alternative to Beaches, T&C

[lmh2402]

we just got back last week from our 2nd trip. the resort is lovely, but we were both a little less in love this time around. not sure if things had actually slipped a bit, or if it was just that we weren't seeing things for the first time. the location is gorgeous and extremely convenient for us (direct flight out of Newark). but we thought the food had slipped a bit. the service was not as "absolutely can-do!" as we recalled from last year - in fact, we had a couple of instances where we requested something that seemed not all that strenuous (like, can you give me a grilled cheese sandwich now at 11:55 instead of noon b/c my DD is screaming...and were simply told "no.") and even looking around our room...the lampshades were cracked and fraying a bit (for some reason this really bugged me), and there were a few other little nits that aren't huge deals, but for the amount of $$$, i would expect that it's pretty much pristine.

the kids had a blast and we've rebooked to return next Jan. but DH and i are interested in whether there are other really awesome totally, completely kid-friendly/family-oriented beautiful beach destinations that would be equally easy to access from NJ. ideas?

thx

[hillview]

wow hum. Ok we rebooked for Jan 2015 but will be watching this thread!

[DualvansMommy]

Another thread watcher from me; in fact I was just asking hillview about that resort as I'm planning on going first time next Jan.

Probably still will go as we haven't been and we need a completely stress free direct flight from Newark too. So far, beaches @ T&C ticked off all boxes for us. But would love to know of other places too!!

[Nechums]

Count me as another follower of this thread. We just came back from El Conquistador in PR. It was super family friendly and I loved that you don't need passports for PR (and no long line for customs). It was great for the kids and we will likely go back next January, but EVERYTHING is ala carte which is tough if you're used to all - inclusives.

[lmh2402]

yeah, it's kind of a love/hate with the AI. I mean, probably the reason the food is good but not GREAT is b/c it's AI. but the ease of getting anything and everything you want without thinking "how much will this end up costing me" is so great. so, so great. we went in and out of JFK last year, and the return through customs there was hellish. but returning through Newark this year was truly a breeze. if we can't find anything else that is seemingly "perfect," we'll end up returning next Jan. but it would be great to know if there was another equally awesome option

[sunnyside]

I have friends who have enjoyed Club Med Ixtapa with their families.

[georgiegirl]

Check out the paradisus resorts in punta Cana.

[khalloc]

I'm curious what a weeks vacation costs at Beaches. Are you getting deals? When I look online its at least $6000 just for the hotel room/all-inclusive. I'd estimate another $1700 at least for airfare for 4. And thats staying in a single room with everyone sleeping in one room. I do like staying All-Inclusive, sometimes it doesnt seem worth it. So its probably at least $8000 for a weeks vacation - does that sound about right?

I just feel like I've spent far less and gotten an entire house with a pool for way less than that. Of course that means we have to cook and make our own meals, so there is that trade-off. Just wondering if people are finding the resort prices less someplace else (besides on their website).

I'd like to try Beaches, but my DH wont go on a vacation where we have to all squish into a single room for a week. and the Suite prices are pretty high!

[lmh2402]

on average I think we're paying between 9k-10k for our room (two bedroom ground floor walk out in Italian Village) and between 3k-4k for au pair room - standard king in Caribbean Village. we've used points for airfare for the last two years. not sure if it's a deal, but Beaches claims it is (lol). by rebooking before we leave, we lock in the current rack rate less a discount.

[lmh2402]

I have friends who have enjoyed Club Med Ixtapa with their families.

going to look into that tonight. is club med kind of like beaches re: family oriented and AI? for some reason i always thought it was a singles resort. thanks!

[mikala]

on average I think we're paying between 9k-10k for our room (two bedroom ground floor walk out in Italian Village) and between 3k-4k for au pair room - standard king in Caribbean Village. we've used points for airfare for the last two years. not sure if it's a deal, but Beaches claims it is (lol). by rebooking before we leave, we lock in the current rack rate less a discount.

