms, which involves padding perilously edged furniture, covering electrical sockets, and removing trash bags from cans. Bicycles with baby seats and children’s bikes are available to rent, as are private poolside cabanas with a concierge standing by, ready to fetch popsicles and pool toys at a moment’s notice. Other big wins for tiny visitors: poolside spin art, Build-A-Bear workshops, and daily children’s programming.
Courtesy Timbers Kauai Ocean Club & ResidenceshotelTimbers Kaua’i - Ocean Club & Residences
Readers' Choice Awards 2019, 2021, 2024Location: Kaua’i, Hawaii
Price: From $2,100 per nightThe 57 residential-style accommodations at this 450-acre Hōkūala hideaway are a hit with families thanks to in-unit washer/dryers, dishwasher-equipped kitchens, blackout curtains, and outdoor lanais where parents can hang out during nap time. Cribs, bike trailers, and pre-arrival groceries are available upon request, and the Timbers concierge can arrange all kinds of additional baby gear (like a high chair, booster seat, bassinet, infant tub, stroller, bouncer, diaper genie, or safety gates), plus babysitting and nanny services, for a fee. (This comes in handy when you’re practicing your swing on the Jack Nicklaus Signature Ocean Course, the longest stretch of oceanfront golf in Hawaii.) When you’re ready to venture out with the brood, head to the property’s 16.5-acre organic farm and orchard for a tropical fruit tasting, splash around the free-form Ohana pool, or watch the tots go wild in the Timbers Tykes room, a dedicated play space with a chalkboard art wall and storybook library.
JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & SpaJW Marriott Desert Springs Resort and Spa
Location: Palm Desert, California
Price: From $348 per night, including a $45 daily resort feeThis 450-acre resort features a 12,000-square-foot arcade—the largest in California. This is great news for teens and adults of all ages who are stoked to play retro video games, air hockey, test their skills in high-tech simulators, or try their hand at duckpin bowling. Family by JW programming gets the whole gang together with seasonal arts and crafts, fish feedings, movie nights, and more. Tots will also love meeting the property’s flock of Chilean flamingos, practicing their putt-putt on the 18-hole miniature golf course, and ordering off the children’s menus available at all on-site dining outlets.
OKANA Resort & Indoor waterparkOkana Resort & Indoor Waterpark
Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Price: From $149 per night, inclusive of waterpark access for two peopleOperated by the Chickasaw Nation, this new 404-room property blends big-ticket family fun with a strong sense of place. When Julian and I visited this summer, it was the cultural aspect that surprised us most—especially the Chickasaw-curated gallery and easy access to the Smithsonian-affiliated First Americans Museum next door, which recently debuted a fully immersive FAMily Discovery Center. Outside, the 4.5-acre lagoon complex boasts the fourth largest pool in the country—complete with zip-line plunges, an inflatable obstacle course, and an adults-only swim-up bar for parents who need a moment of respite. Inside, the 100,000-square-foot water park is kept at a blissful 82 degrees and features a low tide pool with pint-sized splash structures that didn’t overwhelm my budding swimmer. There’s an arcade, mirror maze, and candy store, plus a slew of specialty eateries serving the four main food groups for toddlers: hot dogs, pizza, ice cream, and tacos. Families will appreciate the value here: children under two stay free, and spacious suites offer bunk beds and semi-private sleeping areas, with cribs available on request.
Nathan Kirkman/Loews Hotel ChicagoLoews Chicago Hotel
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Price: From $129 per nightThe Loews Loves Families initiative, available at 27 properties throughout North America, is one of the baby-friendliest hotel offerings around. Guest rooms are equipped with mini-fridges and kettles for storing and sanitizing bottles; full-size cribs, baby tubs, and nightlights are complimentary. Housekeeping will cover electrical outlets and supply foam bumpers upon request, and kids are given a cute amenity kit with baby lotion, wipes, shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. Board games, coloring books, pool toys, and iPads preloaded with movies and games are available from the concierge desk, as is a family activity guide highlighting the best local options for museums, zoos, and kid-suitable restaurants. There’s even a Bedtime Book Cart to help parents maintain their routine while on the road.
Courtesy HyattPark Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort and Spa
Location: Beaver Creek, Colorado
Price: From $275 per nightAsk anyone who has ever attempted skiing with a toddler—it takes an act of Congress just to get them into a snowsuit. What saved my sanity at Park Hyatt Beaver Creek was that the slopes were, quite literally, outside our front door. I could bundle up my kiddo and hand him off to private instructor Mike “The Toddler Whisperer” Reid at Beaver Creek’s Ski and Snowboard School (open to ages three and up) and know that he was in eternally patient hands. (Reid went out of his way to make sure Julian’s first ski experience was a positive one, even if it meant riding the gondola 100 times.)
