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America's Best Family Hotels 2011
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  5. America's Best Family Hotels 2011

America's Best Family Hotels 2011

Dorkys Ramos ,  Travel + Leisure and Travel + Leisure Staff
September 19, 2012
1 of 37 © The Walt Disney Corporation

There’s no need to leave the kids at home, thanks to Travel + Leisure’s list of the best hotels for families in the U.S.

Don’t be fooled by its name: Colorado’s Bachelor Gulch is well suited for families, with wide-open spaces and tons of activities. And if you stay at the Ritz-Carlton here, you’ll find enough amenities (and nannies) to ensure that parents get a vacation, too.

Family-friendly activities, attentive service, and beautiful landscapes are hallmarks of America’s Best Hotels for Families, as voted by readers in T+L’s annual World’s Best Awards survey. And the Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch, ranked No. 6, is a prime example of a property that offers something for every family member: air hockey and video games in the teen lounge; a 21,000-square-foot spa with claw-foot copper tubs; and access to Vail Valley’s numerous golf courses.

Connecting kids to the outdoors is a priority for many parents, so it’s no surprise that America’s Best Hotels for Families includes plenty of properties in natural settings. “Experiencing or reconnecting with nature is growing in popularity because of the benefits to children as well as adults,” says Diane Wood, president of the National Environmental Education Foundation. “In fact, more physicians are prescribing outdoor activities and time in nature for kids to help tackle obesity and other conditions.”

According to the 2011 TripAdvisor family travel survey, 37 percent of families plan to visit a national park this year. They’d do well to stay at Teton Mountain Lodge & Spa (No. 7) in Jackson Hole, WY. One mile from Grand Teton National Park and 60 miles south of Yellowstone National Park, this timber resort teems with outdoor activities, from ice-skating to horseback riding. Back at the hotel, spacious suites have pull-out sofa beds and kitchens, while customized massage packages are available for mother-daughter duos.

But even if the call of the wild is getting louder, Walt Disney World remains an indisputable kid-pleaser. This year, six resorts at the Happiest Place on Earth made the list of America’s Best Hotels for Families—and they offer a variety of accommodation styles. Disney’s Craftsman-style Wilderness Lodge (No. 8) within the Magic Kingdom has a rustic feel, while those sporting Topsiders will feel right at home at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort (No. 16)—a waterfront property that channels New England right in Epcot.

Read on to see all of America’s best hotels for families.

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2 of 37 © The Walt Disney Corporation

No. 1 Disney'sAnimal Kingdom Lodge, Orlando

Next to the theme park, a little piece of Africa: spot free-roaming zebras and antelope from your private balcony overlooking 33 acres of savanna. Doubles from $350.

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3 of 37 Courtesy of The Sanderling

No. 2 SanderlingResort & Spa, Duck, NC

Newly renovated 88-room beachfront retreat bordering an Audubon sanctuary, with a seafood-centric restaurant in an 1899 former lifesaving station. Doubles from $300.

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4 of 37 © The Kessler Collection

No. 3 BeaverCreek Lodge, CO

Tucked into a village just steps from the lifts, with fly-fishing and white-water rafting in summer. Doubles from $599.

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5 of 37 Courtesy of Eliot Hotel

No. 4 EliotHotel, Boston

Family-owned Back Bay boutique property, around the corner from Newbury Street and minutes from Fenway Park. Doubles from $285.

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6 of 37 Courtesy of the Four Seasons Resorts

No. 5 FourSeasons Resort, Jackson Hole, WY

An in-house biologist leads excursions to track moose and mountain lions—that is, if you can pry your crew away from the Xbox 360 in the kids’ club. Doubles from $550.

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7 of 37 Courtesy of The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch

No. 6 The Ritz-Carlton,Bachelor Gulch, BeaverCreek, CO

Winter heaven, with an affordable ski-nanny program, doggie spa treatments, and fire pits. Doubles from $549.

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8 of 37 Courtesy of Terra Resort Group

No. 7 Teton Mountain Lodge & Spa, Jackson Hole, WY

Tall-timber resort abutting the entrance to Grand Teton National Park; the new 16,000-square-foot spa has a rooftop yoga studio that offers kids’ classes. 800/631-6271; doubles from $389.

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9 of 37 © The Walt Disney Corporation

No. 8 Disney’sWilderness Lodge, Orlando

Totem poles, carriage rides, and a man-made geyser are just a few of the features of this Craftsman-style homage to America’s national park lodges. Doubles from $375.

See the full results of the  World’s Best Awards.

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10 of 37 Courtesy of The Sagamore

No. 9 The Sagamore Resort, Adirondacks, NY

Storied 1883 hotel on the shores of shimmering Lake George, where cruises take place on a handsome replica of a 19th-century wooden boat. 800/358-3585; doubles from $189.

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11 of 37 Courtesy of Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa

No. 10 GrandWailea, Maui

Calling all swimmers: this seaside complex has nine pools, a baby-friendly beach, and seven waterslides (some with white-water rapids). Doubles from $519.

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12 of 37 Courtesy of Sea Island Resorts

No. 11 (Tie) Cloisterat Sea Island, GA

Eighty-three-year-old grande dame with a coastal flavor (crabbing off the dock, anyone?). Doubles from $395.

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13 of 37 Courtesy of Trapp Family Lodge

No. 11 (Tie) TrappFamily Lodge, Stowe, VT

Yes, it’s owned by that von Trapp family—thus the Austrian-style décor and the weekly Sound of Music sing-alongs. Doubles from $325.

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14 of 37 Kiawah Island Golf Resort

No. 13 Sanctuaryat Kiawah Island Golf Resort, SC

Barrier-island resort that has wide-ranging activities: tie-dye lessons, all-ages golf, and Surf Kayak Rodeo. Doubles from $460.

