Beach Resorts, Best Beach Hotels & Resorts, Top beach resorts

When you are looking for a good, family beach resort, there are several main factors that most parents consider:
* Cost – family holidays can be expensive, with additional costs of food, drinks and activities really pushing up the budget. Most families look for resorts that include their own swimming pools and beaches, so that there are some free areas to entertain the children, and inclusive activity clubs are also a bonus. Resorts should have their own reasonably priced restaurants and cafes, as it can be expensive dining out in the main towns of many holiday destinations.
* Safety – if you have children, especially very young ones, then beach resorts will need to have good safety features such as lifeguard covered beaches and swimming pools, and secure accommodation and public areas.
* Activities – supervised clubs and activities for youngsters can be a huge bonus for those families that enjoy doing their own things on holiday. Also if you are an active family you might look for a beach resort that offers plenty of water sports, day trips and evening entertainments.

There are hundreds of beach resorts aimed at families around the world, from tropical to Mediterranean locations and below is a list of five of the best:

5) The Fairmont, Kea Lani, Maui – Hawaii is not one of the cheapest places to visit on holiday, but the Fairmont beach resort is ideal for families, and has something for all ages. The resort is in a clean, safe environment with excellent customer service and some great restaurants and self-catering villas. The championship Wailea golf course is nearby, as well as tennis courts and a full activities program that appeals to boisterous youngsters with snorkelling, paddle boarding, surfing, kayaking, and sailing all on offer.

4). Holiday Inn, Cocoa Beach, Florida - this is an excellent family resort that aims to make the stay equally enjoyable for both adults and kids. You can book specially ‘kid suites’, which have bunk beds, televisions and a pay-per-play game systems, and also the supervised pirate themed kid’s water park will keep them entertained for hours. Many of Orlando’s top theme parks are just a short drive from the resort, and the historic Kennedy Space Centre is just 17 miles away. For the adults there are plenty of good shops and cafes in the Cocoa Beach area, and Port Canaveral is only 7 miles away, which has some great beaches and public parks, as well as the opportunity to book cruises, fishing trips and even hire your own chartered boat for the day.

3) Rio Mar Beach Resort and Spa, Puerto Rico – this beautiful beach side resort is surrounded by stunning exotic scenery, and has some breathtaking views out over the ocean. There are eleven restaurants and cafes to choose from, which should suit all tastes and budgets and the resort has its very own supervised kids club called Club Iguana, which has daily activities for children between the ages 4-12. There is also a private beach, tennis courts and two oceanfront swimming pools. For adults there is an onsite spa and fitness centre, as well as a casino, golf course and plenty of shops and boutiques.

2) Ocean Edge Resort & Spa, Brewster, Massachusetts – the Ocean Edge resort is good value for money and there are some excellent activities for children during the summer season including supervised scavenger hunts, beach camp fires and sing-a-longs, and baseball and football games out on the front lawn. There are also quieter activities on offer such as craft projects such as making kites and tie-dyeing shirts. The two outdoor pools and the beach are both covered by lifeguards, and there are also indoor pools for when the weather gets a little unpredictable. For adults there is an onsite spa and fitness centre, as well as a golf course, tennis courts and plenty of shops and restaurants.

1) Disney’s Vero Beach Resort, Florida – this is the perfect family destination, and offers quality accommodation, beautiful scenery and fantastic, affordable dining. The best thing about this resort though is all of the supervised activities for kids. Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays there is a ‘Sing-Along Campfire’, which children will enjoy joining in with, and various craft activities throughout the day including sand sculpting. Children can also join the SnorkelEars club, which teaches basic snorkelling techniques in the pool and there is also a fishing club that teaches children from the age of 7 and up how to catch and release fish safely. Family activities include the Jungle Trail Bike Adventure, where children and parents can enjoy a family bike ride around the beautiful local scenery. For adults there are tennis courts that also provide lessons, as well as spa treatments and local hiking trips. There is also the popular ‘Introduction to Wine’ course that guides you through the basic wine characteristics and proper serving and storing methods.