Whoa. 14k is a LOT of money for a week. I can understand the lure of the AI with no surprises but I have to think you could pay significantly less for a beach side house rental or condo and even with jacked up island food prices you'd come out way ahead. I'm planning a trip to Aruba and am happy to share details in PM if that would be helpful.

[westwoodmom04]

If you are spending that much, take a look at the four seasons Caribbean resorts. I've only been to Nevis, but they have at least two locations in Mexico and one in the Bahamas that might be more accessible. Not Ai, but they do have kid's clubs, lots of arranged excursions, and meal plan pricing for length of stay. Food and service will be excellent.

[DualvansMommy]

If you are spending that much, take a look at the four seasons Caribbean resorts. I've only been to Nevis, but they have at least two locations in Mexico and one in the Bahamas that might be more accessible. Not Ai, but they do have kid's clubs, lots of arranged excursions, and meal plan pricing for length of stay. Food and service will be excellent.

That's my thinking too! But the problem for me is my kids are too young to join in the Four Seasons kids club. Last I checked was 4 years old as the minimum age requirement, and I think OP kids are younger like my own. Hence the lure of beaches resort since they do cater kids as young 6 months old and up. Once my kids are 4 and older, we'll more likely be spending our vacations at Four seasons and the like for the amount of money spent.

[lmh2402]

hm, never thought about 4 seasons. next Jan my kids will be 5.5 and 2.5, so DD would still be too young?

i don't want to do a house or condo. i like the full service of having everything changed and cleaned multiple times a day and the activity of a resort is really fun for the kids - being able to step out of the sliders and run to our lounge chairs and the pool. so i would definitely want to keep with the resort feel.

[westwoodmom04]

hm, never thought about 4 seasons. next Jan my kids will be 5.5 and 2.5, so DD would still be too young?

i don't want to do a house or condo. i like the full service of having everything changed and cleaned multiple times a day and the activity of a resort is really fun for the kids - being able to step out of the sliders and run to our lounge chairs and the pool. so i would definitely want to keep with the resort feel.

Yes, she probably will be too young. From the website, it looks like kid's club minimum age varies by location, but 3 seems to be the youngest.

[gatorsmom]

going to look into that tonight. is club med kind of like beaches re: family oriented and AI? for some reason i always thought it was a singles resort. thanks!

I can answer this as we used to go to Club Meds quite often before we moved (when the twins were just babies). Yes, CM is very family oriented. There are fantastic baby and kid clubs with little plays and circus shows that the kids participate in after dinner. Often there are little puppet shows in the main square. The restaurants always have nice high chairs with fresh bibs and wipes waiting. There are evening babysitting services for an extra fee so you can go to dinner with DH alone. Eta: I just remembered that the clubs usually have a stocked kitchen that you can get into with a code 24 hours/day with baby supplies like milk, graham crackers, cereals, baby food and utensils. The club we went to had a separate chef and kitchen just for preparing food for the kid's clubs. We've always loved our Club Med experiences. If it weren't such a long flight for us, we'd be going there this spring. Ixtapa was all refurbished in 2008 or 2009.