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15 of 37 Courtesy of The Greenbrier

No. 14 TheGreenbrier, WhiteSulphur Springs, WV

Recently renovated 1913 property with a Cold War–era bunker that’s open for tours. Doubles from $359.

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16 of 37 © The Walt Disney Corporation

No. 15 Disney’sPolynesian Resort, Orlando

Connected by monorail to the Magic Kingdom, this tiki lover’s fantasy features everything from a Tahitian ceremonial house to a volcanic pool that “erupts” with water. Doubles from $510.

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17 of 37 © The Walt Disney Corporation

No. 16 Disney’sYacht Club Resort, Orlando

Near Epcot, a Nantucket-worthy shingled village with three acres of pools. Doubles from $465.

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18 of 37 Susan Seubert

No. 17 FourSeasons Resort Hualalai, HI

Inspired by the golden age of Hawaii; keikis get to make kiddie-size leis and snorkel Kealakekua Bay. Doubles from $795.

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19 of 37 © The Walt Disney Corporation

No. 18 Disney’s Grand CalifornianHotel & Spa, Anaheim, CA

Takes its cues from California’s Yosemite National Park, down to an Ahwahnee-like lodge and a redwood waterslide. 407/934-7639; doubles from $265.

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20 of 37 © The Walt Disney Corporation

No. 19 (Tie) Disney’sBoardwalk Inn & Villas, Orlando

Americana, everywhere: think carnival games and enough street theater to rival Atlantic City. Doubles from $500.

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21 of 37 Courtesy of White Elephant

No. 19 (Tie) WhiteElephant, Nantucket,MA

Kids get pails and shovels upon check-in at this quintessential New England beach retreat, where expansive green lawns lead to the harbor’s edge. Doubles from $720.

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22 of 37 Courtesy of Hyatt Kauai Hotels & Resorts

No. 21 GrandHyatt Kauai Resort & Spa, HI

With an inventive youth spa menu (hair braiding; Polynesian temporary tattoos). Doubles from $365.

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23 of 37 Courtesy of Hilton Waikoloa Village

No. 22 HiltonWaikoloa Village, HI

Water, water everywhere, from the saltwater lagoon to the tropical-fish-filled canals. Doubles from $369.

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24 of 37 Courtesy of Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort

No. 23 HyattRegency Lost Pines Resort & Spa, Cedar Creek,TX

Twenty-three miles east of Austin, with draft horses for mascots and a “Don’t Mess With Texas Animals” program where children learn about the wildlife of the surrounding habitat. Doubles from $319.

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25 of 37 Stowe Mountain Lodge

No. 24 StoweMountain Lodge, VT

The only ski-in, ski-out hotel on one of the best slopes in the East, with an après-ski spa for all ages. Doubles from $259.

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26 of 37 Alan Schein Photography/Corbis

No. 25 Disney’sVero Beach Resort, FL

Two hours from Orlando: beachfront breakfast with Goofy for the kids, wine-pairing classes for you. Doubles from $375.

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27 of 37 Courtesy of Stein Erikson Lodge

No. 26 SteinEriksen Lodge, Park City, UT

Five minutes from Main Street and right beside the lifts, with ski valets for every age. Doubles from $639.

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28 of 37 Courtesy Universal Orlando Resort © 2010. All rights reserved.

No. 27 LoewsPortofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando

Lavish re-creation of a picturesque Italian town, complete with nightly operas sung from the balconies. Doubles from $349.

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29 of 37 Courtesy of Grand Hotel

No. 28 GrandHotel, Mackinac Island, MI

Open from May to October, this legendary 19th-century resort on Lake Huron features 100 rocking chairs on the world’s longest porch. From $279 per person, including children’s activities and most meals.

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30 of 37 Courtesy of Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa

No. 28 HyattRegency Coconut Point Resort & Spa, BonitaSprings, FL

Near the Gulf of Mexico, with adventure—a rock-climbing wall; corkscrew waterslides—around every bend. Doubles from $199.

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31 of 37 Courtesy of Hyatt Hotels & Resorts

No. 30 HyattRegency Hill Country Resort & Spa, San Antonio

SeaWorld is your neighbor, but the fun begins on site: the four-acre water playground includes a 950-foot tubing river and a zero-entry kiddie pool. Doubles from $349.

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32 of 37 Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa

No. 31 HyattRegency Maui Resort & Spa

Set along a three-mile stretch of Maui’s crescent Kaanapali Beach and fresh from a $15 million face-lift; the stargazing nights are a hit. Doubles from $279.

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33 of 37 Courtesy of the Ritz-Carlton, Naples

No. 32 Ritz-Carlton,Naples, FL

Eleven aquariums, eco walks, and naturalist-led boat tours give young guests a crash course in conservation. Doubles from $769.

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34 of 37 Courtesy of Laplaya Beach & Golf Resort, Naples

No. 33 LaPlayaBeach & Golf Resort, Naples, FL

Order piña coladas by the Gulf of Mexico after dropping the kids off at Aquatic Camp. Doubles from $439.

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35 of 37 Prince Resorts Hawaii

No. 34 MaunaKea Beach Hotel, HI

Built by Laurance Rockefeller in 1965, with lanais for all rooms and a Robert Trent Jones Sr.–designed golf course. Doubles from $500.

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36 of 37 Joe Penninston

No. 35 Disney’sGrand Floridian Resort & Spa, Orlando

Turrets and plenty of gingerbread trim turn Disney’s flagship property into a showcase of Victorian style. Doubles from $505.

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37 of 37 Courtesy of Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel

No. 36 HapunaBeach Prince Hotel, HI

On a fabled stretch of fine white sand overlooking the Kahala Coast. Doubles from $415.

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