Club Med: Mexico And The Caribbean

Club Med remains on the top of our list for favorite family brands as one of the few family all-inclusive resorts, with good packages, award-winning baby care and Kid’s Clubs (and you should all know, Family Travel Forum has given them plenty of awards), idyllic settings, wide range of activities, sports, fine dining, spas and entertainment.  Almost all of the resorts listed below include a variety of free Kid’s Clubs to give children of all ages their own special vacation while grandparents and parents hit the restaurants, night clubs, entertainment and gaming centers… or just opt for a relaxing day on the beach, at the spa or on the greens.
 

Great Deals at Club Med: Reader’s Tip!

Submitted by: Clifford Schwartz, West Hempstead, New York

“We want other FTF members to know about a great deal — Club Med Family Escape, where you pick the week and they pick the destination— offered by Club Med at certain times of year. Our 6- and 8-year-old girls said the best parts of the trip were the resort pool and the dancing at night, and we appreciated the diversity of activities for both kids and adults. The kids’ club was great too, however, our kids did not take to it and would not attend. We didn’t particularly like the bugs or the Caribbean heat in July, and thought some of the nightly shows were not kid-appropriate. But now we know that there really are great deals for all-inclusives.”

Mexico Club Med Resorts

Club Med Yucatan
Punta Nizuc
Cancun 77500
Quintana Roo, Mexico
(52/998 881 82 00)
This is the easiest of the international Club Meds to fly to for the East Coast and Midwest family. Formerly an 18 and older resort, Club Med Cancun Yucatan spent over $20 million in renovations to keep families relaxing in luxury.  Nestled between the Caribbean and a lagoon on a private peninsula are several room types with views; guests choose among Club Rooms, Deluxe Rooms, and Suites.  This property boasts wakeboarding, volleyball, basketball, volley-polo, swimming, trapeze, tennis courts, work-out facility, three night clubs, fine dining and more.  Kids love having their own private vacation at Baby Club Med (ages 4-months to 23-months), Petit Club Med (ages 2-3 years), Mini Club Med (ages 3-10 years), or Passworld (for teens only) while parents indulge in optional extras including babysitting services, day excursions to Chichen Itza, Coba Tulum, Islas Mujeres by catamaran, scuba diving, swimming with dolphins, and shopping in Playa de Carmen and more.
Rates:  $$$$ based on a 7-night stay with 2 adults and 2 children, includes all meals, leisure and sports activities (excluding optional add-ons), alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, and Kids Clubs. Extra fees for Baby and Petit Club Meds.
Location:  The 384-room resort is divided among colorful bungalows in hacienda style and is located between the Caribbean and a lagoon in Cancun.
Other ammenities: A unique Jade Wing — more upscale rooms rated as 5-Trident — with concierge service for guests, room service, car service, conference rooms, Internet, iron and ironing board in the rooms, laundry, photographer, shopping, hairdryer, air conditioning, coffee machine, radio / CD player, telephone, TV and personal safe. It has become the upscale family’s all-inclusive resort of choice along Mexico’s Riviera Maya because of the beautiful zero-entry pool, additional services and French flair at this elite enclave.

