When “Family-Friendly” Becomes Just…Too Much
I can’t tell you how many times I hear from parents that they need a resort with a massive water park, a bowling alley, a kids’ club, or some other shiny distraction to keep the little ones “entertained.”
I get it…you want them happy and therefore you are happy to enjoy your vacation! You want those picture-perfect moments where everyone’s smiling and no one’s complaining about being bored. But a lot of times these resorts with large waterparks and endless features that keep us running around constantly keep us from doing the thing we usually travel in the first place for: rest and relaxation.
Here’s the thing… those moments don’t come from flashy features. They come from the feeling of simply being together and connecting.
When I ask my daughter about her favorite travel memories, she never talks about the resorts with the biggest pools or the flashiest entertainment.
And let me tell you, she’s seen plenty of both.
She talks about the simple things. Like baking bread at House of Palmaíia, and the monarch butterflies drifting out of their cocoons in the sanctuary there onsite. She remembers standing at the edge of the river at Hotel Xcaret, searching for tiny fish as the morning light hit the water just right. She remembers early beach walks at Grand Velas, where we’d talk about everything and nothing at all.
That’s what sticks. That’s what she carries home and with her even years later. It’s the fond memories of being in a beautiful place together as a family.
It’s never the water slides, it’s the connection. The way time felt like ours again.
Because when we take the time to slow down, something shifts in us. We stop chasing “perfect” and start feeling present.
So maybe your next family trip doesn’t need the biggest buffet or the loudest pool. Maybe it just needs a little more space to breathe, some uninterrupted downtime together, and a well-rested parent upon returning home.
There are still slow luxury resorts that remember what childhood should feel like and offer experiences that don’t come with a plug, password, or excessive stimulation.
At Chablé Yucatán, the kids’ club feels like a secret world hidden in the jungle. Instead of plastic playrooms and neon arcade lights, there are nature trails shaded by ancient trees, hammocks that sway beside natural cenotes, and spaces designed for curiosity. Children learn about Mayan traditions, craft with natural materials, and move with the rhythm of the earth. If beaches are more your style, Chablé Maroma offers creativity meets conservation. Here, children can paint their own ceramic bowl which is later used to “plant” a fragment of coral that will grow back into the reef. Weeks after returning home, they can check on how their coral is thriving and growing. A tangible reminder that what they create can leave the world better than they found it.
Belmond Maroma, who recently had a rebirth during a full renovation, has a kids’ club that proves luxury and simplicity can coexist. Bee-day workshops, herbal explorations, shadow puppet theater, and mandala-making invite culture and play to come together. There are no iPads or animated mascots, just thoughtful guides who teach children to notice, create, and care.
And then there’s Palmaíia, a wellness resort that offers mindfulness, plant centered cooking, and art inspired by nature for both adults and children.
If you’re craving a vacation that fills you up instead of draining you, let’s create one your family will actually remember. Schedule your complimentary consultation today.
