BabyQuip teamed up with Destination by Hyatt—a collection of award-winning hotels and resorts in premier vacation destinations throughout the US—to highlight scenic, family-friendly resorts where you can explore and enjoy the outdoors with your entire family, and bask in a little luxury too.
This isn’t exactly a list well-suited for budget family travel, but once in a while you just need to splurge! Depending on where you live, some of these destinations will make a nice little road trip while others will give you a good reason to book some flights.
We’ve highlighted baby gear available for rent at each resort that is guaranteed to make family travel to the outdoors more accessible for your youngest adventurer.
Destination Residences Snowmass (Snowmass, CO)
Located within the White River National Forest about nine miles from Aspen, Destination Residences Snowmass offers parents the perfect place to stay in Snowmass, Colorado for a family vacation or an excursion through the Rockies. Snowmass isn’t designed like most other family-friendly resorts; it’s actually a collection of over 400 privately owned residences. This means you’ll have helpful amenities like a kitchen, living room area, and a washer and dryer. Every parent knows how much these perks help when the whole crew is in tow! Depending on the season, you might also find yourself taking advantage of a BBQ pit or toasty fireplace!
This area tends to be busiest in the winter when most visitors flock here to enjoy the epic skiing and snowboarding. With over 3,000 acres of beginner trails, the kids will have plenty of opportunities to learn and perfect their pizza slice technique while enjoying the natural surroundings.
The warmer months are also popular for world-class golfing, hiking, and fishing. Kids will love the chance to go horseback riding through mountain trails, or even hop on a hot air balloon ride!
Baby Gear Tips: With a baby carrier from one of our nearby Quality Providers, even your infant can enjoy some outdoor time in the fresh Colorado air. If the weather is colder, you can rent snowsuits for your toddlers too!
The Lodge at Spruce Peak (Stowe, VT)
Located at the base of Mount Mansfield, Vermont’s tallest peak, The Lodge at Spruce Peak is one of the most picturesque family-friendly resorts on our list. Located about an hour outside of charming downtown Burlington, it offers families traveling with children a plethora of seasonal outdoor activities.
In the fall, take a hike through Vermont’s breathtaking foliage, and be sure to get a room with a mountain view to get the most out of those amazing colors! In the winter, stay here to enjoy the only ski-in, ski-out opportunity Stowe has to offer.
This family-friendly resort is also a great getaway when the weather is warmer, offering golf, treetop activities, and hiking. Eat your lunch poolside then spend the afternoon playing in their enormous pool–kids will love the swim out tunnel! Or, take a dip at one of Stowe’s swimming holes, including rivers, lakes, and even waterfalls. Looking to have some adult time? Sign the kids up for camp!
Baby Gear Tip: A full-size crib with linens from one of our Stowe QPs will give your little one a comfy place to rest their head after a long day on the mountain. The Lodge at Spruce Peak offers a wide range of accommodations, from cozy studios to four-bedroom penthouses.
The Lodge at Kukui’ula (South Shore Kauai, HI)
Some family-friendly resorts are worth a little extra travel time! Described as “barefoot luxury,” The Lodge at Kukui’ula is a magical spot to bring the kids. Every shade of green you can imagine is in full effect on these beautiful grounds, which include both freshwater and saltwater swimming pools, an epic golf course, and a spread of lodging options including cottages, bungalows, and villas.
Spend your vacation enjoying outdoor adventures like paddleboarding or snorkeling, or stroll the property and relax by the fire pit; it’s the perfect blend of fun activities and a peaceful setting. You’ll want to make this family trip an annual tradition!
Baby Gear Tip: Keep the little ones out of the sun and have fun with a beach package from one of our Kauai QPs. You can rent everything you need, including beach tents, toys, chairs, and umbrellas!
