Hotel: InterContinental PLAYA BONITA RESORT & SPA

The Spread:
Located just 25 minutes from Panama City, the InterContinental Playa Bonita Resort & Spa seems worlds away from the urban bustle. From the floor-to-ceiling windows in the lobby you can see the ships lined up in the Bay of Panama, waiting their turn through the canal. Built on land that formerly represented a beach club for the U.S. military, the 300-room resort, opened in March 2006, sits on 20 tropical acres and fronts a one-mile stretch of golden sands, one of the best in the area. Catch the breezes and count the ships in the bay from the beachfront hammocks or from the thick-mattressed cabanas with billowing white drapes. Even young kids feel comfortable in the calm water, and the resort offers complimentary use of kayaks and water tricycles. The property's comfortable rooms, each with a water view, come with television, air conditioning, and wireless Internet.

Why Families Love It:
Location, location,

The Spread:
Located just 25 minutes from Panama City, the InterContinental Playa Bonita Resort & Spa seems worlds away from the urban bustle. From the floor-to-ceiling windows in the lobby you can see the ships lined up in the Bay of Panama, waiting their turn through the canal. Built on land that formerly represented a beach club for the U.S. military, the 300-room resort, opened in March 2006, sits on 20 tropical acres and fronts a one-mile stretch of golden sands, one of the best in the area. Catch the breezes and count the ships in the bay from the beachfront hammocks or from the thick-mattressed cabanas with billowing white drapes. Even young kids feel comfortable in the calm water, and the resort offers complimentary use of kayaks and water tricycles. The property's comfortable rooms, each with a water view, come with television, air conditioning, and wireless Internet.

Why Families Love It:
Location, location, location. Although the resort doesn't have a children's program (one is likely in the planning stages), the property is a great place for families to stay when exploring Panama. It's easy to take day trips into Panama City and to the canal's Miraflores lock. Afterwards, kids especially appreciate romping on the beach and splashing in the swimming pools, and parents indulge at the 10,000-square-foot Bonita del Mar Spa. Among the signature treatments: a chocolate exfoliation followed by a chocolate body masque. The Plantation Café's breakfast and dinner buffets offer ample choices so that will appease even the pickiest kids.

Special Events & Activities:
Take the resort's free guided nature hike that goes through the adjacent rainforest and ends with a kayak paddle back to the resort.