Club Med Ixtapa Pacific
Playa Quieta
Zihuatanejo  40880
Guerrero, Mexico
(52/75 55 55 10 00)
The Club Med of choice for West Coast families and recently renovated, this refreshed resort treats guests — especially families with little ones — to 298 enlarged rooms and 60 enlarged family suites against the backdrop of the Sierra Madre Mountains. This Club Med Ixtapa has been rated the “Best for Families” by The Travel Channel and TripAdvisor. Guests can indulge in Comfort Zone spa treatments, sunset cruises, and nightly entertainment before tapping into their adventurous side with water sports, climbing wall, flying trapeze.  Kids enjoy playing at Baby Club Med, Petit Club Med, Mini Club Med, and Juniors’ (Passworld for teens) Club Med.  When guests aren’t relaxing on the beach, playing in the protected and often gentle Pacific Ocean surf, or swimming in the private pools, they can take part in  activities including basketball, beach tennis, beach volleyball, kayak, mini golf, mini Soccer, volleyball, water-polo  circus school, archery, local folklore and more.  Extra fees for optional babysitting, excursions to nearby Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo, swimming with dolphins, and some water sports. 
Rates:  $$$$ based on a 7-night stay with 2 adults and 2 children, includes all meals, leisure and sports activities (excluding optional add-ons), alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, and Kids Clubs except Baby and Petit Club Med.
Location:  Combining vibrant Mexican colors with Spanish elegance and modern convenience, this resort is nestled in the Sierra Madre Mountains between the tourist resort area of Ixtapa and the charming fishing port of Zihuatanejo.
Other ammenities: Car service, conference rooms, Internet, iron and ironing board in the rooms, laundry, photographer, shopping, hairdryer, air conditioning, coffee machine, radio / CD player, telephone, TV and personal safe.

Bahamas & Dominican Republic Club Med Resorts

Club Med Columbus Isle
Club Med Columbus
Cockburn Town
San Salvador Island, Bahamas
(242/331 20 00)
Resting along the Atlantic coast, this exotic luxury resort currently has no Kids’ Clubs, though children above age 2 are welcome.  Designed for the laid-back Robinson Crusoe-type family that wants to play together, at Club Med Columbus Isle, activities range from beach-volleyball, football, kayak, Club Med Fitness, snorkeling, tennis, water aerobics, archery, sailing, wakeboard, water-skiing, windsurfing, beach, pool, petanque, table tennis and jet skiing off the resort. Their scuba diving program (for a fee) is a great place to learn. Guests can hit the Brazilian and seafood restaurants and nightly entertainment or take island tours by minibus, lagoon tour, sunset cruises and a unique Bahaman Gospel Mass.  There are also tempting a la carte options including scuba diving, cycling, tennis lessons, fishing, spa and more. Consider your plans carefully before booking this resort in the August-October Atlantic hurricane high season, as Club Med Columbus Isle has been hit (and rebuilt) in the past.
Rates:  $$$$ based on a 7-night stay with 2 adults and 2 children, includes all meals, leisure and sports activities (excluding optional add-ons), alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.
Location:  The stress-free Columbus Isle sits along the Atlantic coast and faces the Caribbean on San Salvador Island; only 5 minutes from the airport.
Other amenities: Car service, conference rooms, Internet, iron and ironing board in the rooms, laundry, photographer, shopping, hairdryer, air conditioning, coffee machine, radio / CD player, telephone, TV and personal safe.

Club Med Punta Cana
Club Med Punta Cana
APT Postal 106 – Higuey
Dominican Republic
(809/686 55 00)
The Club Med Punta Cana website notes: “An endless parade of palms in paradise.” Club Med enthusiasts can take that to heart with an oceanview table at one of the two restaurants after unwinding with a hard day of basketball, volleyball, football, kayaking, rollerblading, snorkeling, softball, water-polo, aqua-fitness, archery, circus school, Club Med Fitness, tennis lessons, sailing, windsurfing, dance classes, petanque, table tennis, and more. While kids have fun at Baby Club Med, Petit Club Med, Mini Club Med, and Club Med’s teen Passworld , parents can indulge at the Wellness Center with an optional-extra, anti-stress massage, hot stone massage, detoxifying massage, or aromatic massage and reflexology.  Once everyone is relaxed and a master at table tennis, guests can take an excursion to the nearby resort development of Bavaro for shopping, a visit to the Italian-style outdoor mall village of Altos de Chavon, the island’s capital of Santo Domingo, Indian River and more.  A special kid favorite includes a day trip to Manati Park where visitors can visit flamingos, watch trained sea lions, admire tropical birds, snakes, iguanas, and swim with the dolphins (not up to par with other facilities). Rooms here have an extra sleeping alcove for kids that makes them feel roomier, and Tiara, the new 5-Trident enclave within the resort has its own concierge staff, extra suites, room service, a private pool and more amenities.
Rates:  $$$$ based on a 7-night stay with 2 adults and 2 children, includes all meals, leisure and sports activities (excluding optional add-ons), alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, and Kids Clubs. The Baby Club and Mini Club are for an extra fee, as is the nightly Pyjama Club if parents want to dine alone.
Location:  The  bungalow and two-story style resort is located on a fine, white sand beach at the edge of a turquoise blue lagoon in the south east Dominican Republic along a 400-mile beach lined with coconut trees.
Other ammenities: Car service, conference rooms, Internet, iron and ironing board in the rooms, laundry, photographer, shopping, hairdryer, air conditioning, coffee machine, radio / CD player, telephone, TV and personal safe.

