Go on TikTok or Instagram and there are countless memes, gifs, and videos joking that kids are running the families. But at Grand Palladium Kantenah Resort & Spa, they’re not kidding! With the launch of the new Family Selection category at this Riviera Maya resort, this resort brand is absolutely serious about giving kids what they want. In fact, the brand goes so far as to formalize the title of Family Boss to the next generation of resort vacationers!
With special amenities to exclusive clubs and activities that cater specifically to anyone 17 and under, plus adults-only features to occupy adults long enough to let the kids “do their things,” let’s dig into the features that make this beautiful resort a kid-approved pick for multi-generational, extended family, families of friends – any kind of family at all, really – trips they’ll remember forever.
Check Out the Check-In
Checking in can sometimes be chaotic and exhausting. Corralling little ones in a busy main lobby is stressful, and the last thing you want to do after traveling to a destination is chase them around. Family Selection guests get their own private check-in, which lets the grown folks who just want to sit the heck down do exactly that, in a safe, enclosed environment.
In-Room Discoveries
Getting settled into a room has never been more fun for little ones, as the Family Selection rooms provide age-specific amenities for their younger guests. Beach toys, for example, and adorable child-sized bathrobes and slippers for lounging in style. In the evenings, they’ll be delighted by milk-and-cookies turndown service. For anything else, families need only reach out to their Family Host, a butler-style personal concierge well-schooled in the needs of guests of literally all ages.
Kids Club
At a resort where kids are kings, parents can rest assured that the kids club and program is no afterthought. It’s incredibly robust here, with activities that include face painting, movies, cooking, bracelet-making, parties with Raggs & Friends, and fitness activities like Zumba for Kids. And there are nanny services for $20 an hour per child to pick up where the kids club leaves off, if need be. After all, Chic Cabaret and the amenities of neighboring, upscale TRS Yucatan – access to both available to adult guests! – are perks no one should miss!
Teen Club
Those ages 13 – 17 might feel their tween status as they float between child and adult interests, but the Black & White Club is specifically designed for this – and the! – time of their lives. Activities include things like make-up lessons, karaoke, movies for their age group, sports, and DJ-ing lessons, too – enrichment in a safe space with kids their age and stage.
Family Activities
While there are plenty of ways to divide and conquer their vacation experience, at the end of the day, a family vacation is about togetherness. Luckily, this resort and its Family Selection category offer plenty of ways to stay close! A private pool and beach space for this category means – once again, as with private check-in – an exclusive, controlled space to keep the kids together.
Off-resort but conveniently close by (bypassing any and all “are we there yets!”, the historic ruins of Tulum make for a wonderful cultural activity for the whole family to enjoy, providing respect for the people of and context to the destination. Also 25 minutes away is a Cenote Discovery experience, a leisurely sinkhole swimming adventure for something novel. And Dolphin Discovery, 20 minutes from the property, is an animal interaction classic.
Then at the end of any day, family-geared restaurants offer a good old-fashioned gathering around the dinner table. Bravo is the resort brand’s new dinner and dance experience, and the dinner as entertainment continues with Sumptori for show cooking Japanese. The Nest, an international buffet, also features show cooking and a wide selection of genres. During the day, beach bites at Es Niu fit the bill just fine. Meanwhile, 24-hour room service lets families determine their own mealtime schedule.
Pro Booking Tips
If all of that sounds like just what the family doctor ordered, we have a few pro-tips for those looking to book a Family Selection stay at Grand Palladium Kantenah Resort & Spa. The first and most important cost-effective hack is that up to two kids up to age 17 get to stay, play, and eat there … free. This special basically cuts the cost of a luxury family vacation in half for significant savings. Enough, we think, to justify upgrading to a Swim Out Suite category with the savings, which, by the way, is also available in Family Selection.
To make the most of any stay, don’t forget that Family Selection guests get access to exclusive restaurants and beach and pool areas for privacy and safety. In addition, adults have complimentary access to TRS Yucatan’s adults-only amenities, pools, bars, and services when they themselves need a time-out! Their designated Family Host can help guide them further, so never forget that resource is available on the ground once arrived.
