Miami has excellent family hotels — even amid the South Beach party scene — but we scoured the city looking for the select few hotels that not only offer great features for kids but also have a safe, convenient location, rooms large enough to sleep a family (and with cribs available), affordable kids' dining alternatives, and a safe, comfortable atmosphere for young children.
Trump International Beach Resort Hotel
Unlike at most other Miami hotels, the Kids Club at the Trump is free. The large, family-size rooms all have kitchenettes, and many suites also include washer/dryers. The grotto-style pool comes with a broad shallow area that's great for little swimmers. Plus, there's always Globie — the hotel mascot — who entertains kids around the pool.
Since more than two-thirds of the Acqualina is dedicated to family residences — not hotel rooms — the hotel comes with a relaxed, kid-focused air. All standard rooms come with elegant sofas that pull out to queen beds. The hotel's kids' program, AcquaMarine — open Wednesday through Sunday for children ages 4 to 12 — focuses on all things oceanic, from the Coast Guard to science projects about waves. The kids' room features a complete computer gaming center.
The Loews is one of South Beach's first family hotels, and its "Loews Loves Kids" motto still rings true. Enthusiastic counselors host beach tours and Nintendo Wii competitions at the Kids Camp, the Toy Library loans out beach shovels, and the hotel can even send DVDs and PlayStation games up to your room. Plus, there's the Loews' enormous — and shallow — free-form pool.
Newport Beachside Hotel and Resort
Kids gone wild, with parents (usually) in tow. The Newport Beachside is a lot like a cruise on land, with organized kids' activities all day long, entertainment at night, and tykes dominating the landscape. Plus, the hotel has two video-game rooms, a make-your-own-album CD creator, and family-appropriate movie nights.
Marriott Doral Golf Resort And Spa Hotel
The $80-per-day Camp Doral, for kids 5 to 12, includes swimming, arts, fishing, karaoke, sports, and more. The Doral even makes golf family-friendly: Club rental and greens fees are free for adolescents (or anyone under 15 who can play 18 holes) after 3pm when they're accompanied by an adult. Kids' menus are available at most restaurants.
Fairmont Turnberry Isle Resort & Club Hotel
With a newly renovated pool and a serpentine waterslide, the Fairmont is an excellent place for families — especially considering its large, comfortable rooms and bathrooms. Well-lit tennis courts with coaches on hand are great for older children, and the supervised Kids' Connection club — available with 24 hours advance notice — offers younger kids everything from arts and crafts to karate classes. It'll even take them to the resort's kid-friendly beach (a free 10-minute shuttle ride away).
Fontainebleau Resort Miami Beach Hotel
Among the Fontainebleau's eight pools are several shallow pools for kids to splash around in, as well as a swing for the water-shy. The kids' club — for 4- to 12-year-olds — features supervising instructors to lead various sports, art, and drama activities. Full-day programs are from 9am to 4pm and include a lunch for $75 per child. Half-day programs — held twice daily and excluding the meal — are $50. A crib or rollaway can be a tight squeeze in the small, Art Deco-era rooms, but larger suites are also available.
Biltmore Coral Gables – Miami Hotel
There's no kids' club, but the Biltmore offers great activities for children. Apart from tennis lessons, children can also learn how to play golf on the freshly restored Donald Ross 18-hole par 71 course. Kids receive training from the hotel's award-winning chefs at the unique culinary class. And let's not forget the massive, free-form pool, with synchronized swimmers doing vintage routines.
The Ritz-Carlton South Beach Hotel
Though the Ritz-Carlton is located in a prime party section of South Beach, families still flock to its enormous pool. "Ritz Kidz" — the hotel's supervised club for children ages 5 to 12 — is open from Thursday through Saturday and offers various activities, from kite decorating to video games to basic Spanish lessons.
Read in-depth expert hotel reviews and see more undoctored photography for each hotel on Oyster.com.
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