The Spread:
Sunny Isles, on the northern fringe of Miami Beach, sports one of the city's widest and finest beaches. Here. the Trump International Sonesta Beach Resort, a 32-story, 390-room high-rise towering over the Atlantic Ocean, represents a cooperative effort between its namesake and Sonesta Resorts, one of the Miami area's first hotels to implement a kids' program. The Trump opened in 2003 and has already won top industry awards for excellence and luxury.
Why Families Love It:
Families gravitate toward the beach and to the fantasy pool oasis with its lush vegetation and waterfalls. Air-conditioned cabanas are available to rent around the pool deck and on the beach, where you will also find kayaks, jet skis, windsurfers, and catamarans for an hourly fee. There's excellent shopping nearby, plus all the cultural stimulation Miami has to offer families.
Parents can recharge at the spa or the trendy Neomi's Grill and Lime Lounge. Gili's, a casual poolside bar and grill, is perfect for families.
The complimentary Just Us Kids program is open to guests ages five to 12. Participants score a free T-shirt. This is one of the few Florida programs that take kids to Parrot Jungle, Wannado City, and other local attractions, a bonus for work-weary parents who don't want to leave their lounge chairs. You do need to pay for entrance fees and a nominal fee for any meals. The program operates from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily and also 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. In-room video games and children's movies, plus a game room, round out options for grade- to middle-schoolers.
For toddlers ages three and four, the Just Us Little Kids program takes them in hand from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Children must be potty-trained and one-day advance registration is required.
Special Activities & Events:
The resort schedules special teen events during peak periods, such as Disco Night on New Year's Eve. During certain holidays, kids are offered unforgettable experiences, such as training to perform in a circus.