According to a recent report by luxury travel network Virtuoso, travellers are taking more trips with the entire family than ever before. Hotels are rethinking their facilities and service offerings to keep every member of these multigenerational groups, from newborns to grandparents, happy. Here are a selection of the hotels and resorts doing it best.
Pullman Phuket Arcadia Naithon Beach
Phuket, Thailand
Foodie families will love the Thai and Western dining options at Pullman’s Phuket resort, and the opportunity to join a guided local market tour and recreate some of the region’s most delicious dishes with fresh ingredients under the guidance of chefs. The resort has a kids’ club and three pools (including one just for children) and is close to major family attractions such as the Splash Jungle Water Park. Wellness activities from muay Thai lessons to wine yoga cater to guests of all fitness levels.
Raffles Hainan
Hainan, China
This resort features some of Hainan’s most spacious rooms, including its 1,840-square-foot Grand Family Room with king and queen beds, a private balcony and homey Balinese-inspired décor. Keen golfers can play a few rounds at the nearby Clearwater Bay Golf Club – home to two of China’s top 100 golf courses. Meanwhile, nature lovers of all ages can visit the adorable macaques at Nanwan Monkey Island and dive in the crystal-clear waters surrounding Wuzhizhou Island.
Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua Beach Resort
Bali, Indonesia
Bali is always a good idea, and even more so when travelling with extended family. Just 30 minutes away by car from Denpasar Airport, this resort offers a range of rooms and suites, while the two-bedroomed villa accommodates up to five and comes with its own private pool and round-the-clock butler service. Outdoor and indoor kids’ clubs can keep the little ones busy while the adults take advantage of the extensive spa facilities.
Swissôtel Merchant Court
Singapore
The newly refurbished Swissôtel Merchant Court at Clarke Quay allows parents to reserve an interconnecting kids’ room, which can be outfitted with child-friendly bathroom amenities, bedding and toys. The hotel has also created vitality guides with plenty of suggestions for walking paths and jogging tracks in the surrounding area, wrapping time for wellness and family bonding into one.
InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort
Da Nang, Vietnam
Proving that sometimes more really is more, this hotel is a one-stop destination that ticks every box and then some. Built in the beautiful Son Tra Peninsula Nature Reserve and overlooking its own 700-metre-long private beach, the resort takes full advantage of its surroundings to offer activities such as guided forest hikes and lessons in sailing the area’s traditional basket boats. Planet Trekkers kids’ club offers extensive indoor and outdoor play areas, and daily classes in arts and crafts, yoga, kite-flying, dance, music and even jungle exploration on the resort’s sizeable grounds. For hard-to-please teenagers, there’s Project VN space, which offers Wii games, a pool table and an extensive library. Adult activities include barefoot dining under the stars and Vietnamese treatments at HARNN Heritage spa. The resort also has two pools, one that’s open to all, and one that’s only open to guests of 12 years or older.
Soneva Kiri
Koh Kood, Thailand
Sand, sea, play rooms, unlimited ice cream and chocolate – those are just a few reasons kids will stay entertained at Soneva Kiri. It’s located on tiny Koh Kood, Thailand’s easternmost island, reached by the resort’s private jet from Bangkok. The resort’s centrepiece is The Den, a vast bamboo structure resembling a manta ray gliding elegantly above the treetops. Here, young visitors play in pillow-filled spaces and learn about local culture and environmental protection. Meanwhile, parents can relax at the Six Senses spa, enjoy wine tasting events or simply kick back on the private beach. There’s also a full programme of water sports, an outdoor cinema and a treetop dining area, where families can enjoy afternoon tea served by zip-lining waiters. Guided rainforest walks and the on-site observatory help you connect with the resort’s greatest asset: nature.
Holiday Inn Resort Vana Nava Hua Hin
Thailand
Launched in February 2018, this resort is connected to the excellent Vana Nava Water Jungle Water Park. But the hotel has plenty more designed to suit families, including extensive kids’ club facilities, suites that include sets of bunk beds and two large infinity pools. While kids are well catered for at Vana Nava, adults certainly aren’t forgotten. Capitalising on its position as Hua Hin’s tallest building, the hotel has teamed up with Australian designer Ashley Sutton and his long-term collaborator, mixologist Joseph Boroski, to create the hotel’s Sky Bar. Offering unparalleled views of the sea and the surrounding mountains, the bar gives guests the opportunity to test their nerves by venturing onto the glass-bottomed sky deck, 27 floors above ground.
Alila Anji
Huzhou, China
This resort is tucked away in the bamboo grove where Oscar winner Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was filmed, surrounded by lush tea plantations. Opened in 2016, this is Alila’s first property in China and is a little over an hour by car from Hangzhou, and not too much farther from Suzhou and Shanghai. While such a serene spot might not seem like an obvious family destination, the resort has incorporated plenty of kid-focused extras. Its rural setting makes for excellent walks, fishing and biking, while on-site family fun is focused around the Play Alila kids’ club. Featuring a painting room, library, sandpit and large play area, the club hosts regular activities such as mural painting sessions. While the little ones are at play, parents can relax with daily tai chi classes, traditional Chinese fine dining, treatments at Alila Spa based on traditional Chinese medicine and – making the most of the local produce – a tea bar.
Related Stories:
- Family Travel in Asia: Best Destinations with Child-friendly Amenities
- Best Things to Do in Hong Kong with Kids
- A New Brood of Immersive Kids’ Clubs
Flight and hotel packages are available from Cathay Pacific Holidays
