10 Stunning Family Resorts With Private Beaches
In my opinion, any type of beach vacation is a good vacation. But when you stay at a resort with a beautiful private beach, the trip turns into a real getaway.
There’s just something about not having to search for a spot on the sand or sharing the shore with crowds of people that makes time at the beach even more relaxing. And your whole crew can enjoy this kind of exclusive access at these family-friendly resorts with stunning private beaches.
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1. The St. Regis Longboat Key Resort
Long Boat Key, Florida
This newly opened luxury resort spans 18 scenic acres that include a private 800-foot stretch of white sand beach on the Gulf of Mexico. Families will likely spend a lot of time on the shore and in the water here, but no matter where you are in the resort, the beach is never really out of sight. You can observe it from the family resort pool and the Winding River, the underwater lagoon where you can snorkel with local stingrays and reef fish, the beachfront spa and numerous restaurants on place. Opt for a gulf view room or suite to start or end the day watching the waves.
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2. Ocho Rios Beaches
Ocho Rios, Jamaica
Beaches Resorts’ all-inclusive properties are popular with families for many reasons, from the resort’s excellent program for kids and teens to the wide range of amenities and activities that include on-site water parks and water programs. diving. Stay at Beaches Ocho Rios and you can also head to its private white-sand beach and find kayaks, paddleboards, snorkeling gear, and even “aquatrikes” for getting out on and in the Caribbean. The 22-acre all-inclusive resort also offers seven restaurants, five swimming pools and a full schedule of daily activities and entertainment.
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3. Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort & Club
Dana Point, California
Book a stay at the Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort & Club, located on 175 acres atop a 150-foot oceanfront bluff in Orange County, and you gain access to the private Monarch Bay Beach Club. This is where the whole family can swim in the Pacific Ocean, rent paddleboards and kayaks, take surfing lessons, and enjoy seasonal beach bonfires with gourmet s’mores kits. Beyond the beach, the resort also offers free access to beach cruisers, a family pool, a fitness center, and dozens of free classes, plus a luxury spa with relaxation lounges overlooking the the ocean.
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4. Scrub Island Resort, Spa and Marina
Tortola, British Virgin Islands
Scrub Island Resort, Spa & Marina has not one but two private beaches. Located beneath the resort’s multi-level lagoon-style pavilion pool, Donovan’s Beach is the perfect place to enjoy activities like kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, snorkeling, and playing on the resort’s kid-friendly water trampoline. And then there’s North Beach, a secluded and picturesque 1,000-foot stretch along the Caribbean, just a short walk from the main resort. Accommodations here range from standard rooms and suites to six-bedroom villas, and you can take your ocean-centric getaway to the next level by literally learning the ropes of setting sail at the on-site offshore sailing school .
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6. Water Palm Beach Resort & Spa
Palm Beach, Florida
There are plenty of things for families to love at Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa. This includes two beachfront pools, an on-site ice cream parlor and new clubs for kids and teens offering craft sessions, video games and movie nights. On the resort’s private beach, staff can set up families with kayaks, paddleboards, and snorkeling gear to explore the Atlantic Ocean. Jonathan Adler-designed rooms and suites are decorated in colorful Palm Beach style, and even the family pup gets five-star treatment here with in-room dog beds, food and water bowls and homemade treats.
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7. Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve Puerto Rico
Rio Grande, Puerto Rico
You’ll only share the sand with other guests at the Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve Puerto Rico, located on a private 72-acre peninsula at the foot of the El Yunque National Forest. Take a kayak, paddleboard or snorkel to explore the coral reef-protected Atlantic coast from the resort’s private beach, or read or simply relax by the water. (The resort’s motto is, after all, “doing nothing means everything.”) An ideal spot for a multi-generational family vacation, the property also features Puerto Rico’s largest lagoon-style pool, a wide variety of food and beverage options, a Tom Kite – designed championship golf course, a soothing spa and free bikes for pedaling.
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8. Chatham Bars Inn
Chatham, Massachusetts
Brimming with quintessential Cape Cod charm, the Chatham Bars Inn sits on a quarter-mile private beach. Open year-round, it’s of course a popular spot during the summer months, when families can enjoy the calm waters of Aunt Lydia’s Cove, protected from the Atlantic Ocean by Cape Cod National’s North Beach Island Seashore. There’s also a zero-entry heated oceanfront pool, open mid-April to mid-October, as well as seasonal programming for kids that features hands-on activities, craft sessions, and films diving in the swimming pool. Adults will enjoy the resort’s restaurants, spa, and proximity to shops and restaurants on Chatham’s historic Main Street.
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9. The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort
Kiawah Island, South Carolina
Part of the Kiawah Island Golf Resort, The Sanctuary makes the most of its location facing the Atlantic Ocean. Ninety percent of the hotel’s rooms and suites offer ocean views, and similar views can be enjoyed from the family-friendly pool and outdoor Loggerhead grill. From the pool complex, a boardwalk winds down to the hotel’s private beach, where attendants help guests set up chairs, umbrellas, towels and beach toys. During beach season, these sands host activities such as sunrise yoga, surf lessons, seining, and evening beach walks.
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10. Ocean House
Looking Hill, Rhode Island
Enjoy a family beach vacation in elegant, vintage style at the Ocean House in Rhode Island. The reconstructed inn evokes its 19th-century history but has the modern touches that today’s travelers need. The resort sits along a 650-foot private beach where cabanas can be reserved during the summer months and activities include fishing, surfing, and stand-up paddleboarding. There are children’s programs during the summer, a full schedule of free wine and cooking classes throughout the year, a seasonal croquet lawn, a screening room showing family films, and bicycle rentals free to explore Watch Hill (which just so happens to be where Taylor Swift’s Rhode Island mansion is located).
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