We have reviewed the top 10 best family resorts in the United States Of America below.
1. Four Seasons Lanai
Describing itself as Hawaii’s last unspoiled island and offering possibly offering the most picture-perfect beach in the world. Four Seasons Lanai, Hawaii, is a true escape on a billionaire’s private island. Larry Ellison’s to be exact. The Four Seasons on Lanai features in our best Four Seasons hotels in Hawaii. You will not find more beautiful or more remote, empty beaches anywhere in the world. When we were staying, dolphins were jumping into the air off the shoreline…
Overlooking beautiful Hulopo’e Bay, Lana’i by Four Seasons offers an innovative vision of a Hawaiian resort, a perfect base to explore your own 90,000-acre island. Experience modern luxury at its most sophisticated, discover a remarkable variety of dining and drinks venues, and explore an astonishing range of landscapes with activities to match.
Upon arrival, you’ll find elegant yet innovative guestrooms, a variety of restaurants, including NOBU LANAI, a spa and wellness program, high-end retail stores, and a gorgeously landscaped pool oasis. Activities range from horseback riding, off-roading tours, sporting clays, and archery to snorkel and sailing adventures, as well as tennis, championship golf, and more.
Don’t expect a great deal of nightlife here. When we stayed, the alfresco restaurant by the pool closed quite early. Having said that, things have changed since Four Seasons took over, and there is now a beautiful alfresco bar on a large Lanai with sweeping views, connected to the Nobu restaurant, which serves a light menu and drinks through to 10:30 pm. After this, you can always wander barefoot, down to the beach, where you will almost undoubtedly be alone, and you can enjoy a paddle under a milky way of stars.
2. Four Seasons Hualalai
Set on the North Kona Coast of Hawaii Island, Four Seasons Resort Hualālai boasts a dramatic mix of white-sand beaches, dazzling oceanfront, and black-lava landscapes. Enjoy championship golf, island-fresh dining, and a genuine aloha spirit during your stay.
Housed in intimate two-story bungalows, Four Seasons Resort Hualalai’s 243 expansive guest rooms and suites exude a nostalgic sense of Hawaii’s golden age. All rooms offer modern Hawaii décor and paddle ceiling fans (along with air conditioning), and each has a lanai or terrace.
The Ocean Golf View rooms are undoubtedly the best deal, as you get to enjoy all the benefits of the resort at the cheapest possible price. All rooms were recently renovated. We prefer the downstairs poolside rooms, which have private outdoor lava rock outdoor showers, and the kids can run out of and into the pool.
It is worth mentioning that even the cheapest room at the Four Seasons Hualalai is a great room, and you will have a similarly great holiday, whichever room you choose. If you book via our concierge, we can bump you up a room level for free, (subject to availability on check-in), as well as offering a bunch of other free benefits.
My favorite feature of the resort is the King’s Pond pictured above, which is brilliant for children where they can safely swim with fish! Four Seasons brings the ocean into the resort for you with this pool: a quarry-like pond with a sandy bottom carved free form out of the black lava and teeming with fish. It is right next to the beach and is one of the most unique resort features I have seen. It’s filled with seawater and is home to thousands of fish, including a couple of spotted eagle rays.
You can swim in this pool for as long as you like with complimentary snorkel gear. Swim with real fish and rays, a truly magical experience, and all with the convenience of being just a short walk from your room. It’s a “must-do” for your bucket list. There are five other swimming pools, some with sloping and sand bottoms, some with hot tubs/ You can look forward to complimentary frozen grapes poolside, which is a lovely touch.
There is also a large gym with a lap pool and of course, there is an amazing beach. From November to May, you are likely to spot whales and dolphins just offshore, and local turtles also meander about on the beach. I could go on, but suffice to say, this is one of the best Four Seasons hotels for families in the world, without a doubt.
3. Four Seasons Orlando
Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World® Resort features as one of our best luxury hotels in North America. It has waterslides, a lazy river, and a shuttle to the Walt Disney World.
Four Seasons Resort Orlando is nestled within the 47 square miles of Walt Disney World®. It is tucked away in the secluded millionaires’ row of Golden Oaks. This is easily the very best and most luxurious hotel within Walt Disney World®, in our opinion, but you need to take their complimentary luxury shuttle to get to the parks, as it’s quite a walk.