This 190-room, chateau-style property is one of only two true ski-in, ski-out hotels at the base of Beaver Creek Mountain Resort, and that convenience is priceless when you’re traveling with a tiny human who refuses to wear gloves. After his post-lesson hot chocolates, Julian burned off whatever energy he had left in the family game room and the snowy outdoor playground, before splashing around in the heated pool and hot tubs—his preferred après.
Older kids can wobble around the nearby ice rink, while toddlers tend to lose their minds (in a good way) over the “indoor camping” turndown service ($50) with a kiddie tent, sleeping bag, jammies, faux campfire, and s’mores kit. As a parent, I appreciated the personal touches: high chairs and full-size cribs for children under two; a 24-hour Fall Line Epicurean Market stocked with fruit, milk, mini cheese plates, yogurt pouches, and applesauce to sate late-night cravings; and an easy walk to kid-friendly restaurants and gear shops in town.
Garza BlancaGarza Blanca Resort and Spa
Location: Cancún, Mexico
Price: From $300 per person per nightBefore a family ever sets foot in this luxe Riviera Maya resort, their suite or penthouse is kitted out with a crib, bottle sterilizer and warmer, infant tub, monitor, bouncer, stroller, and car seat. Kids are welcomed with cookies and milkshakes, and anything else you need is just a concierge call away. With the all-inclusive plan, up to two children under 12 eat and stay for free, plus the resort has a kids pool, inflatable water park, and water sports such as kayaking, paddleboarding, and snorkeling for older siblings. The kids club keeps travelers up to age 12 entertained with activities like sandcastle building, while after-hours babysitting (available for an additional fee) lets parents slip away to the adults-only rooftop pool or enjoy a candlelit dinner on the beach.
Gaston Galicia/Grand Velas ResortGrand Velas Riviera Nayarit
Location: Nuevo Nayarit, Mexico
Price: From $454 per adult per nightFamilies vacationing at this AAA Five Diamond resort on the Riviera Nayarit are assigned a baby concierge who coordinates all meals and nanny service. Whatever gear you don’t want to drag from home—crib, stroller, baby tub and toiletries, bottle brush and sterilizer, pacifier, floaties—the team can arrange for on-site, all complimentary. The kids club is stocked with books, blocks, and a play kitchen; parents may additionally request a crib mobile, rattle, or teether for use in the room. Some suites have private plunge pools, but the hotel jewel is the triple-tiered, multi-temperature infinity pool. Mini cabanas await down at the beach, along with hooded baby towels and fresh-squeezed juice. Young spa-goers can opt for a gentle sunrise massage soundtracked by Mozart or a chocolate explosion face mask, then strike a pose with mom or dad during a baby yoga class. Executive chef Guillaume Morancé and his team prepare gourmet purees to challenge young palates (think white fish with celery, leeks, and mushroom) at every meal. The resort even offers a Mi Premir Fiesta package for celebrating a baby's first birthday, complete with piñatas and foam.
Courtesy Auberge CollectionEsperanza, Auberge Collection
Location: Los Cabos, Mexico
Price: From $785 per nightBabies are treated like royalty at Los Cabos’ only private beach resort. Full-size cribs and bassinets are ready and waiting; other complimentary amenities include a baby monitor, lotion, wipes, an infant tub, sleep machine, bottle warmer, stuffed animals, and a handcrafted Mexican collectible—like a charming mother-child figurine—set out at turndown service. Monogrammed baby bibs, blankets, and bathrobes are available for purchase, too. Need a break from your sweet offspring? The hotel works with a local babysitting agency that supplies bilingual nannies trained in first aid and CPR, giving you precious free time to indulge in a Mayan herbal spa ritual or lock eyes over a Baja-style dinner served at cliffside restaurant Cocina del Mar.
Sensira Resort & Spa in Puerto Morelos, MexicoSensira Resort and Spa
Location: Puerto Morelos, Mexico
Price: From $420 per nightAs far as resorts for families go, Sensira, an all-inclusive luxury resort on the Riviera Maya, sure knows how to make a kid feel special. The Baby Explorer Club, designed for ages 18 months through three years, has indoor slides, bounce houses, and a ball pit. For families with older kids in tow, there’s a movie theater, miniature golf, zip line, water park, basketball court, tennis court, climbing wall, gaming stations, indoor trampoline park, and two swimming pools (there's a third pool designated for adults only).
