MENU
Family Travel Association
ALL-FUN INCLUSIVE™
Family Travel Association
MENU
By Keryn Means
Credit: Getty Images
All-inclusive resorts and hotels are a staple in the family travel market. Clients love that the pricing is upfront, and — for the most part — transparent. Additionally, picky eaters have multiple food options; many activities are built right into the vacation package; different room configurations allow large groups to stay together; and some properties educate their staff on how to work with children with special needs.
These properties are also good for parents who want to unplug and spend more time with their children. Cooking classes, spa treatments, yoga classes and eco tours for the whole family are slowly being added to resorts’ weekly programming.
Credit: Getty Images
Credit: Getty Images
While many kids’ clubs are still a free-for-all featuring some mixture of video games and a few optional activities, resorts such as Club Med and Beaches Resorts create camp-like atmospheres for children visiting with their families. Programming and spaces for children under four years old is also expanding, as millennials with small children travel with their parents and grandparents on holiday throughout the year. Sandos Resorts is taking it one step further by giving families access to its family activities schedule before they even arrive, so parents can start strategizing early.
Special activities and collaborations between well-known brands are also being introduced into kids’ clubs. Similar to what we have seen happening in the cruise industry (such as MSC Cruises’ partnership with Lego and Celebrity Cruises’ educational partnership with Anturus featuring STEM activities), Beaches has partnered with Sesame Street for character interactions and Real Madrid Foundation for soccer clinics; and Club Med has expanded its Cirque du Soleil circus program.
Credit: Club Med
Credit: Getty Images
Credit: Getty Images
As larger families, grandparents traveling with kids and grandkids, blended families and single parents travel with their kids, room configurations are getting more complicated. Resorts such as Club Med are responding with guaranteed connecting rooms, which can create up to a three-bedroom suite. Beaches offers four-bedroom homes and two-bedroom condos with pull-out couches for families to share, or that can be booked next to each other. Many resorts still have a long way to go, but guaranteed connecting rooms is a great start for big family groups who don’t want to be separated across the property.
Credit: Getty Images
Family-focused services continue to roll out bit by bit. Allergies are being taken more seriously by chefs and dining services. Spa treatments for children and teens are becoming more prevalent, with specifically designed treatments for the younger crowd. Mommy-and-me pedicures, manicures, facials and massages are being added to spa menus so parents can still spend time with their children while being pampered.
Families traveling with children on the spectrum are seeing more kids’ clubs that are not only autism-friendly, but autism-certified. Beaches is autism-certified by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards, creating a safe place for parents to bring their families. The resort takes it one step further by offering a One-on-One Beaches Buddy Program for children with special needs.
Some properties are offering packages specifically catering to grandparents, recognizing that this rising market of travelers is planning — and often paying — for the entire family’s vacation. Kids-Stay-Free packages are also popping up, which help those with larger families looking to cut down on costs when they travel with three or more children. Some properties are even offering packages for single parents traveling with children, a market many resorts are not specifically targeting yet.
Credit: Getty Images
Arts Advocate
All Dreams Resorts & Spas are situated in stunning beachfront locales. Couples and couples with children will enjoy the following resorts:
Mexico
Dreams Huatulco Resort & Spa, Dreams Los Cabos Suites Golf Resort & Spa, Dreams Playa Mujeres Golf & Spa Resort, Dreams Puerto Aventuras Resort & Spa, Dreams Riviera Cancun Resort & Spa, Dreams Sands Cancun Resort & Spa, Dreams Tulum Resort & Spa and Dreams Villamagna Nuevo Vallarta
Caribbean
Dreams Dominicus La Romana, Dreams Palm Beach Punta Cana and Dreams Punta Cana Resort & Spa
Central America
Dreams Las Mareas Costa Rica and Dreams Playa Bonita Panama
No matter what the age, there’s always something fun happening at Dreams Resorts & Spas! During the day families can snorkel, kayak, play beach volleyball, take a cooking class and more. After dinner they can watch live musical performances, shows or big screen movies.
If parents want alone time, young ones can still live their best life! With Red Cross certified staff, children ages 3-12 can play with an array of activities at the Explorer’s Club for Kids. Teenagers ages 13-17 can hang out, play and mingle at the Core Zone Teens Club. Guests will never be bored at Dreams!
While couples can celebrate an array of romantic occasions at Dreams Resorts & Spas, this brand is perfect for hosting a “dream” wedding. Ideal couples are looking to have a family-oriented destination wedding with children on the guest list. They’re also seeking a variety of unique ceremony and reception spots to capture the picture-perfect moments.
Dreams offers three different wedding packages, and one of them is complimentary when the couple books the required room category. Dreams’ dedicated on-site wedding coordinators help to customize and execute the couple’s vision. There’s no better place to say “I do”!
Arts Advocate
PANAMA JACK RESORTS CANCUN
- Panama Jack Resorts Cancun is a picture-perfect escape for couples, families and friends in need of some serious fun in the sun. Guests can expect the unexpected in addition to consistently friendly staff, delicious dining and authentic adventures.