To answer the OP, after spending a lot of time recently researching family-friendly, Caribbean all- inclusives for our trip in the next 6 weeks, Ive narrowed it down a bit. Ultimately we figured out that if we didn't want to spend 10- 12 hours in flight (due to our location and the number of layovers for us) our only Caribbean option was Jamaica. We've heard and read great things about the Beaches resorts (there are 3 in Jamaica) but they were all a 2-hour drive from the airport. So I wanted to be closer to Montego Bay. Also, the prices were incredibly high. So I've narrowed it down to 4 other resorts, mainly 2. I've chosen these because they have safe, calm beaches on the resort, wonderful activities like water parks or kids clubs to keep my 6, 8, and 10yo kids busy and happy (so mom and dad can have some couples time), and the overall ratings based on tripadvisor and familyvacationcritic.com. My top choice would be the Half Moon Rock Resort. It is half the price of Beaches Negril, includes kids clubs, swimming with dolphins, sailboats, kayaks, horseback riding, etc. It also has 54 pools and all beach-front rooms. I double checked this on Google maps. It looks great. Second choice is Hilton Rose Hall Resort. It has only 1000 feet of beach front (but is very secluded), an entire water park with lazy river and 3 tiered pools, and kids clubs up to age 12. The other activities at the resort are not included in cost and there is only one other pool other besides the pools in the waterpark. It is 1/3 the price of Beaches Negril. If my children were all under 5yo I'd probably try the Franklyn D. Resort. It consistently gets great reviews and many of the reviewers say they've gone back to the same resort several times. It is much smaller, older and more "quaint" but apparently the childcare there is second to none. The customer service is wonderful. I just think my 8 and 10yo would get bored. The Iberostar Rose Hall resorts look great but they are all interconnected and the 2 kid- geared ones are sold out for when I need them. So, they are unfortunately out of the running.

I'm going to try to sell DH tonight on the Half-Moon Resort. He was the one who suggested Beaches Negril but this resort sounds a bit nicer and is half the price! And much closer to the airport. So, hopefully I'll convince him. We just got the kids passport paperwork filled out (and expedited) today so we should be able to pull it off! Hope my research helps someone else.

[Nechums]

hm, never thought about 4 seasons. next Jan my kids will be 5.5 and 2.5, so DD would still be too young?

i don't want to do a house or condo. i like the full service of having everything changed and cleaned multiple times a day and the activity of a resort is really fun for the kids - being able to step out of the sliders and run to our lounge chairs and the pool. so i would definitely want to keep with the resort feel.

We just came back from El Conquistador where we stayed at the Casitas Village. Again, not an AI resort, but we were able to have the benefits of a villa and the benefits of a resort. For my kids' ages, it was perfect. I loved being able to give my kids' dinner on our balcony and it was on my terms and my food, so I knew they would eat.

That being said, I'm interested in many of the resorts quoted in this thread. Thanks for starting this OP. Also, Gatorsmom (I don't know how to quote two posts in tapatalk), thanks for your detailed post. I plan on looking into all those places you mentioned.

Eta: go figure, I already posted on this thread with a similar response and didn't even realize it!

[123LuckyMom]

I'm really interested in different AIs in the Caribbean and Mexico (is Mexico safe again?). I've never been to an all-inclusive, but I've always thought it would be very relaxing to just stay in a resort and vegetate! One of my favorite vacations (before kids) was to Little Dix Bay on Virgin Gorda. All we did was lie on the beach, swim, eat, and relax!!! Our budget for a regular beach vacation never exceeds $4-6k, though. We save the big bucks for big adventures! I'd live to hear more suggestions.

I'm glad to hear about El Conquistador. I've thought about going there but have been scared away by having to take a boat to the beach and hearing that the food is expensive and not great. I DO NOT cook on vacation!!!

[egoldber]

The price is what has always kept us away from Beaches. But they have a monopoly on that style of Kid Club though, which is very appealing to many. Although it's probably cheaper to pay for a local nanny for a week. :)

When the kids are older, there a lot more options. But most hotel "kid clubs" don't start until the kids are 4 and potty trained. And they are often extra $$ and not cheap!

[khalloc]

I couldn't stomach $14,000 for hotel/food for one week. We usually go on 1 or 2 Caribbean vacations a year. Sometimes we travel without kids. When we travel with the kids we usually rent a villa/house with a private pool. When we are alone we will do hotels sometimes All-Inclusive but sometimes not. I wouldnt spend more than $3000 on lodging for a week. Maybe slightly higher for all-inclusive when DH and I are alone. So for me that would mean Beaches would be an extra $7000 just to pay for food/drink and kids club. And you can definitely eat for less than that and at better restaurants and get better food than AI. I really think Beaches is about the convenience of it all. You dont have to think about restaurants or any of that since the resort does it all for you and they make it so you never have to leave. Plus they take care of your kids! My kids probably would put up a huge stink about going to the kids club and then I would have chosen Beaches for nothing!

