Summer travel with children often means longer stays, warmer climates and the chance for family bonding. Luxury destinations are reimagining the family experience with more thoughtful design, moving beyond basic kids’ clubs to create programming, spaces and itineraries that feel tailored for everyone in your group.
From immersive wellness in the Maldives to playful itineraries in New York, these destinations stand out for how effectively they balance flexibility, engagement and a sense of escape during the busiest travel season of the year.
Maldives
In the Maldives, Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star JOALI BEING frames family travel around well-being, with a deliberate focus on creating meaningful shared experiences for children, teens and adults alike.
Central to the experience is B’Kidult, the resort’s multi-generational space, where younger guests can engage in programming that blends learning, creativity and interaction with the natural environment. The activities range from yoga to hands-on workshops such as botanical projects, mocktail creation and sustainability-driven art. The schedule is designed to build confidence, encourage independence and introduce concepts tied to long-term health and environmental awareness from an early age.
Meanwhile, adults can stay busy with the resort’s advanced wellness options, including personalized consultations and treatments for the mind, skin, microbiome and energy.
The overall experience is a more purposeful alternative to traditional family travel, where engagement, learning and relaxation are equally prioritized.
Hilton Head
The Sea Pines Resort spans a large stretch of Hilton Head Island, giving families direct access to beaches, forested trails and a wide range of outdoor pursuits within a single, self-contained setting.
The grounds offer everything from water-based activities to an extensive network of biking paths and multiple golf courses, including Harbour Town Golf Links, home to the PGA’s annual RBC Heritage tournament. The layout makes it easy to move between the beach, marina and nature preserves without needing to plan each day too tightly.
What sets this summer apart is programming tied to America’s 250th anniversary. In Harbour Town, a series of Fourth of July events is scheduled over several days, including a parade, live music and a fireworks display over the water.
After days filled with family-friendly concerts, wagon rides and ghost stories in the preserve, the Sea Pines Resort’s Inn & Club at Harbour Town provides a quiet respite. The Four-Star hotel offers elegant rooms and attentive butlers to fill your every need, including providing cribs, high chairs and play pens.
New York City
For families drawn to an urban setting, Lotte New York Palace and its hotel-within-a-hotel The Towers at Lotte New York Palace balance classic New York with family-oriented experiences designed for younger guests.
The Little Royals package transforms the in-room experience with a playhouse setup, curated books and themed touches, along with extras like a FAO Schwarz gift card and the option to extend the encounter into a private tea party. A separate Call of the Wild package ties the visit to the city, with entry to New York’s zoos and aquariums paired with wildlife-themed amenities.
The hotel’s Midtown location, just steps from Rockefeller Center, iconic shopping and Central Park, makes it easy to structure days around the city’s core landmarks without relying heavily on crowded (and steamy) public transportation. The result is a stay that goes beyond simply accommodating families, offering everyone a more playful way to experience the city.
Las Vegas
Las Vegas delivers a highly versatile family trip, combining resort offerings with a wide range of activities beyond the Strip.
At Four-Star Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas, the getaway is designed to feel easy from the start, particularly for families traveling with younger children. Kids are welcomed with exciting gifts, special treats on arrival and dedicated in-room amenities such as kid-friendly toiletries, games and books — all of which help the stay feel tailored rather than adapted. Practical details, including childproofing items available upon request, further reduce friction for parents.
At the hotel’s Five-Star spa, treatments such as the Buttercup Manicure and Pedicure introduce children to the property’s wellness offerings in an age-appropriate manner. Families can also opt for a relaxed evening in, with a curated kids’ menu available through 24-hour room service and a movie night amenity that includes popcorn, candy and an in-room viewing setup.
Guests can move between the hotel’s quieter pool and the Mandalay Bay Beach next door, where a lazy river and wave pool offer a more high-energy option during the day.
Las Vegas also offers a range of all-ages activities beyond the hotel. Steps away is Mandalay Bay’s Shark Reef Aquarium, which is home to a large collection of sharks and interactive touch pools. Families can also explore Omega Mart at AREA15, an immersive art experience built as a surreal, fully interactive grocery store, along with magic performances, movie-themed shows and arcade-style games in the same entertainment district.
Boca Raton
In South Florida, Five-Star Beach Club at The Boca Raton stands out for how much of the experience is built around play. At the center is the Harborside Pool Club, where waterslides, a 450-foot lazy river and multiple pools create a setting that feels closer to a private water park than a traditional resort pool complex.
That family-focused energy extends indoors through the resort’s structured programming. The Break, a lounge for ages 11 to 15, features virtual reality gaming, interactive entertainment and content-creation studios customized to older kids. Younger guests have their own space through the Banyan Bunch kids club and nearby splash areas at Harborside Pool Club. And the FlowRider surf simulator gives families another active option.
Orlando
Five-Star The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes offers an elevated stay, with summer programming that extends well beyond typical kids activities. Itineraries can be stuffed with everything from guided eco-adventures across the property’s 500 acres — families can explore local wildlife with a naturalist or kayak along the headwaters of the Everglades — to more ambitious, off-property excursions.
One of the more distinctive options is a private, resort-arranged visit to the Kennedy Space Center, which includes helicopter transport and curated experiences onsite. Together, these types of programming position the resort as more than a place to stay, giving families access to the destination beyond the theme parks.
But if your family is looking for amusement park thrills, Universal’s Epic Universe is only four miles from the hotel.
London
For those accompanied by smaller travelers, Four-Star The Langham, London is the perfect gateway to Europe. The hotel’s family offerings are well executed with thoughtful in-room details and a few standout experiences, such as a children’s afternoon tea in the Palm Court that adapts one of London’s most traditional rituals for younger guests.
The elevated approach carries into the stay. Rooms are set up with child-focused touches, from teddy-themed amenities to child-sized robes, slippers and activity kits, making it easier for families to settle in.
The location in Marylebone is another pint-sized perk. Regent’s Park is within walking distance, as is Hamleys on Regent Street, allowing families easy access to green space, entertainment and retail within a highly walkable part of the city. Attractions like the London Zoo are only a short taxi ride away.
