Here’s the Top 20 List of the Best Family Hotels and Cruises in U.S. and Canada:
1. Inn at Palmetto Bluff, Bluffton, South Carolina
Score: 97.90
Plantation-style cottages and a Jack Nicklaus golf course at a low-country retreat that’s a popular spot for family reunions. Two-bedroom villas from $1,300.
2. WaterColor Inn & Resort, Santa Rosa Beach, Florida
Score: 96.00
New Urbanist vacation rentals and a David Rockwell–designed inn on the Florida Panhandle, tucked between a dune lake and a stretch of glittering sand. Doubles from $325.
3. Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, Lake Buena Vista, Florida
Score: 95.87
Safari lodge near the theme park on a 33-acre African grasslands–style preserve where zebras, giraffes, and gazelles roam free. Doubles from $375.
4. Disney’s Beach Club Resort, Lake Buena Vista, Florida
Score: 94.65
Blue-shingled spread with the feel of a historic hotel, offering direct access to shipwreck-themed Stormalong Bay water park and free transportation to Disney World. Doubles from $465.
5. Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Lake Buena Vista, Florida
Score: 94.51
Woodsy Arts and Crafts–style compound inside Disney’s Magic Kingdom with a geyser that gushes on Old Faithful’s schedule. Doubles from $375.
6. Sanctuary at Kiawah Island, South Carolina
Score: 94.47
Golf-centric resort (five courses, four with family tees) where activities range from beachcombing to butterfly walks. Doubles from $435.
7. Disney’s Boardwalk Inn & Villas, Lake Buena Vista, Florida
Score: 94.32
Nostalgic take on a seaside village, complete with carnival games, jugglers, and a boardwalk-edged lake. Doubles from $475.
8. Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, Anaheim, California
Score: 93.27
Disneyland’s crown jewel has its own entrance to California Adventure, getting you into the park a full hour before the crowds. Doubles from $395.
9. Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, Lake Buena Vista, Florida
Score: 93.23
Porthole mirrors and crisp striped curtains evoke a nautical mood at this lakeside resort in Disney World. Doubles from $465.
10. Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch, Avon, Colorado
Score: 92.68
Majestically scaled lodge on Beaver Mountain with ski nannies who will shepherd your brood to the slopes while you decompress with a private yoga lesson. Doubles from $779.
11. Four Seasons Resort Hualalai at Historic Kaupulehu, Big Island, Hawaii
Score: 92.63
Ocean-view bungalows, plus a tricked-out teen lounge and baby-proofed rooms for guests with infants. Doubles from $655.
12. The Homestead, Hot Springs, Virginia
Score: 92.26
GREAT VALUE A 1902 white-columned classic in the Allegheny Mountains with an equestrian center, fly-fishing, and a spring-fed indoor pool. Doubles from $185.
13. Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa, Hawaii
Score: 92.09
Thrills for all ages, from a 150-foot winding waterslide to a Robert Trent Jones Jr.–designed golf course on an oceanside cliff. Doubles from $540.
14. Disney’s Polynesian Resort, Lake Buena Vista, Florida
Score: 92.03
Tiki-themed expanse: a four-story “volcano” feeds the pool and luaus take place nightly. Doubles from $510.
15. Whiteface Lodge, Lake Placid, New York
Score: 92.00
Nouveau Adirondacks great camp with its own ice-skating rink and bowling alley. Doubles from $477.
16. Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Lake Buena Vista, Florida
Score: 91.97
Lagoon-side grande dame with windows overlooking Cinderella’s Castle, on the Magic Kingdom monorail loop. Doubles from $575.
17. Four Seasons Resort, Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Score: 91.67
Ski-in, ski-out lodge at the base of Jackson Hole Mountain, with year-round active adventures (from rafting to geocaching). Doubles from $275.
18. Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort & Spa, Lost Pines, Texas
Score: 91.58
Horseback riding, skeet shooting, and hayrides add Texas twang to this compound outside Austin. Doubles from $339.
19. Kiawah Island Golf Resort, South Carolina
Score: 91.25
GREAT VALUE Five hundred vacation villas that share the same barrier island and amenities as the Sanctuary (No. 6). Villas from $205.
20. Vail Cascade Resort & Spa, Colorado
Score: 91.00
Right outside downtown Vail, with the area’s biggest fitness facility and a chairlift servicing Vail Mountain. Doubles from $349.
Source: travelandleisure.com