[gatorsmom]

When the kids are older, there a lot more options. But most hotel "kid clubs" don't start until the kids are 4 and potty trained. And they are often extra $$ and not cheap!

I've found that too. But the Franklyn D. Resort in Jamaica sounds fantastic for childcare under age 5yo. The food gets great reviews but the rooms sound a bit dated with some old TVs and furnishings. Some Club Meds have baby clubs. The Club Med Sandpiper in Florida has one (which we used 4 or 5 times and loved it). I'm fairly certain the Club Med Ixtapa has a baby club and it was all refurbished in 2008 (maybe 2009? 2010? not sure). I think the Club Med Punta Cana kids clubs start at age 4yo, maybe 2yo which means you can pay a babysitter to take care of your baby in your room and the resort will provide the "Welcome baby" package (I think all Club Meds provide that unless it's an adults only CM), but there isn't a separate building for baby day-care until age 2 or 4.

[georgiegirl]

The reserve at paradisus punta cana kids club takes 2 year olds.

[gatorsmom]

The reserve at paradisus punta cana kids club takes 2 year olds.

Georgiegirl, would you mind giving a review of the Reserve at Paradisus? You were just there, weren't you? we had been seriously considering going there until we realized the flight was too long. But we haven't ruled it out for the future.

How were the kids clubs? What were some of the activities they had for the different ages? How was the food? Rooms? Customer service? Was the beach calm or wavy/rough? Was it clean? Would you go back?

[georgiegirl]

Georgiegirl, would you mind giving a review of the Reserve at Paradisus? You were just there, weren't you? we had been seriously considering going there until we realized the flight was too long. But we haven't ruled it out for the future.

How were the kids clubs? What were some of the activities they had for the different ages? How was the food? Rooms? Customer service? Was the beach calm or wavy/rough? Was it clean? Would you go back?

I'm there now. Will review when I return. So far we are loving it.

[arivecchi]

Honestly, I would not spend that kind of money on an all inclusive with so many gorgeous resorts in the Caribbean which will likely cost less. I love Cap Juluca and La Samanna.

http://www.cntraveler.com/readers-choice-awards/caribbean/best-resorts-caribbean

[gatorsmom]

Honestly, I would not spend that kind of money on an all inclusive with so many gorgeous resorts in the Caribbean which will likely cost less. I love Cap Juluca and La Samanna.

http://www.cntraveler.com/readers-choice-awards/caribbean/best-resorts-caribbean

Those look lovely but maybe more of a romantic getaway for couples than for families? Can you tell me about any of the activities geared for kids that the resorts offer? The website for Cap Juluca said they offer kids' programs occasionally and La Samanna didn't say anything about kids. That is what Beaches, Club Med, Iberostar and other "family" resorts do exceptionally well. They really provide entertainment and activities for every member of the family.

[hellbennt]

Club Med Punta Cana has a baby room - it's fairly new - well, 6 yrs? We've been lucky enough to have my parents take the whole family- we didn't go this past Winter break bcse the prices have gone up. We went on a Disney Cruise instead. anyway we've had wonderful experiences w/ the club med baby program & the kids club up to age 8 (that's how old my niece & ds were last time we went - we've been 2 times to club med Punta Cana)


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[sunnyside]

I couldn't stomach $14,000 for hotel/food for one week.

This is definitely me. Just too spendy.

[sunnyside]

going to look into that tonight. is club med kind of like beaches re: family oriented and AI? for some reason i always thought it was a singles resort. thanks!