This lakeside resort has extensive gardens, pools, and towering pillars of palms and cypress. Tee off at the exclusive Four Seasons Golf and Sports Club Orlando, splash around with the kids at Explorer Island, treat yourself to a soothing, post-park massage at The Spa, or toast the evening fireworks with dinner at the rooftop steakhouse Capa.
Highlights include two elegant infinity pools, one for the family and one for adults only, splashing around in the lazy winding river, two exhilarating water slides, and weekly Dive-In Movies at the family pool, which also has zero walk-in water, so is ideal for any age! The pools are the biggest reason to stay here. The lazy river sparkles and is never crowded, with giant waterfalls. It just floats you along… so relaxing!
4. Four Seasons Hotel At The Surf Club, Miami, USA
Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club is the fourth Four Seasons in the Sunshine State, joining her sister hotels Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach, Four Seasons Hotel Miami, and Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort. Situated directly on the Atlantic Ocean in the northern beaches of Miami, Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club in Surfside, Florida, is minutes from the prestigious Bal Harbour shopping and the nightlife of South Beach and Miami. But for kids, the beach is glorious and brilliant.
Archive photos show poolside fashion shows at The Surf Club directed by Elizabeth Arden, Shah Mohamed Reza of Iran on the tennis court, his wife on water skis, and Winston Churchill painting in his cabana. There was booze on the beach during prohibition, kayaks in the swimming pool, black-tie boxing dinners, and lavish-themed galas, one time with elephants, another with 300 tables made of ice. It was a place of myth, legend, and endless laughter. The names that rolled up were pioneers of the good life: Noel Coward, Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Elizabeth Taylor, The Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Frank Sinatra, Tennessee Williams, Joan Crawford, Liberace.
The restaurants and bars evoke bygone times. The Spa is a light-dappled sanctuary. Outside, pool experiences include quiet and family options; and a cabana pool. The pristine beach is a dream for families, guests can take part in an array of non-motorized water sports or just mess about with a bucket and spade. Younger guests are also welcomed at the fully supervised Kids for All Seasons studio.
5. Four Seasons Vail
Four Seasons Vail is nestled at the base of Vail Mountain in the beautiful Colorado Rockies, offering guests the ideal location to take advantage of all the activities and adventure that the Vail Valley has to offer. The Resort is situated at the front door of the history-rich village of Vail, steeped in the pioneering spirit, with legendary Vail Mountain steps away which provides brilliant ski slopes.
The multi-million-dollar complete renovation of Four Seasons Resort and Residences Vail includes a refresh and remodel of all hotel guest rooms, suites and corridors; conversion and remodeling of several private residences; refreshed meeting space; and a redesigned lobby and all public spaces.
Tucked away in a dip, the sheltered heated outdoor pool is a delightfully warm suntrap for the family in the summer and a great place to swim as it snows in the winter. There are also two hot tubs to warm up in if the bracing weather chills you.
Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Puerto Rico, as the halo brand’s two regional resorts.
6. Ritz-Carlton Naples Beach Resort
Ritz-Carlton Naples Beach is definitely one of the best Ritz-Carlton hotels in America. Why? The stunning Gulf of Mexico views from your room, even more importantly, this beach faces the sunset for the romantics among us! The hotel is fronted by a gorgeous golden sand beach reached by a wooden walkway. It’s perfect for building sandcastles all day long!
There’s a super pool with water slides for the kids and an excellent spa and fitness center with many exercise classes for adults. The kids club is amazing and fully supervised for children aged 5 through 12 years. They do a brilliant children’s scavenger hunt, and excellent activities are included in half and full-day sessions. Animal education with real-life animals, along with snacks and crafts to take home, are all included. For teens, there is a video game room at the Beach Resort.
Ritz-Carlton Naples Beach Resort is an impressive five-star with soaring floor-to-ceiling windows, chandeliers. It is ideal for families, weddings (there is a marvelous Vanderbilt Ballroom), and conventions. It’s much larger than the Ritz-Carlton golf resort up the road (a cheaper resort to stay at to take advantage of all these wonderful facilities as you can minibus between the two for free.
This Ritz-Carlton is so good that we have also listed it as the best Ritz-Carlton in Florida. We have also compared this Ritz-Carlton Naples Beach vs. the nearby Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort club lounge.