Club Med O, la la! French Caribbean Resorts

Club Med La Caravelle
Club Med La Caravelle

97180 Ste Anne

Guadeloupe

(590/85 49 50)
A family paradise in the West Indies, Club Med La Caravelle boasts exotic flavor, luxury accommodations and action-packed fun.  Kids ages 2 and up learn the ropes at Circus school, put on a performance with high-energy hip hop classes and enjoy tasty children’s menus. Or they can have their own special vacation with the brand new Petit Club for ages 2-3, Mini Club Med, or Passworld for teens. Activities include kayaking, windsurfing, sailing, flying trapeze, archery, sailing, basketball, mini-football, volleyball, Club Med Gym, and add-on-extra massages.  After a hard day of kayaking, guests can grab a bite at the beach’s Mango Bar. Since this Club Med draws a large European clientele, the cuisine is particularly oriented to the French with an extensive wine list at dinner. Off-resort excursions range from shopping, tours, catamaran sailing, rum tasting and visits to Les Saintes and Pointe-a-Pitre.
Rates:  $$$$ based on a 7-night stay with 2 adults and 2 children, includes all meals, leisure and sports activities (excluding optional add-ons), alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, and Kids Clubs. Petit Club Med has an additional daily fee.
Location:  Nearly 30 years ago, Club Med choose Grande Terre near the vibrant Pointe-a-Pitre as the location for this luxury resort.
Other ammenities: Car service, conference rooms, Internet, iron and ironing board in the rooms, laundry, photographer, shopping, hairdryer, air conditioning, coffee machine, radio / CD player, telephone, TV and personal safe.

Club Med Buccaneer’s Creek
Club Med Boucaniers
Pointe Marin 97227
Ste Anne, Martinique
(0596 76 72 72)
Located along a bay in the Antilles, Club Med Buccaneer’s Creek is celebrated for its “timeless beauty and modern sophistication.”  Although there are no formal children’s programs at this resort, it warmly welcomes families and is especially well suited to older kids who want to practice their French.  Just a few of the tempting highlights include authentic Creole cuisine, plenty of nightlife, and jet ski excursions, Club Med Spa and more. Guests can start their days with kayaking, aqua-fitness, Club Med Gym, table tennis, snorkeling, tennis, wakeboarding, water-skiing, and windsurfing, swimming, and more.  Guests looking for a little adventure can choose optional add-ons including scuba diving, golfing, and cycling before a massage or facial at the Wellness Centre.  Fun day-trips and excursions include trips to Saint Lucia, shopping at Fort-de-France, sunset, cruises, island tours and more.  Families should keep in mind that the beach open to the public and is “topless tolerated.”
Rates:  $$$$ based on a 7-night stay with 2 adults and 2 children, includes all meals, leisure and sports activities (excluding optional add-ons), alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Babysitting available for a fee.
Location:  This bungalow style resort and tropical gardens are tucked away in Marin Bay near Saint Anne’s village.
Other ammenities: Car service, conference rooms, Internet, iron and ironing board in the rooms, laundry, photographer, shopping, hairdryer, air conditioning, coffee machine, radio / CD player, telephone, TV and personal safe.
 

For more information or to book a reservation, contact your travel agent, call  800/CLUB MED or visit www.clubmed.com.