There are loads of Club meds. Some are geared more towards singles and others towards families. I haven't been, I just know about it because I was a flying trapeze artist and many coaches used to coach at Club Meds. As I mentioned, my friend has enjoyed taking her family to Ixtapa. They have 4, 10, and 13 year olds and it's worked for them enough to go back this year. I've never been to any AI resort so can't really comment on how they compare. It sounds like a great place with lots of activities though. Enjoy your vacation!

[arivecchi]

Cap Juluca is great with kids if you want a relaxing vacation with them. They don't run a summer camp, but my idea of a vacation is spending time with them so I don't mind. Rooms are huge, beach is super calm and food is great. That's all I need!


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[khalloc]

The Tam resort in Aruba often has kids stay/eat free. You can have up to 2 kids in a room I think. But now they also have suites across the street from the beach as well. Which probably allow more than 2 kids. Its not a 5* resort, but its on a gorgeous beach. Its all-inclusive and I believe they have a kids club. I dont know what age you have to be to go to the kids club though. I've never stayed there with kids. Only at the Divi next door for a kid-free vacation. You can use both the Tam and the Divi facilities. So there are a bunch of restaurants and bars between the 2 hotels. Its a low-rise place though, not super fancy. But perfectly fine to me and the beach is way nicer than the hotels up by the Palm Beach area in Aruba.

My kids dont need that kind of stimulation that a kids club would offer. At least not all day. They might do it for an hour or 2, but then they would be wanting to hang out with mom and dad.

We've brought them to Barbados and rented a nice villa for a week for $1700 and we had our own pool. We would go to the beach for a couple of hours and then go back to our villa to have lunch and the kids could swim in the pool. I think the entire vacation cost us maybe $5000 tops. That was for airfare, villa, car rental, food, any souvineers.

I would spend $14k for 2 weeks in Bora Bora with my husband. But not for 1 week in the Caribbean with kids.

[egoldber]

I have not done this, but my ILs have. They rent a house and then hire someone to come in to cook and clean for the week they are there.


My kids dont need that kind of stimulation that a kids club would offer. At least not all day. They might do it for an hour or 2, but then they would be wanting to hang out with mom and dad.

My younger DD is like this. Even on the Disney Cruise, she didn't really want to be in their fabulous kids clubs for more than 1-2 hours at a time. She did like going to the various events they had (Pluto's Pajama Party, etc.). It was actually my older DD who REALLY enjoyed the tween club! She would hang out there and with the friends she met on the cruise virtually all day long. We wouldn't see her from breakfast to dinner! Moving forward, finding a place that has fun, safe, and structured activities for older kids is a priority for us.

[lmh2402]

we've done cap juluca as a couple and it's gorgeous, but wouldn't do with our kids. funny, but we don't use the kids club since we have brought help with us. but it's the energy of the resort - LOTS of kids, multiple pools (with lots of option for wading and shallow water), water park, kid-specific play areas, music, etc, that my kids absolutely adore. for us, they're just not old enough to relax, unfortunately. so it becomes the opposite of relaxing for us to try and keep them entertained. DD was literally captivated just sitting on the chairs by the pool and watching all the other kids. so I don't want to give that up. I'd just love to find it plus better food!

[gatorsmom]

it's the energy of the resort - LOTS of kids, multiple pools (with lots of option for wading and shallow water), water park, kid-specific play areas, music, etc, that my kids absolutely adore. for us, they're just not old enough to relax, unfortunately. so it becomes the opposite of relaxing for us to try and keep them entertained.

Yep, this is why we need the kids clubs. It was exhausting for me to try to keep the kids entertained at the pool or the beach all day, every day. I'm a stay at home mom, so I get tons of time with them. What I don't get a lot of is time to myself or uninterrupted time with DH. That is what we absolutely loved about the Club Meds we visited. I could actually get my free time and the kids were being entertained with other kids their age. We didn't do the kids clubs everyday but it was a great option for one or 2 days. At 10yo, Gator loves being independent and hanging out with other kids. He'd be bored just hanging out with mom and dad all day.