9 best points hotels in the US where kids are treated like VIPs

05.12.2024 - 17:25 / thepointsguy.com

Once you become a parent, family vacations look a lot different from the years B.K. — before kids.

You can — and should — still travel; after all, it's important to show your children the world. But if we're being honest, those long days spent strolling aimlessly around new cities are a lot more challenging when there are nap times, bulky strollers and cranky toddlers in the mix.

Rather than pausing travel, a better strategy is to adjust how you do it. For example, you might trade a multicity itinerary for more focused time in one destination, or swap a big outdoorsy adventure with a stay somewhere beautiful with lots to do in and around the resort.

But one thing you don't need to alter is cashing in points for an indulgent splurge at a high-end hotel. In fact, some of the best hotels in the country cater especially to their youngest guests, treating them like VIPs with special events, rich and immersive programming, wonderful kids clubs, and theme park-like pools and playscapes.

Entertaining and involving littles more meaningfully in day-to-day vacation fun in turn makes for an easier, more relaxing trip for parents, too — almost like the ones you used to take way back when.

Here are the best points-friendly properties where kids are the stars of the show.

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From the first glimpse, the Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach looks a bit like a Tuscan countryside estate with its sweeping entrance, grand marble staircases and manicured gardens.

Instead, it's just outside ritzy Laguna Beach, California, and the hotel's polished, upscale air is a favorite with families who flock here for spacious, well-appointed rooms starting at 535 square feet, multiple pools, lawn games, a come-as-you-please kids activity room, an exclusive beach club and nightly music performances where littles are as likely to dance as older couples. The hotel is also home to Ahma & Co, a serene postpartum retreat center for new parents and their infants, who cocoon themselves within the luxurious confines of the hotel for around-the-clock care.

Rates at Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort & Club start at $714 or 95,000 Hilton Honors points per night.

With its Victorian-style red roof and slate blue clapboard siding, the Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort feels like a quintessential New England hotel, except it's perched on a picturesque hill overlooking a bustling harbor and the golden sands of Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, California.

And while the hotel has a decidedly sophisticated ambience with a glossy lobby, large spa and several sparkling pools, a real focus here is on kids. There are multiple splash pads, a shallow kiddie pool, a children's putting green, cornhole, daily