The hotel can prepare fresh purées on request for infants and toddlers and supplies all the equipment parents need for a hassle-free stay, including bottle warmers and sterilizers, full-size cribs, and car seats. Babysitting services are available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, and parents are given a beeper to stay in touch. (If an infant is still breastfeeding, the nanny will fetch a parent for mealtime.) Even the spa takes family wellbeing into consideration, offering a full slate of all-ages wellness programming, including gentle therapies for children and teens that mirror adult rituals, and purpose-built family treatment cabins.
Courtesy Four Seasons AnguillahotelFour Seasons Resort and Residences Anguilla
$$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2023Location: West End, Anguilla
Price: From $725 per nightToddlers are greeted with dolphin stuffies, pint-sized bath robes, and slippers at this upscale resort on Anguilla’s West End, where accommodations range from contemporary-chic guest rooms to five-bedroom beachfront villas. Wherever you rest your head, expect kids to squeal when they catch a glimpse of the iguanas that freely roam the property. The zero-entry Bamboo Pool has mini loungers for infants; other five-star amenities include complimentary cribs, strollers, car seats, bottle sterilizers, baby tubs, Le Petit Prince toiletries, SlumberPods, and organic pureed baby food on the room service menu. Also notable: AnguillAir has introduced direct flights from Boston, Newark, and Baltimore, so families no longer have to hitch a ride over from St. Maarten.
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Cheval Blanc St BarthhotelCheval Blanc St-Barth Isle de France
$$$ | Gold List 2018, 2023 
Hot List 2020 Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2020, 2024, 2025Location: Flamands Beach, St. Barts
Price: From $805 per nightWith 61 rooms, suites, and villas, Cheval Blanc is one of the glammiest maisons on an island full of glammy maisons. The inn has even partnered with high-end Parisian baby accessories brand Baudou to spoil its style-conscious guests. Cots are dressed in the finest linens, and rooms include a changing table with a diaper basket and baby care products, a rattan high chair with a cushioned seat, baby-friendly crockery, and a hand-stitched bib embroidered with seahorses and stars. Wee beach towels and a selection of beach toys are available for afternoon romps on Flamands, one of the prettiest powder-white beaches in St. Barts. Toddlers can sign up for “little yogi” classes or a pirate-themed treasure hunt using telescopes and compasses. Come mealtime, they can indulge in made-to-order baby purees prepared by the in-house culinary team. Upon request, a professional photographer can be brought to the premises to document your family trip.
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Eden Roc Cap CanahotelEden Roc Cap Cana
$$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025Location: Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Price: From $850 per nightFor parents seeking a more home-like environment, the multi-bedroom villas at this secluded Relais & Chateaux property offer spacious living rooms, full kitchens, and private pools. Staff arrange scavenger hunts and arts and crafts hours; for an additional $325, parents can reserve the VIBabies package. This comes with two hours of complimentary babysitting plus a host of handy gear—including a portable crib (with turndown service!), changing table, diapers, bottle warmer, baby monitor, infant tub, pool alarms, Baby Einstein play table, 4moms MamaRoo baby swing, and a basket of kid-approved snacks and juices. For fun in the sun, Eden Roc will throw in a pop-up beach playpen, swim nappies, and sun protection gear (bucket hat, colored sunglasses, Nivea sun lotion, and aloe vera gel) for use at the sandy beach and artificial lagoon.
Courtesy The Landings Resort and SpaThe Landings Resort and Spa
Location: Gros Islet, St. Lucia
Price: From $585 per nightIf ever there was a time to indulge in a do-nothing beach vacation, this is it. When families reserve any beachfront or oceanfront suite at this tropical getaway, a designated butler sets up baby gates, hangs a mosquito net over the crib, and brings in swim diapers, a high chair, a step stool, a bottle warmer, a baby monitor, a bouncer, a changing pad, and more. Babysitting services are bookable upon request, and for children ages 4 to 12, the kids club packs in arts and crafts, dance contests, movie screenings, and more. All that parents have to do is decide how they’ll spend their days: sea kayaking, hiking the Pitons, or sunbathing beside four different outdoor pools.
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Phāea Cretan MaliaPhaea Cretan Malia
Location: Crete, Greece
Price: From $199 per nightPhāea Cretan Malia is one of those rare design hotels that’s as thoughtfully geared toward families with babies and toddlers as it is toward style-hungry adults. The low-rise, modernist buildings sit in lush, shady gardens that keep the grounds cool even in peak summer heat. When Julian and I stayed here last year, we spent hours pinballing from the sandy, shallow beach to the heated pools to the Tiny Explorers’ Club, a padded, sunlit playroom for ages 0–3 stocked with toys and a changing area. For ages 3–12, the Little Explorers Kids’ Club has its own kitchen for baking sessions, a mini stage for dance and theater, an environmental play area, an organic garden to tend, and an outdoor playground—a godsend when little ones have got energy to burn. Parents can also request the Baby Package, which includes babysitting services and toddler gear to cut down on packing. And while the open-air restaurants serve gorgeous Cretan dishes built around local produce, they’re equally prepared for picky palates: think wood-fired pizzas, simple pastas, and fresh fruit. When you’re ready to venture out, Potamos Beach and the Minoan ruins of Malia Palace are an easy walk away.
