Family Friendly: International Elevated Lifestyle Preferred Hotel Partners

Family vacation might not have a reputation as the most sizzling prospect for downtime-deprived parents, tough-to-please teens, and moody mini-travelers. Sacrifices often must be made for the common good – but is this true anymore? Hotels once engineered to please parents and bore children – and vice versa – have shifted gears to appease the demands of the modern family.

With the end of the school year in sight, we’ve created a list of exquisite hotel partners that can transform your family vacation into a true holiday for all. These Jet Linx Elevated Lifestyle (EL) Preferred Hotels feature everything from bucolic mountain retreats to sunny seaside resorts – all with carefully-programmed activities and experiences to create magical moments for every member of the family.

Your Elevated Lifestyle Preferred Hotel team from EMBARK Beyond provide not only access to your EL Preferred Hotel benefits and complimentary booking assistance, but also offer pieces of expert advice from their previous stays at these properties to eke out every bit of enjoyment for your precious time away. Whatever your idea of a jet-set family vacation looks like, the entire family can soar above the ordinary with Jet Linx and our hotel program partners.

Dorado Beach

Dorado, Puerto Rico

Remote, lush and unspoiled: adjectives that describe Ritz-Carlton Reserve properties that offer deeply personal experiences for those seeking rich connection. Families visiting Dorado Beach will enjoy the range of opportunities presented at the property which include three 18-hole golf courses, a family pool and historic Rockefeller Nature Trail. Overlooking the ocean, young travelers will revel at the family pool while parents enjoy soothing poolside service. The $12 million aquatic playground called the Watermill was once a sugar mill and now features two 30-foot waterslides, a lazy river, pools and golf cart transportation. Water sports and tennis courts will also keep families busy, but that’s only a small sampling of activities on-site.

In collaboration with Jet Linx Elevated Lifestyle partner EMBARK Beyond, Dorado Beach recently launched a summer camp for kids that will make parents jealous. From learning to golf and snorkeling to releasing turtles on the beach, each attendee will get a full itinerary of fun along with a private counselor to explore the resort’s 1,400 acres and beachfront access. The program can range from four days to four weeks. While kids enjoy an itinerary filled with daytime fun, parents can enjoy relaxing days at the pool and the five-acre
Spa Botánico before ending the night with their children. Families can also participate in cooking classes at La Cocina Culinary Center.

At the close of a day in paradise, families retreat to one of 114 spacious guestrooms and suites featuring ocean views and terraces, indoor and outdoor rainforest showers, screened plantation shutters, and private plunge pools. The suites feature a separate sitting area with a sleeper sofa and an espresso machine. Villas and residences kick up the luxury with golf carts and private chefs for hire. The extravagant 8,000-square-foot Su Casa villa, recently renovated, is the preferred stay for VIPs. Each room is assigned a embajador, a personal butler charged with enhancing your experience.

Grand Velas

Riviera Maya, Mexico

Grand Velas Riviera Maya features an impeccable all-inclusive resort dropped into an unbeatable setting: pristine Yucatán jungle meets the Caribbean Sea. Across 205 acres of dense forest that hugs the coastline, guests retreat into 491 all-suite accommodations in three different sections that mitigate crowds and noise. While some of the resort is adults-only, a Kids’ Club entertains children and a Teens’ Club keeps older ones happy even after sundown. Regardless, the resort’s number one goal is for everyone to have a memorable experience.

Many guests will struggle to try each of the eight specialty restaurants on-site (included with the price). Accommodations all hover around 1,200 square feet – each suite outfitted with jetted tubs, rainfall showers and furnished terraces with ocean views and some with plunge pools. The property is a three-minute bus ride from the beach, and the hotel’s spotless service, outstanding food, luxurious spa, and wonderful amenities make it a great pick for groups with differing interests.

The property offers a variety of family-friendly programming, beginning with the Kids’ Club, Teens’ Club and baby concierge. Daily activities, kid-friendly menus and a wide array of offerings for kids and teens, including beach Olympics, movies, Wiis, treasure hunts, crafts, and painting. The sheer size of the resort presents many opportunities
for guests both young and old to find something they enjoy. Whether you choose the 89,000-square-foot spa with 40 treatment rooms, massive fitness center, three stunning infinity pool complexes, the beach, or more – the options for enjoyment loom large.

