Punta Cana Surfing

Club Med Punta Cana is adding surfing lessons to its menu of activities!  Moreover, the instruction will feature one teacher to one student in order to maximize your comfort level and progress. These lessons, available November 1 through April 30 at the Club Med Discovery Center, cost $40 with equipment included.  The all-inclusive and oceanfront resort is just 10 minutes from the airport and showcases a variety of other water sports, expanded circus school, tennis, archery, pools, excellent kids and teen clubs (ages 4 months-17), several dining options, spa, gym with fitness classes and more.  Spacious accommodations include separate sleeping areas for children.   Club Med just introduced a new SUNsational sale promotion for bookings made by October 23 for travel through May 4, 2019.  Extra benefits include up to $400 in air credits, no single supplement, children under 4 stay free, children under 15 stay for up to 50 percent off, and free room upgrades.

Star Camp at Iberostar

Iberostar Hotels & Resorts has a new entertainment program for children and teens called Star Camp. Based on a format that aims to combine entertainment and values, the program showcases more than 140 activities designed to encourage growth and development based on values such as cooperation, empathy, healthy habits, development of technological awareness, value of diversity and environmental care.  The program is divided into three age groups: 4-7, 8-12 and 13-17.  Some of the activities your children will explore include testing their culinary skills with a cooking program; discovering their artistic side by forming teams to recreate works of art; putting their senses to the test, just like in the trendiest restaurants, guessing the ingredients in the dishes featured in the Sensory Menu; filming their own short movie; becoming journalists or publicists for the day or staring in their own impromptu video clip; crossing an obstacle course while blindfolded with only their fellow team members for help; taking an eco-friendly hike; dreaming up and creating a robot; or figuring out how to get out of a Roomscape.  One day a week will be dedicated to learning about marine science and the ocean.

Club Med Cancun Updates

The Aguamarina expansion at Club Med Cancun Yucatan is now complete and features 60 all-new oceanfront family rooms, including 30 Club Rooms and 30 Deluxe Rooms with connecting rooms available.  There is also a new pool dedicated solely to families with water games, relaxing lounge areas and outdoor activities for all-day entertainment. The pool area also plays host to La Marina, a new family bar that features a dedicated children’s corner with a beverage and snack menu. The friendly resort showcases three restaurants, water and land sports (including archery, fitness classes, beach tennis and the flying trapeze), kids’ and teens’ clubs, nightly family-friendly entertainment and various celebrations throughout the day. The property underwent a full resort enhancement at the end of 2017, including upgrades to the exclusive 5-Trident Jade area; a full renovation of all rooms; all-new wellness experiences and more!

Kidz Bop at Hard Rock

The Kidz Bop Experience is coming to the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Punta Cana.  The program, which launches this month, is included in your all-inclusive rate at the hotel.  Your children, ages 4-12, can live out their pop star dreams in an interactive space with themed activities. At the Pop Star Lounge, children will work with a tour manager to create a custom band name, learn their favorite dance moves, put together a red carpet-worthy look, take an A-list photo and perform on stage.  The lounge also has a Listening Studio loft.  In addition, your children can write their next big single with Hit Maker, learn dance moves with Step It Up, sing karaoke tunes and design an album cover at the Creation Station. The Kidz Bop Kids will also visit the resort August 20-24 where they will headline a live concert on August 22 and attend exclusive fan events!

Kid’s Culinary Capital of Caribbean

This summer consider the Cayman Islands the Kid’s Culinary Capital of Caribbean as the islands welcome your children to explore and get hands on with DIY cooking classes, experience interactive farm-to-table culinary tours, enjoy child-friendly cuisine at five-star dining restaurants, and so much more.  Chef meet and greets and behind the scene tours are also available. Hotel participants in the program include the Ritz Carlton, Kimpton Seafire Resort, Margaritaville, Wyndham Reef Resort as well as the Bon Vivant Cooking School.  This is the first year of this unique program which boast more than 200 restaurants and local eateries and is known as the Culinary Capital of the Caribbean.  The kids program is available through August 31.