Motif Seattle (Seattle, WA)
Infused by the Emerald City’s unique culture with sweeping views of Downtown, the Waterfront, and the Olympic Mountains, Motif Seattle is surrounded by the city’s finest food, shopping, entertainment venues, museums, and attractions. The waterfront is also close by, and one great low-cost activity is to take a 5-minute stroll down to the famous Pike Place Market to watch the fishmongers hard at work. You can easily grab some local transport to get to other nearby landmarks like the Space Needle, or head outside the city limits to wander nearby farms.. So much for a family to see and do!
Baby Gear Tip: Rent a great stroller from one of our Seattle QPs, like the UppaBaby VISTA. It has a reversible seat, height-adjustable canopy, a near-flat recline, and tons of storage space so that you and your baby can experience the streets of Seattle in style!
The Carolina Inn (Chapel Hill, NC)
The Carolina Inn’s rich history and Southern Colonial architecture no doubt contribute to its charming vibe. The rooms are comfy, the service is impeccable, and the location is perfect for a visit any time of the year! It’s located on lush greens on the doorstep of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill campus, just a block away from famed Franklin Street, and just minutes from North Carolina Botanical Gardens, Kenan Memorial Stadium, Morehead Planetarium, Ackland Art Museum, and more. If you’re sticking to a strict travel budget you can save money with the Inn’s free shuttle service that will take you anywhere within a two-mile radius, so hop on with the kiddos and start exploring beautiful Chapel Hill!
Baby Gear Tip: Enjoy the beautiful North Carolina landscape with your baby while keeping to your running schedule with a jogging stroller from one of our local Quality Providers.
Wild Dunes Resort (Isle of Palms, SC)
If you’re looking for a family beach vacation you’ve found the spot! The Wild Dunes Resort – Sweetgrass Inn & Boardwalk Inn– has over two miles of gorgeous white sand coastline. Rent bikes and cruise around the island, or spend the day by one of the resort’s pools. The Little Birdies golf club will teach 4-6-year-olds all of the basics on their highly-rated 36-hole course, and kids 5-11 can enjoy the activities provided by the staff leading their Dune Bug Club. Beautiful and historic Charleston is only 30 minutes away, providing an easy way to add some city excitement to your trip.
Baby Gear Tip: Rent anything you could possibly need for a day at the beach from our local Quality Providers extensive outdoor inventory here, including a basket of beach toys!
The Seabird Resort (Oceanside, CA)
Southern California makes a great family destination at any time of year because the weather is almost always gorgeous! The Seabird is a family-friendly resort located in Oceanside, CA between San Diego and LA, making it a great jumping-off point for day trips into either city. It is also very close to Legoland, and only about an hour from Disneyland.
No need to go too far, though! The whole family will delight in lounging by the resort pool, set right beside the sparkling Pacific, or take some time to explore the beautiful palm-lined beach. Head down to the nearby pier, or grab a bite to eat at one of the nearby restaurants.
Baby Gear Tip: Have you ever tried out a California Beach Co. baby blanket? It’s definitely a step up from the everyday version, with material that doesn’t let the sand stick and weighted corners to hold it in place. Find all kinds of great gear to use during your Seabird stay here!
It’s time to get yourself and your little ones out and about again with a family-friendly resort as your destination. Do you have a favorite spot that we didn’t mention? Share it below in the comments!
Trish McDermott brings a lifetime of community, communications, and storytelling experience to BabyQuip. She is best known for her ten years running communications for Match.com, serving as Spokesperson and Vice President of Public Relations for the company. You may have seen her on Nightline or 60 Minutes, or Today, explaining the benefits of online dating, read about her in the New York Times, People Magazine, and MarketWatch, or in lively conversations with audiences at San Francisco’s Commonwealth Club, attempting to decipher the emerging culture and etiquette of online dating communities.
Having traveled solo with her four children over the years, Trish now feels eminently qualified to speak to the challenges of family travel, as well as the solutions BabyQuip and its collaborative economy of Independent Quality Providers offer. Read more about Trish’s role in launching BabyQuip in this Moneyish story.
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