Grand Velas Riviera Maya offers a unique setting of jungle and beach with an endless array of all-inclusive options. Maintaining a luxurious feel within every inch of the resort is a tall task, but the staff consistently perform the impossible to please every single guest at this grand resort. Don’t be intimidated by the size – the expansiveness offers more privacy and quiet than other smaller luxury properties.

Half Moon

Montego Bay, Jamaica

Half Moon’s privacy and low-key atmosphere have made it a favorite celebrity haunt for decades, but the resort offers 400 acres of manicured grounds and two miles of beachfront for families to take in the glistening Caribbean Sea. The resort is eminently family-friendly. As part of Half Moon’s Very Important Little People’s services, children receive a welcome drink and a gift; they also meet a representative of the children’s program who gives them a schedule of activities and welcomes them.

The first thing to understand about Half Moon are the extensive facilities, beginning with the largest award-winning spa oasis in Jamaica, an 18-hole, par-72 championship golf course, an equestrian center with 28 horses, and the Sugar Mill, awarded as Jamaica’s best restaurant. The resort offers 210 elegantly-appointed rooms and suites, and 27 villas with easy access to resort amenities. Unlike nearby high resorts in Montego Bay, Half Moon offers a sprawling complex of beautiful one or two-story buildings, creating a private setting worth exploring.

From an imaginative Children’s Village to breathtaking private beaches and adrenaline-rushing watersports, every member of the family – no matter what age – will be able to embark on an adventure to remember. The resort offers a range of engaging activities for families such as horseback riding, mini-golf or regular golf, tennis, croquet and bicycling around the beautiful grounds. A variety of watersports are also offered; you can borrow kayaks, pedal boats, paddleboards and snorkeling equipment.

When the children are away enjoying the resort’s kid-friendly programming, adults can head to the golf course or take a trip to the Fern Tree Spa — one of the Caribbean’s top spas, with two spectacular over-water bungalows where you can receive a massage to the sound of the rolling waves and admire the blooms of hibiscus, oleander, palm and seagrape trees.

Casa de Campo

La Romana, Dominican Republic

Casa de Campo stands as the most exclusive resort in the Dominican Republic. Famed for its shooting club and home to some of the top golf courses in the Caribbean (Teeth of the Dog is the #1-rated course in the Caribbean), this spacious destination offers all that you can handle, and then some. Sun-soaked beaches, roomy private villas, outstanding dining at more than a dozen signature restaurants and a Family Pool Complex create the perfect environment for family fun.

Casa de Campo offers just the right number of structured activities and leisure time to ensure a pleasant vacation for everyone. Parents familiar with ordinary ‘kids’ camps’ will be impressed by the intelligent program and multilingual, super energetic and genuinely kid-loving staff. The Toddlers ‘n Casa program runs half and full days for ages one to three. The Kidz’ n Casa for four to seven-year-olds offers an airy casita with its own shaded playground and picnic area – that is, when they’re not being shuttled around the resort to the stables, a pretty sand beach, pool or tennis courts. Professional nanny and babysitting services are also offered, so parents can spend a relaxing day together or enjoy an extended dinner.

Grace Bay Club

Providenciales, Turks and Caicos

Grace Bay Club epitomizes barefoot elegance, offering quietly-luxurious units, chic facilities, three dazzling oceanside pools and impeccable programming for kids. Glittering ocean vistas claim the spotlight throughout the resort, with the coast visible from every restaurant and guest room. The resort’s 82 units vary in size and layout, from spacious junior suites to opulent penthouses, but all are impeccably decorated and most have kitchens or kitchenettes. The 11-acre resort can be divided into three distinct sub-resorts: The adult-only Hotel Building; family-friendly Villa Suites; and ultra-swanky Estate, which ensure that couples and families will fit in equally well here.

With excellent programming for children and endless amenities for adults (adult-only pool, spa, fitness center, free non-motorized watersports, service on the beach), guests of all ages will be well-accommodated. Leveraging the natural environment of the Turks and Caicos islands, Kids Town and Teen X-Treme programs offer free morning activities every day, ranging from crafts for younger kids to outdoor, experiential learning for teens. Kayaking, paddle boarding, and sailing are all a part of the on-site program as well.