New England Travel

The List: ultimate family resorts

Ron Starr for Atlantis

Yep, it’s great to get a hotel with a pool when you’re traveling

with small fry. But if you’re in the mood to splurge, here

are some off-the-scale options.

1

ATLANTIS PARADISE ISLAND

(pictured)

One Casino Drive

Paradise Island, Bahamas

800-ATLANTIS

www.atlantis.com

On your family quest to discover a lost civilization, you’ll encounter 50,000 marine animals, 11 pools, and eight waterslides — including one slide that drops you down a high-speed plunge of 60 feet through a transparent tunnel, in shark-infested waters.

2

GRAND PALLADIUM BAVARO RESORT & SPA

El Cortecito, Playa Bavaro

Higuey, Punta Cana,

Dominican Republic

809-221-8149

www.fiestahotelgroup.com

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Nobody says, “I’m bored!’’

at this all-inclusive resort, home of the largest kids’ club in the Caribbean (more than 5,200 square feet, with a Spanish fortress theme). Diversions include a pool, zip line, mini-disco, movie theater, waterpark, and trampolines

disguised as pirate ships.

3

MIGIS LODGE

Route 302

South Casco, Maine

207-655-4524

www.migis.com

Kids and teens hang with their own tribes for waterskiing lessons, sailing, kayaking, lobster bakes, and karaoke; parents appreciate the rustic-chic vibe of the cottages and the lovely, woodsy setting on Sebago Lake.

4

NICKELODEON SUITES

RESORT

14500 Continental Gateway

Orlando, Fla.

407-387-5437

www.nickhotel.com

If your kids are more into Dora the Explorer than Mickey the mouse, they’ll love the Nick character-themed bedrooms at this budget-friendly all-suites hotel, not to mention two water parks, a kids’ camp for ages 5-12, a kids’ spa, characters galore, and nightly live shows where families compete (and the winning kid gets slimed — a true honor).

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5

RITZ-CARLTON

GRAND CAYMAN

Seven Mile Beach

Grand Cayman,

Cayman Islands

343-943-9000

www.ritzcarlton.com

Go way beyond the usual kids’ camp activities here, where kids (and families) can visit the sea floor in a submarine, learn underwater photography, or explore a shipwreck as one of Jean-Michel Cousteau’s ambassadors of the environment.

DIANE BAIR

AND PAMELA WRIGHT

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