Anantara Hotels & ResortsAnantara Koh Yao Yai Resort & Villas
Location: Koh Yao Yai, Thailand
Price: From $308 per nightSet on one of the Andaman’s last unspoiled islands—reachable only by boat and blissfully free of traffic—this resort feels worlds away from the party throngs on Phuket and Krabi. When Julian and I visited last fall, it was during a vintage sidecar tour through rubber plantations and rice fields that I realized how special this island really is: no honking, no rush, just villagers waving as you pass. The accommodations were a slam dunk too: Family suites with bunk beds and tipi play tents come stocked with baby tubs, bottle warmers, sterilizers, baby chairs, and toys. The Grand Family Suite ups the ante with a chocolate treasure box and treasure-hunt map at check-in. Ground-floor suites open directly onto the resort’s enormous family pool, while infants and early swimmers have dedicated splash zones and shallow areas. (As a bonus, the staff truly adores kids—one affable pool attendant peeled off his socks and shoes and joined my son on the slides when he saw how happy it made him.)
Pristine beach and pools aside, the resort is home to Southern Thailand’s largest kids club, featuring climbing walls, a dance stage, and an epic ball pit. Parents can join kids under six for Junior Explorer activities like kite making, batik painting, and sandcastle building, or arrange a family excursion to go island-hopping by longtail boat. For something even more tailored, little ones can try Muay Thai lessons, aerial yoga, or beach fishing with locals.
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Photo by Scott RamsayhotelGibb's Farm
$$ | Gold List 2020 Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024Location: Karatu, Tanzania
Price: From $518 per adult per night, including full boardAfter a long-haul flight with a toddler, Gibb’s Farm feels like an exhale. Set on 80 acres of organic gardens and coffee groves on the forested outer slopes of the Ngorongoro Crater, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the property is an ideal place to begin or end a safari. My son was only 20 months old when we stayed here, but we happily spent hours roaming the gardens, chasing chickens, and learning how to milk cows. The farm’s one-bedroom cottages—many decorated with pieces from Gibb’s unique artist-in-residence program—are ideal for families, offering private terraces, outdoor showers, and enough breathing room for mid-tantrum resets.
There’s no kids club, but toddlers are warmly embraced here. The staff arranged a private game drive for us so we could move at Julian’s pace, stopping for snack breaks and diaper changes as needed. In the Crater—home to one of the densest populations of large mammals in Africa—we saw lions, hippos, warthogs, wildebeest, and flamingos, but it was the dazzle of zebras milling around our 4x4 that most delighted my son. Back on the farm, little ones can collect eggs, feed the pigs, wander among the coffee shrubs, splash in the pool, or learn about the music and customs of the local Iraqw tribe through hands-on cultural activities.
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Courtesy Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort in FijiJean-Michel Cousteau Resort
Location: Savusavu, Fiji
Price: From $1,136 per nightRounding out our list of the best resorts for toddlers and infants, a Fiji gem. Jet lag aside, this is one of the rare luxury resorts where traveling with a child feels not just doable, but deeply supported. Every family with a child under five is assigned two dedicated nannies—one for daytime adventures, one for evenings—so parents can book a snorkel trip with the resident marine biologist or linger over a blissfully kid-free dinner. When my son and I arrived last fall—the first international stop on our 88-day, 14-country trip—it took me all of four minutes to abandon any guilt I had about dropping him off. His nanny was warm, attentive, and completely unfazed by toddlers being toddlers; she whisked him away for glass-bottom boat rides, hermit crab hunts, and splashes in the resort’s mushroom-cascade wading pool.
Parents of even younger children will appreciate the made-to-order purées and unlimited milk supply; nurseries stocked with infant cots, toys, and baby baths; and daily laundry service and disposable diapers for sale in the on-site boutique.
The Bula Club—essentially a resort within a resort—has a sun-safe junior pool with a waterslide, trampoline, and tricycles. And because some of the nannies are parents themselves and raised in village environments surrounded by kids, the care feels intuitive and genuinely affectionate—something I sensed the moment Julian toddled off hand-in-hand with his new Fijian friend.
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This gallery has been updated with new information since its original publish date.
