Planning a vacation for the whole family can be a tricky proposition. Fortunately, Phoenix has no shortage of resort hotels with golf courses, waterparks, and spa facilities where people of all ages and inclinations can find something to enjoy. Here are some great all-inclusive vacation spots for families.
Arizona Grand Resort
Arizona Grand is a destination for the whole family. From two-room suites to full-on villas, they offer a wide variety of charming, spacious rooms. They also have an enormous conference center, six dining venues, a spa, a golf course, and a water park. Each one of those features could be a list entry itself—the water park has eight-story water slides, a river made for tandem tubing, and more across its seven acres. Still, the whole point of the Grand is the way it all comes together in a diverse but cohesive family experience.
Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort
Phoenix really likes its all-suite resorts with waterparks. Pointe Hilton sits on 27 acres and includes the Tocasierra Spa, Salon & Fitness Center, as well as the Hole-in-the-Wall River Ranch. The River Ranch includes 18 holes of miniature golf, plenty of opportunities for shopping, and an ice cream parlor. There isn't any grown-up golf onsite, but the resort is less than five miles away from Lookout Mountain Golf Club. The suites and casitas themselves are decked out with a southwestern influence in gentle earth tones, ranging from two-room suites to split-level casitas with kitchenettes to the sprawling 2-bed, 2.5-bath, 2-hot tub, 2-fireplace Presidential suite.
The Westin Kierland
Located in Scottsdale, this resort is not all-suite, so if you want just a room, that's actually an option you have. Every room does have a private balcony, overlooking the golf course and the nearby mountains. Naturally, there's a waterpark. The highlight of the Westin Kierland is a "FlowRider" stationary surfing attraction, though there's also a lazy river, a waterslide, and an adult pool. The golf courses include three 18-hole combinations, and if you're not a traditionalist who's into walking or golf carts, they can also be traversed by bicycle or Segway. There's also a spa to round out the entire experience.
JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa
Located in Phoenix itself, the JW Marriott Desert Ridge has a lot to offer families. The resort has a "vacation planning" service so that you can schedule everything you want beforehand to just enjoy it all while you're at the resort. Their Wildfire Golf Club has two 18-hole championship courses designed by Arnold Palmer and Nick Faldo. There's also the "Family Escape Kids Club." It sounds like they mean an escape for the family rather than from it, but you can totally drop your kids off here and go to the palatial Revive Spa all day if you want. Of course, it wouldn't be a Phoenix family hotel without a waterpark, and theirs includes three heated pools, a cold pool, two whirlpools, a lazy river, and a waterslide. The focus here is more on the golf and the spa, but the waterpark is certainly present.
Arizona Biltmore
To punch things up a little, the Arizona Biltmore actually doesn't have a full-on waterpark. However, it does have plenty of aquatic activities for kids. There are eight separate pools, including Paradise Pool, which has luxury cabanas, a poolside bar, and "Splash Cinema" movie showings for the whole family. There are also cooking classes for kids, live music, arts and crafts, tennis camp, and more. The resort does feature two beautiful 18-hole golf courses, as well as spa and salon treatments at Spa Biltmore.
(featured image via neeta_lind, CC)
