On The Road Again

Family playing at water park pool
FG Trade/E+/Getty Images
10 Vacation Resorts That Are Perfect For Bringing Grandparents

Give them their own bedroom and the might even offer to babysit for a date night.

Are We There Yet?

I love taking my kids on vacation. But you know what’s even better? Taking my kids and their grandparents on vacation. Sure, everyone has complicated feelings about parents and in-laws and spending a bunch of time together in a theme park or a beach, but if you cut out the cramped hotel room where your dad’s snoring kept your toddler awake all night, you may be better off. And that’s why finding hotel suites and resorts to fit extended family and grandparents is a must.

Look, I can make it work in a hotel room with my family of five. The baby goes in the travel crib, the big girls sleep in a queen bed or a pull-out sofa, and my husband and I get the other bed. But if you want help wrangling babies on the beach or hoping for a date night while you’re on vacation, you have to make that room bigger so you can fit the grandparents. Suites with extra bedrooms or even living spaces that can be closed off so someone can sleep on the pull-out couch are lifesavers, and they help everyone get plenty of rest so you can all enjoy the time together.

These kinds of resorts also help grandparents head back if they need a rest from all the fun, and you don’t have to worry about interrupting them. They’re also hugely helpful if the grandparents take kiddos to the hotel for naps or to give you some time alone, and the added bonus of kitchens makes it all easier.

So before you plan your epic family vacay, give these resorts and hotels a look to see if they inspire you to bring the grandparents along.

Great Wolf Lodge

Great Wolf Lodge

Great Wolf Lodge is practically designed with extended family in mind. There are lots of suite options at all of the resort locations, and the Poconos location in Pennsylvania offers the Woodland Villas, which are spacious and private units that sleep 8 to 10 people in several different rooms. There's a bunkroom that will delight kids and bedrooms for multiple groups of adults. A massive (truly) living room and full kitchen can open out to a private outdoor space, designed by Nate Berkus, where families can lounge, grill, and make s'mores on a fire pit. The interiors are chic and muted, the perfect counterpoint to the madness of the water park.

Villatel Orlando

Villatel Orlando

If you’re headed to Orlando and want to take the grandparents or extended family with you to cast spells with Harry Potter in Universal or spin in the teacups at Disney World, Villatel Orlando is a great choice. With apartment-style suites, there is room for everyone, and the amenities in the actual hotel mean that if it’s too much for the grandparents to venture out, they can lay low and have a great time right there in the hotel. There are also tons of fun things for the kids to do, so if you wear them out, it’s no trouble to leave grandparents downstairs while you take little ones up for a nap or vice versa.

Dreams Curacao Resort, Spa & Casino

Hyatt

Any kind of beach resort sounds like a great place to bring the grandparents, but the Dreams Curazao Resort, Spa & Casino is especially perfect. While the main resort area is open to children, there are new “beach glamping” concepts out on the beach for adults only. It’s like a tiny modular hotel room right there on the beach. So if the grandparents want to have some space, or if you and your partner want to have a date night while the grandparents stay in the main resort with the kids, this is just what you need. The resort is also full of fun amenities, but it’s the tropical beaches and perfect Caribbean waters you’ll be most invested in.

Little River Inn Mendocino

Little River Inn

If you want tranquil, gorgeous, cozy vibes — and the grandparents — then you want to book a suite at the Little River Inn Mendocino. Right on the coast of the Pacific Ocean, it feels like a storybook — and because the hotel itself is owned by a family, they know all too well how important it is to connect with your generations and build great memories. You can find cottages with extra bedrooms, as well as rooms with extra sleeping spaces like pull-out sofas. It’s like Old Hollywood meets ocean meets coastal grandma — it’s perfect.

Villas at Disneyland

Disneyland

A Disney vacation is the perfect place to take the grandparents, and if you’re headed to Disneyland, you absolutely have to check out the Villas at Disneyland. Some of these villas can sleep up to 12 guests, and you know the entire stay is going to be magical at Disney. There’s even a current deal running through September to get up to 25% off your stay. Whether you need the extra room for naps and rests throughout the day or just want plenty of space so everyone can get adequate sleep before rope-dropping in the morning, the Villas might be the vacation for you.

Margaritaville Vacation Club Atlanta

Club Wyndham

There are so many great spots in fun cities, but the Margaritaville Vacation Club in Atlanta might be one of my favorites — and it’s fantastic for extended family. With suites up to three bedrooms that can sleep up to 12 guests, the Margaritaville Vacation Club is cozy, but still luxurious, and offers incredibly fun amenities like the rooftop pool, the Margaritaville restaurant downstairs, and literally across the street from Centennial Olympic Park. Walk through downtown to hit the aquarium or World of Coca-Cola, and Club Wyndham also offers a private chef program to have someone come cook dinner for all of you right in the room. Bliss.

Sun Valley Lodge Condos

Sun Valley

Sun Valley, Idaho is like the coziest place you’ve ever been while also being the most glam. It’s a hard mixture to get right, but they nail it, and whether you’re there for hiking or skiing or just enjoying all that beautiful fresh air, the Sun Valley Lodge condos are a must for big families. You can scoop up these spots with up to three bedrooms, and they also include a full kitchen, spacious living areas, in-unit washer and dryer, and more. You can just step right outside to grab everything Sun Valley has to offer, too.

Casa Monica Resort & Spa, Autograph Collection

Casa Monica Resort

There are few things I love more than an old city with a deeply rich history — and ghost tours. St. Augustine is one of my personal favorites, and the Casa Monica Resort & Spa is phenomenal. With suites that have separate floors and others that just have extra bedrooms, it all depends on just how luxurious you really ant to get. But if you’re in St. Augustine with a crowd, this is a great hotel to really feel like you’re part of the timeless essence of the city — with the grandparents in tow.

Loews Portofino Bay

Universal Resorts

If you’re headed to Universal Orlando and want a nice resort, the Lowes Portofino Bay is a favorite for a reason. Besides all the obvious Universal Orlando perks like early entry into parks and merchandise delivery, the two-bedroom suites can actually sleep up to 10 people with a rollaway bed in the living room. So give the grandparents a room, snag the other, and put the kids on the couch with a movie.

Beaches Resorts Negril

Beaches

Take the whole family on a dream vacation to the Beaches Resort in Negril, Jamaica. There are tons of different suite options, including ones that sleep up to 18 people, so you’re sure to find a place where the grandparents and other extended family can enjoy the trip.

Taking the grandparents on vacation is always a blast — they get to create incredible memories with their grandkids and you get some extra helping hands when someone has a tantrum waiting to board It’s a Small World. So go ahead and book a resort that gives you all plenty of space to relax and enjoy.