They say: “Marvel at the stunning views from one of the private balconies at The Ritz-Carlton, Naples, with three miles of immaculate beach to explore. Here on the Gulf of Mexico, guests are pampered with championship golf, a world-class spa, two swimming pools, an array of beach activities, and seven distinctive restaurants. Each of the resort’s 450 guestrooms and suites offers Frette linens and a private balcony for stunning Gulf views. As for the golf, tee off on the Tiburon Golf Course, designed by Greg Norman. The 51,000 ft² spa is a welcome retreat with 33 treatment rooms”.
7. The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island
Nestled on a bluff overlooking the Atlantic, The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island is an island bordered by beaches, and the beach in front of the Ritz-Carlton is magnificent! Whether you prefer to try an 18-hole championship golf course, wiggle your toes in the sand or enjoy the warmth of a beachside fire, this Ritz-Carlton is the perfect hideaway.
The Ritz-Carlton Spa offers various special services, including body treatments, massage therapies, facials, and salon services inspired by natural seaside elements.
There is a mass of history on this island, from Fort Clinch State Park (10 minutes away) featuring swimming, fishing, and boating as well as tours of a historic pre-Civil War fort, The Amelia Island Museum of History (10 minutes away), presenting the complete history of Amelia Island. You can drive to St. Augustine, the nation’s oldest city, offering horse-drawn carriage tours, quaint restaurants, and charming boutiques (90 minutes away).
8. The Ritz-Carlton South Beach
The Ritz-Carlton South Beach is an oceanfront luxury hotel inside a historic property designed by Morris Lapidus in the heart of the Art Deco District of Miami. It features a wonderful swimming pool, a stunning art collection, a modern spa, and an excellent Spanish restaurant Tatel.
The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach club lounge is located on the 10th floor and is reserved for Ritz-Carlton Club Level guests, only those staying in rooms on the ninth and 10th floors. The renovation in around 2017 reimagined the space to create more of a social, lobby-lounge feel encouraging interactive experiences with guests.
There are five daily food presentations featuring select dishes off the menu of Bistro One LR, the hotel’s flagship restaurant, and biweekly cooking demonstrations from chef du cuisine Luis Quant and pastry chef John Martinez. A mixologist prepares seasonal cocktails for guests at a weekly Cocktail Action Station. Other events, such as trunk shows, Espa product presentations, and wine and Champagne tastings from select vineyards, are also included if you have club lounge access.
9. Ritz-Carlton in Fort Lauderdale
The Ritz-Carlton in Fort Lauderdale is located on the oceanfront, with the beach across a two-lane road fronting the hotel. You can reach it via a sky bridge, which will take you directly from the hotel’s 3rd floor to the public beach. The pool is on the hotel’s 7th-floor pool, surrounded by loungers and palms. The rooms aren’t noteworthy but do all have a balcony. The Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge is an ultra-exclusive space open to guests at The Ritz-Carlton who book the Club Experience. The lounge is luxurious, with marble floors and large sofas.
The food here is excellent and varies depending on the time of day. It includes fresh fruit, cheese platters, hot hors d’oeuvres, freshly baked cookies, and breakfast, lunch, and dinner items. We think the lounge is well worth the expense as it adds another dimension to the hotel experience. The lounge has a separate sitting area with a large flat-screen television and DVDs for children who might want to watch a movie along with computer stations.
10. The Ritz-Carlton, Key Biscayne
Just 9 miles/ 14 km from the main Miami airport, this tropical island oasis is set on the eastern shore of a unique island that offers guests a tranquil haven, surrounded by golden sands (if thin and seaweedy – see below), gentle waters, and towering palms. With a décor inspired by West Indies Colonial design, the 12-acre oceanfront resort captures the beauty of its waterfront setting with floor-to-ceiling lobby windows that offer the first dramatic glimpse of palm gardens and the Atlantic Ocean.
Four hundred fifty guest rooms, including 37 suites, 64 Ritz-Carlton Club level rooms, and suites, each overlooking either the water or gardens. All guestrooms and suites welcome guests with feather beds and down comforters, Frette linens, and comfortable, Caribbean-inspired furnishings.
This hotel is not in central Miami and is instead 20-30 minutes from the hustle and bustle of Miami Beach, so if you’re looking for nightlife, you may find this hotel on the quiet side. The Ritz-Carlton, Key Biscayne attracts families in the holiday season, so expect bustling restaurants and communal areas. You can escape the madness in the adults-only pool, but be aware that the whole hotel is a bit crazy, particularly on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s. The beach here can be somewhat disappointing, narrow, and full of seaweed.
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