Summer Fun with Velas Resorts

Velas Resorts are very popular with our families looking for an upscale and all-inclusive Mexican resort experience.  Again this summer they are offering a family-friendly promotion that includes complimentary stays for children, discounted rates for teens, dedicated kids’ and teen clubs, Summer Camp, baby concierge and more this summer.  At Grand Velas resorts in Riviera Nayarit, Los Cabos, and Riviera Maya, up to two children (ages 4-12) are free when staying in the same suite as the adults from now through October 31. Families traveling with children ages 13-15 to Grand Velas in Los Cabos and Riviera Nayarit also receive a 50 percent discount off teen rates. Additionally, Velas Vallarta in Puerto Vallarta features discounts on kid and teen rates.  At Grand Velas and Velas Vallarta, activities range from sand castle building, Spanish lessons, piñata making and kickball tournaments to animal shows, cooking and baking classes, drive-in movies, eco-cycling tours and more.  Summer Camp at the resorts is held July 15 to August 12, 2018 with special activities such as zip lining, climbing walls, astronomy nights, DIY mandala workshops and more. Throughout the year, the resorts offer dedicated kids and teens clubs, family-friendly entertainment and even a baby concierge to cater to the needs of the little ones.  The top accommodations for families are the resorts’ two-bedroom family suites. The 2,000-square-foot rooms have one king bed suite and a two queen bed suite with a private terrace.

New Gansevoort Villas

Gansevoort Turks and Caicos will open the Gansevoort Villas in June.  The six new four- and five-bedroom luxury oceanfront villas are located on an elevated hillside overlooking the bay at Turtle Tail, a short drive from the resort.  Each villa sits on roughly half an acre with gorgeous water views.  The villa features include indoor and outdoor living areas with floor-to-ceiling windows, an outdoor fire pit lounge area, an over-the-water swimming platform with direct ocean access and a private oceanfront infinity pool and interior courtyard pool with a waterfall feature.  You will also enjoy signing privileges for amenities at the resort, which includes restaurants, spa, water sports and other facilities. Also included in a villa stay are transportation to and from the resort, concierge service, beach club access at the resort, round-trip airport transfers and free internet service.  From June 1 to December 19, take advantage of special introductory rates with savings from 25 to 50 percent, based on length of stay. A four-night minimum is required for all villa stays.

Free Night in Punta Cana Luxury

Get every fourth night free at the upscale Eden Roc at Cap Cana through December 22.  Your package also includes:

• Daily breakfast
• Daily lunch for up to two children (up to age 14)
• One complimentary dinner with a 3-course menu at any of the resort restaurants (alcoholic beverages not included)
• Special family amenity on arrival
• Round-trip airport transfers

Choose from spacious accommodations including the Luxury Pool Family Suite, Two Bedroom Family Residence, Beachfront Two Bedroom Suite or the Three and Four Bedroom Royale Villas.   The larger villas include a butler on call 24 hours a day and a personal chef will prepare all meals.  The resort is a member of the Relais & Chateaux family of hotels and is only 10 minutes from the Punta Cana airport.  It showcases excellent golf, pools, beach with water sports, children’s program, equestrian center, spa and several dining options.  In the Cap Cana development there is also a nature adventure park with caves, cenotes, zip line, cliff diving and more.

Teen Hangout in Punta Mita

Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita has opened a dedicated hangout for guests ages 13 to 19 with both indoor and outdoor modern spaces and interactive programming.  Near the resort’s lazy river and basketball court, the Container is open from noon to 10:30 pm.  The club has a garden area and colorful shipping containers, each with a different entertainment and activity options. The cinema container has an 85-inch television and bean bag chairs, while the video game container has Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, and two virtual reality areas. The gaming container has table games like air hockey, billiards, ping pong, pool, foosball and a Star Wars pinball machine.  Teens looking for outdoor adventures can explore the resort’s daily activities from street soccer and beach volleyball to basketball and panoramic hikes.  Currently the resort is offering every 4th night free through December 22 or half off a second room for children.

Vacation Like a Star in Costa Rica

The Planet Hollywood brand will debut its first all-inclusive resort in Costa Rica this fall on Playa Manzanillo in Guanacaste.  Another Planet Hollywood resort in Cancun is slated to open in late spring of 2019.  The resorts will showcase Hollywood memorabilia and entertainment-themed facilities. They will also incorporate technology such as interactive touch-screen digital displays narrating the memorabilia experience and PHTV in-suite and throughout the resort, keeping your family up-to-date with live streaming of events and activities. The Costa Rica resort will feature 294 suites (junior and higher) including two-bedroom suites that will sleep up to 9, along with fun pools, spa, gym, children’s programming, 6 restaurants and more.  The resort is about 45 minutes from the airport.