England Child-friendly Luxury Hotel

The Halkin, located just off Hyde Park Corner is contemporary to the hilt. Staff, decked out in Giorgio Armani, set the tone when you walk in and you might think this is no place for kids. You’d be wrong though. Child amenities include complimentary cot or bed for under-16s, child-size bathrobes, milk and cookies at turndown, Playstation 2 console and games and kid-friendly movies.

Dining: The famous Nahm Thai restaurant has a Michelin Star, the only Thai restaurant in Europe to have this honor. Food and service are outstanding.

Spa: Guests may use the COMO Shambhala Health Club at The Halkin’s sister hotel, The Metropolitan, just five minutes away. There’s a gym, plus two treatment rooms where you can have Asian-inspired, holistic therapies. Treatments include shiatsu, reiki, reflexology and Thai massage as well as Environ facials.

Deluxe Touch: Book a Conservatory Suite on the third or fourth floor. It has separate sitting and dining areas (for six people) as well as a large work desk.

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Traveling in Style with Kids

Travel with children is challenging, even when a travel budget includes the convenience of an accompanying nanny or childcare at your destination. Where you stay and play can make a family vacation a dream or a nightmare. When it comes to being child-friendly, not all family resorts are created equal.

When planning a family vacation, it pays to do your homework. Whether you rely on the services of a professional travel agent or conduct online research, there are key elements to look for when choosing the best hotel for family travel. A standard hotel room and typical bathroom become smaller by the day when shared by family members with different sleep patterns and personal habits. Beyond infancy or toddler years, being cooped up in even a luxury typical hotel room for hours on end with a babysitter breeds boredom and a little too much togetherness. The best child-friendly hotels offer spacious family suites or adjoining rooms. The best family-friendly hotels also feature on-site facilities and activities for all ages, including teen game rooms, kiddie day camps and pools where kids can swim and splash without scowls from sun-worshipers.

When it comes to creating a child-friendly environment, the award-winning Fiesta Americana Cancun goes above and beyond to do it right. Choose from Jr. Grand Suites with separate sitting and sleeping areas or upgrade to a two-bedroom Presidential suite packed with luxury amenities. Non-stop resort activities at Fiesta Americana Cancun offer plenty of choices for family fun and plenty of grown-up pleasures for parents. Enjoy a morning on the secluded beach or in the huge sparkling pool that meanders through Fiesta Americana Cancun. Later, Mom may opt for some personal pampering with a candlelight Mayan Princess Spa treatment while Dad gets in a few rounds of golf. A complimentary Fiesta Kids Club provides daytime supervision, activities and meals for children ages 4 to 12 years old. Babysitting can also be arranged after hours so that Mom and Dad can enjoy the resort nightlife. A family vacation like this could become an annual tradition.

Mexico Child-friendly Luxury Hotel

Fiesta Americana Cancun, located in the heart of Cancun’s entertainment district, is a member of The Leading Hotels of the World and has earned the AAA Five Diamond Award. The resort has a secluded beach, with shady palapas and an unobstructed view of Isla Mujeres. The pool is several hundred feet long and is like a meandering lagoon. There is a complimentary kid's club for kids ages 4-12.

Dining: Families will enjoy La Joya, which features nightly live music and performances by the Folkloric Ballet four times a week. Kids will definitely like Isla Contoy, the poolside restaurant.

Spa: The spa combines exotic and ancient traditions, therapies and products of different cultures and regions from around the world. Treatments include facials, massages, Thalassotherapy, hydrotherapy, exfoliation and a variety of ceremonial health and beauty treatments.

Deluxe Touch: Families might really like the Suite Presidencial. The two-bedroom suite has a dining room, entertainment areas and a large living room. There’s a private terrace with swimming pool, lounge furniture and ocean view. You never have to leave if you don’t want to!

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Blvd. Kukulkán km. 9.5
Cancún Hotel Zone
Cancún, Q.R.,77500, México
Tel.: +52 (998) 881 32 00

The Halkin is Family-Friendly

In spite of the challenges and complications of travel with children, the pleasures and privileges far outweigh the problems and pitfalls. There is so much to see, explore and learn about this wonderfully diverse world. History class may be boring, but travel to historic locations brings history to life and turns education into entertainment. Travel teaches children new ways of thinking and exposes them to different cultures, beliefs and traditions. Luxury travel with children instills appreciation for fine things in life and increases their self confidence in social environments.

It is important to choose travel destinations that are family-friendly, especially for international travel. London is a family-friendly luxury travel destination. There are kings and queens, palaces and castles and towers and dungeons. And even with a penchant for formality, the British are exceptionally accommodating when it comes to entertaining and educating young travelers.

No matter where you travel, a hotel is your family’s home-away-from-home. Choose wisely. The Halkin is a child-friendly luxury hotel in the Belgravia section of London close to major sightseeing, restaurants, galleries, parks and shopping. A member of Leading Hotels of the World, this five-star hotel is contemporary, chic and totally child-friendly. There are plenty of amenities for parents and for children. In fact, young guests are treated like VIPs at The Halkin. Picture a family package with interconnecting rooms. There’s champagne for Mom and Dad and milkshakes and cookies for the kids. Add plusses like a Playstation 2 console and games, kid movies and kid-sized bathrobes or teddy bears. No need to worry what to see and how to get tickets in London. The multilingual concierge staff arranges tickets for tours, attractions, performances, personalized shopping sprees and babysitting services. There’s only one problem with staying at a family luxury hotel like The Halkin in London. Your family may not want to leave!

Child-friendly Luxury Hotel Tips

Child-friendly and luxury are by no means mutually exclusive terms at many world-class resorts! There is no reason you can’t have luxurious rooms, fabulous amenities, fine dining, spas, plus enough activities that are family-friendly. Look for luxury family resorts that have high ratings, but also offer the following:

• Large suites or connecting rooms. Sometimes you can even get your own private pool, which the kids will love.
• Pools on the property that are exclusively for children or families.
• Children’s menus or kitchens willing to cater to picky eaters.
• Modern kid’s clubs, with plenty of activities for all ages when adults and kids want time apart.
• Activities such as movie nights or music nights that the whole family can participate in.
• Special treatment for kids when checking in, such as gift baskets stocked with toys and kid-size robes.

United States Child-friendly Luxury Hotel

The Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa is as much a water theme park as a hotel. It is a dream of a child-friendly luxury resort. It has nine pools connected by a river with a current, six waterfalls, five waterslides and a water elevator! The kid’s club, called Camp Grande, offers full day, half-day and night sessions for kids ages 5-12. Besides visiting the pools, kids do crafts, go on nature walks and have a 20,000-square-foot facility packed with activities. Good luck getting your kid to leave! The resort has made the Conde Nast Traveler Gold List several years running.

Dining: Kids will love just trying to say the name of this restaurant that floats on a lagoon: The Humuhumunukunukuapua. Seafood is the order of the day here.

Spa: Spa Grande is well, very grande. And an unusual offering, spa treatments for kids, is offered. Take your child for their first massage in the family suites (everyone wars bathing suits) or for a pedicure or manicure.

Deluxe Touch: The 40-acre property is simply over the top. The beautifully manicured grounds, with artwork by Léger, Warhol, Picasso, Botero and Hawaiian artists, is a delight to walk through. The pools are amazing and there’s even a water elevator to take you to the top of a water slide!

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