The best family-friendly hotels in the Caribbean, including street party parades and on-site water parks
With fantastic beaches, bath-warm seas, watersports galore and a winningly laid-back lifestyle, the Caribbean is a fabulous part of the world in which to take a family holiday. We've picked out a range of tried-and-tested family-friendly places to stay to suit all tastes and budgets – from exceedingly luxurious hotels to a set of modest and very affordable self-catering apartments, and massive all-inclusive properties with every facility imaginable (even on-site water parks) to hotels with villa accommodation, an ideal set-up for families. Spread over seven islands and countries - Barbados, St Lucia, Antigua, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Grenada and Nevis - here’s our pick of the best family-friendly hotels in the Caribbean.
On St Lucia's north-west coast, this sizable Mediterranean-styled complex offers endless fun for families. It is located above an attractive, 200-yard-long arc of palm-dotted, brown-sand beach and has a lively, upbeat atmosphere (the tone is smart but not ultra-luxurious, except in the top-end villas). There are six swimming pools (including two for children), a well-equipped watersports centre, tennis courts, and a slick-looking spa, plus lots of organised on-site activities are available each day (most are complimentary). The accommodation varies a lot but families can book suites and villas, most of which have kitchenettes, and there’s a well-regarded children's club for four-12 year olds, which runs 10am-4pm and 6.30pm-10pm – so parents can make good use of it in the evenings.
• The best hotels in the Caribbean
Beach View is a smart, fresh-looking but unflashy aparthotel across the road from Paynes Bay, offering reasonably priced accommodation, good facilities, and a welcoming, informal restaurant, though most guests opt to self cater. One, two or three-bedroom apartments have a big living room/dining area, a large terrace or balcony, and a modern kitchen kitted out for proper cooking with clothes’ washing facilities. The several inviting swimming pools include separate adult (a boon when visiting during the school holidays) and children's pools, plus guests can help themselves to beach umbrellas, portable deck chairs and snorkelling equipment to take to the beach. Free shopping runs up to a nearby supermarket on a golf buggy are offered.
• The best all-inclusive Caribbean hotels
Beaches Negril Resort & Spa fronts a pretty stretch of Seven Mile Beach with a roped-off area for safe swimming and a space loaded with palapas and lounge chairs. There is just as much to entertain kids as there is adults, with watersports, street parades, nightly entertainment (including Sesame Street-themed story times and a teens-only nightclub) and two big waterslides in a fun pirate-themed water park. Adults can escape to the spa and adults-only restaurant on the beach where parties are sometimes held. Be prepared for some ambient noise, as there's usually some sort of game or competition going on, but the overall feel is one of relaxation and beach vibes.
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One of Montego Bay’s many all-inclusives, Hilton Rose Hall Resort & Spa is situated on Jamaica’s resort-heavy north shore on the site of a former sugar plantation. Accommodation differs only in the view, which can be soaked up from a patio or balcony, and there are no fewer than 10 restaurants covering every cuisine. Where the resort excels is with its facilities: it’s hard to drag yourself away when terraced pools, the Sugar Mill Falls Water Park – the largest on the island with its 280-foot waterslide and lazy river – watersports, a championship 18-hole golf course, pools with swim-up bars, six tennis courts, pristine beaches, Broadway-style shows and 400 acres of well-manicured grounds clamour for your attention...
• The best budget hotels in the Caribbean
Set in lovely grounds around a winding man-made lagoon, this luxurious Relais & Châteaux beach resort on Punta Cana’s less developed coastline is one of the most indulgent spots in the area. Expect beautifully designed spaces throughout the hotel, suites and villas, with tropical prints, cool calm colours, and the odd splash of Caribbean colour and Dominican art. Three excellent restaurants, two bars, a spa, championship 18-hole golf course and butlers at the Beach Club up the luxe-factor while the treehouse-style Koko Kids Club keeps little ones entertained with scavenger hunts, arts and crafts, video games and a mini spa. There’s an artificial beach for kids as well as a lifeguard-supervised children’s pool.
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Acres of shiny marble and coral rock characterise the grandiose Sandy Lane, which is all about conspicuous luxury, shameless pampering, oodles of glamour and high levels of service. Guests on sun loungers, for instance, are regularly plied with refreshing treats such as sorbets and squash, and staff will offer wet towels and a buffing of sunglasses. Most notable among the plethora of facilities are the three golf courses, the over-the-top spa complex, and a colossal, multi-layered swimming pool. Children are catered for with one of the best hotel kids’ clubs on Barbados, while teenagers have their own games room. Dinner is included for children up to 12 from mid-April to October (and the two main restaurants have great reputations).
• The best luxury hotels in the Caribbean
Couples and families seeking Caribbean downtime will enjoy this sanctuary of peace. Fish ponds, mature trees, vivid tropical flora and spacious rooms with a Nordic seaside feel immediately set the tone and days are spent flopping by the beach or in the large curvy pool. For the active, there are nine tennis courts, a fitness centre, mountain bikes and watersports on offer – plus complimentary hikes, sailing and windsurfing clinics, and yoga/pilates. The cinema screens family movies in the afternoon and there are kids’ clubs and a crèche. Families usually opt for the two-bedroom Beach Suites. Elsewhere, the entry-level Garden Suites are fine, but if you like a sea view, go for the Ocean Suites.
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On a secluded soft sand beach at Choc Bay in northern St Lucia, this all-inclusive resort is relaxed and affordable with a friendly, clubby atmosphere. Low-lying buildings sprawl over 22 acres from the beach to the hillside though Wi-Fi warriors will need to pick rooms on the hillside by Tree Tops restaurant, as rooms to the left of the resort don’t have it. Each of the restaurants and pools has its own character, from the rusticity of Tree Tops and the whitewashed New England style of beachside Bambou, to upmarket Le Jardin, which is all white tablecloths and candles. Facilities are endless with plenty to do for children – while grown-ups wanting to get away from the hubbub can relax in the adult-only pool or in the spa.
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This small collection of good-value self-catering cottages opens on to Lance aux Épines Beach, a gorgeous stretch of golden sand towards the rear of yacht-filled Prickly Bay. The bay is very sheltered, so almost always good for safe swimming and guests can borrow kayaks and paddleboards (another hotel shares the beach, but it's very peaceful). Note that there’s no swimming pool but a television/games room has a table tennis table, pool table and table football and there's an appealing, low-key beach bar/café. In terms of the accommodation, the seven stone-built cottages and four apartments are old-fashioned but homely. Each cottage has its own picnic table, parasol, hammock and sun loungers, while the apartments share these facilities.
• An insider guide to Barbados
Beside the clean white sands and super-clear waters of Pinney's Beach on Nevis, this sporty and often busy Four Seasons family resort is blessed with enough space to never feel overcrowded. The look is contemporary Caribbean – guests arrive via a splendid avenue of palms and are then welcomed into a soaring Great House with a lobby that feels like a stage. Generously sized pools and gingerbread-trimmed two-storey accommodation blocks are set beside emerald lawns and vivid tropical flora. A long, well-kept beach is centred on a wooden pier that is lit up at night, while cabanas and an adults-only Reflection Pool provide space for some private downtime. A high level of service makes it an ideal spot for an upscale beach holiday.
Contributions by Meera Dattani, Kaye Holland , Nigel Tisdall, & Terry Ward
