After originally opening in 2013, Singita Serengeti House has just unveiled a complete redesign. The new-look living spaces include eat-in kitchens and a media room. There is also a full gym and a tented spa suite, both of which were updated. The camp, which is “designed for families and friends,” sleeps eight people between two suites in the main house and two guest suites on either side of the main house. All suites are connected by pathways from a central pool deck with an 80-foot lap pool. The Serengeti House must be booked on an exclusive-use basis and includes all staff, a private vehicle and safari guide.
Rosewood Hotels & Resorts is opening in Santa Barbara, CA and the Bahamas in 2018 (as well as in China, Laos and Cambodia) and all will provide the brand’s Rose Buds program. That means young guests will have access to programs focused on the environment, wildlife, food, music and art in the hotels’ locations. Older kids will get to go on nature tours and partake in local cooking classes. Rosewood is keen on catering to children and provides portable cribs and baby baths to guests; it also serves up junior-sized amenities such as robes, slippers and even skincare products.
Rosewood Miramar Beach Montecito (California) opens in 2018 on the site of the former Miramar Beach Hotel. The resort will have beachfront suites that will allow guests to walk directly from their accommodations onto the sand and many of the room categories are either single-story cottages or bungalows. Aside from the two swimming pools, there will also be a spa and ocean bar and restaurant.
Four Seasons Hotel Megève is a mountain chalet-style hotel in the French Alps that opened with 55 guestrooms just before the start of the ski season.
At Rosewood Baha Mar (The Bahamas), all rooms and suites will have balconies; there will also be five beachfront residential-style villas (private pool included). This resort will also have two swimming pools, cabanas and a spa.
Lido House opens in Newport Beach, CA early in 2018 as part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection. Within the room mix are five three-story cottages, which should work well for families. The hotel is located on the Balboa Island Peninsula — a three-mile stretch with the harbor on one side and the beach on the other. Amenities include a saltwater pool with private cabanas, a spa and a rooftop pool for parents to sneak off to while the kids are asleep. The vibe is designed to be that of a “beach house retreat;” in fact, a stretch-style golf cart will bring families to the beach nearby.
The World of Children at Hotel Xcaret Mexico has water sliders, hanging bridges, cenotes and a playground.
Just opened in the country of Latvia, The Grand Hotel Kempinski Riga sits right at the city’s Old Town, making it a perfect venue for families to explore the art galleries, history museums, arts and crafts houses and souvenir stalls. We love that rooms at the hotel start at 400 square feet. The Presidential Suite is nearly 3,000 square feet in size, has 24-hour butler service, walk-in closets and views overlooking the National Opera House. The unique spa has a suite modeled after a Latvian bathhouse. Be sure to ask for the “Rasul Mud Experience” showcasing the Latvian mud that’s famed for its healing properties.
Also in Europe, the Four Seasons Hotel Megève opened in the French Alps just before the start of the ski season. The mountain chalet-style hotel has 55 guestrooms, including 14 suites — most with a fireplace and balcony — as well as the largest spa, kids’ and teens’ facilities in the region. Heading to the slopes? The Four Seasons Hotel Megève has its own Ski Valet and Ski Concierge. Good to know: The hotel also looks to be a popular destination in the warmer months for the region’s golfing and hiking. Kids aged four through 12 receive 50 percent off breakfast — they even get their own bathrobes and slippers. The Kids for All Seasons program teaches little ones about life in the French Alps mixed with snow-scooter excursions. The Teen center has its own theater, video game consoles and more.
Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club, Surfside, Florida has a total of 77 guestrooms. Shown here is a Premier City View Room.
Stateside, the Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club, Surfside, Florida opened earlier this year. Its family-friendly programming includes a family pool, babysitting services and a club with complimentary DVDs, board games, books, beach toys and more.
Opening this month, Hotel Xcaret Mexico marks the completion of the first stage of the Destino Xcaret project, which will open slowly over multiple years. The hotel will introduce an “All-Fun Inclusive” concept, allowing access to daytime and nighttime activities as well as the Experiencias Xcaret’s nature parks and tours, which include a water park, nighttime adrenaline rides, zip lining, rides in amphibious vehicles, a party barge through jungle canals, tours to historic sites in the region and more. All 900 accommodations are suites, including swim-up options and the Master Suite.
Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach in Honolulu comprises 839 rooms. Seen here is the Diamond Head Ocean View Suite.
Debuting this winter in Honolulu, the all-new Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach (formerly the Pacific Beach Hotel) is an excellent choice for families. The focal point of the property, a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts, is a three-story, 280,000-gallon lobby oceanarium. It will contain more than 1,000 protected marine life, and the hotel will offer educational guest programming. The 839 rooms blend Hawaiian aesthetics with a modern beach house ambiance. The best rooms for families are the Seascape Suites. There will also be a dedicated family area, The Monkey Pod Kid’s Club with cultural and outdoor activities.
Back to Africa: Wilderness Safaris has opened a new camp in Botswana’s Qorokwe Concession. The 100 percent solar-powered camp has nine tented suites, including one family suite with its own pool. The camp also has a main dining area, library, bar and infinity pool. We hear Wilderness Safaris will also rebuild its flagship camps, Mombo Camp and Little Mombo. Both are open to children over eight; although it’s recommended that children be at least 12 for the former. These will reopen in March 2018, but for travelers who can’t wait, temporary luxury tents have been built to overlook the floor plain.
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