PANAMA JACK RESORTS PLAYA DEL CARMEN
- Panama Jack Resorts Playa del Carmen provides couples, families and friends with a sunkissed beach backdrop to relish unexpected delights, enjoy genuine hospitality and explore the region’s vibrant city center, steps away.
There’s no wrong way to spend the day. Adventure seekers can catch a wave or learn to scuba dive while beach bums can camp out in a cabana, daiquiri in hand. It’s all included!
- Upgraded coastal-inspired accommodations with furnished terraces, minibars and wi-fi
- Diverse dining and endless drinks at a collection of imaginative à la carte restaurants, brimming buffets, beachside grills and funky bars
- Sparkling swimming pools with sundecks, activities and waiter service
- Caribbean beachfront with cabanas and waiter service
- Daily activities including scuba demonstrations, beachfront Zumba, cooking classes and more
- The Gym, offering daily classes and fully equipped with free weights and machines
- Nightly live entertainment including music, dance and theater performances plus themed parties
- Camp Jack with supervised activities for ages 4 to 12, as well as mini golf and water park
- #Hashtag teen zone with video games, activities and more fun for ages 12 to 17
Don’t miss these special all-inclusive savings.
Register for our Preferred Agent Program and gain access to an online portal built specifically to help you sell! It’s free to join and grants you exclusive access to a variety of tools:
- Earn AgentCASH: Register new bookings, review bookings and learn about our travel agent loyalty program
- Review Special Offers: As an agent, you can vacation at any of our resorts at a discounted rate
- Contact Your BDM: Your regional Business Development Manager is here to help answer questions
- Access Sales Tools: Browse the media library, submit client amenity requests and become a wedding specialist
- Access Learning Center: Complete our preferred travel agent certifications and explore the resource center
- Access Group Information: Learn about corporate meetings and incentives, social groups and weddings, plus submit a RFP
Arts Advocate
Our daily motto is to create amazing and unique memories to each family and Sandos is ready for big and small families with children or just couples.
We’ve created 3 different experiences so each traveler may pick what is more suitable for them (eco, beach or lifestyle experience).
With a passionate staff dedicated to assist the guest’s needs, Sandos Resorts feature modern family friendly facilities, international menus in both buffet and à la carté restaurants, fun activities during the day and spectacular shows at night for all ages, always making sure to exceed hotel guests’ expectations.
Discover Sandos Playacar Beach Resort and its endless beaches next to the Caribbean Sea with daily themed beach parties, or dive into the natural scenery of Sandos Caracol Eco Resort, offering guests an opportunity to immerse themselves in the region’s unbelievable beauty, local culture and wildlife.
Definitely if you want to go beyond adventure, Sandos Caracol Eco Resort will surprise you with a new one every day, from swimming in a river or a cenote, challenging your senses and learning how to survive in the middle of the jungle, to visiting a 29 water slide water park completely included and located within the property.
On the other hand, we have the most captivating endless white sand beaches which melt into the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea. Aside from being located in this paradise, Sandos Playacar Beach Resort features many family friendly facilities such as a Kids Club with supervised games and crafts for the smaller kids, while teens can enjoy the arcade and video games at the Lite Teen Club.
What’s coming up for Sandos Hotels & Resorts?
On December 1st of this year, at Sandos Playacar we are opening a new beachfront restaurant and pool area including a water park where small kids are sure to experience lots of fun.
Also, on April 12th next year our new resort Sandos Palm Bay Playacar will be opening its doors, a tropical luxury eco paradise where guests will be able to enjoy upgraded services in an oceanfront atmosphere. This oceanfront resort will feature luxury amenities, exclusive beachside pools, fiber optic Wi-Fi throughout the property, and a gorgeous stretch of pristine white sand beach.
Sandos Palm Bay Playacar will cater to both families and couples, boasting rooms for up to 5 people as well as room categories featuring a separate bedroom for the kids with bunk beds.
New venues and gorgeous locations in the form of private Wedding Bays are also available for those couples who decide to tie the knot and celebrate their marriage at Sandos Palm Bay Playacar while indulging in gourmet cuisine, a pristine beach and chic all inclusive amenities.
Selling these unique experiences that the Sandos brand offers is what we define as: Being SMART!
SandosSMARTagents.com is a complete online portal where our agents can find special and exclusive deals all year-round, marketing resources and materials, personalized agent assistance in their region, earn points and get rewarded with free nights at the Sandos hotels for registering their bookings, as well as accessing guided training courses and webinars to become Sandos-certified agents.
In addition, our team of BDMs is in constant contact with the travel agent community through events, tradeshows, conferences, trainings, sales calls and plenty of quality time with our agent friends.
NEXT →
Emerging Destinations & Experiences
NEXT →
Emerging Destinations & Experiences
©@@CurrentYear Northstar Travel Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
PRODUCED BY:
Sponsored by:
