How Beaches All Inclusive Resorts Do Multi-Generational Vacations Right

(Last Updated On: December 4, 2019)

Thanks to Beaches Turks & Caicos and Social Media on the Sand for introducing me to this resort. 

There is travel and then there are vacations.

I won’t lie and say they are one and the same. They both have their merits. It’s hard to do both at once. Sometimes you can cram both into a multi-generation trip, like we did on our Mediterranean Cruise a few summers ago. But it can be rushed  on the port days and not as relaxing as I want an actual vacation to be. Especially a family vacation. For a truly relaxing family vacation I pretty much want to park it.

Beaches Turks and Caicos has mastered the art of the multigenerational family vacation.

My parents are in their 80s. My kids range from  elementary school age to college. Cousins are infants and young adults.  We’re all over the map both age and location wise, which makes family travel especially challenging.

Many of us don’t travel frequently, there’s not enough days off in the year or dollars to buy flights with.  The decision to travel or not to family events can be a very emotionally charged one. There’s so much seemingly at stake, relationship-wise and it can be tough to spend quality time when planning and hosting events.  The adult hosts are overworked and under-appreciated. The kids are holing up on screens in the basement. We’re together, which is awesome, but it’s not always fun.

That’s why, for our precious travel dollars, family reunions, and future tradition building, I’m advocating spending holidays in a more relaxed fashion with the ones I love. All inclusive style.

Beaches Turks and Caicos offers families and groups of any size/age a solution to the who’s hosting dilemma.

Staying at an all inclusive resort also eliminates all those pesky family vacations that tend to crop up.

“Who’s picking up the dinner tab?”,

“What is there for the kids to do?”

“Where will Grandma park?”

If your family likes cocktails, they will be pleased by the open bars. Even premium drinks are available at no extra cost. My sons got a kick out of ordering their own (non alcoholic) smoothie drinks from the swim up bars.

 

If your kids are picky eaters, they can choose from over a dozen dining experiences.

Got Sporty kids?  They can swim, windsurf, snorkel and scuba dive to their heart’s content without leaving the property.

Do the grandparents simply want to lay by the pool, and veg with a good book? No problem! The resort also provides transportation in Golf Carts for visitors who cannot walk long distances.

 

There is something for everyone to do, and then some.

9/28/19 Edited to add: The straws pictured in this post are no longer used at Beaches Turks and Caicos. They have moved to a more eco friendly model, and we’ll be happily packing our stainless steel re-usable ones for our next trip.

Beaches has also invested in specialized training for their staff to better serve the needs of families with autistic children. This is potentially life changing for families who have had extremely limited travel options to date. 

At Beaches, kids can choose from plentiful scheduled and freely available activities like:

• A waterpark  with surf simulators, a lazy river, food trucks and waterslides
• A kids club with full daily programming and Sesame Street Character visits for little ones.
• A teens-only gaming lounge and club with nightly activities
• Scuba certification lessons

Rooms are also designed with families in mind – there are nice touches like trundle and bunk beds and gaming consoles and separate tvs for the kids.

 

 

The color of the water surrounding the Turks and Caicos is legendary. Unforgettable and dreamy.  True turquoise, to see it is to be immersed in it. It’s the bluest of clear blues. I could stare at that water for days, and will dream about it as long as I live.

Snorkeling here is a pleasure as the water is calm and crystal clear. It’s a perfect place to learn to snorkel.

The best vacations of my own childhood involved a beach, a few board games, my family and scads of time to just do nothing.  At least that’s my memory of summers at the lakehouse.

But I’m sure my mother remembers it a little differently – she was doing the shopping, cooking and cleaning!

I’m sure she’d be far happier to stay at Beaches with the grandkids, shelling on the beach and shopping at the nearby cultural market for local handmade goods.

Beaches runs frequent specials, making a vacation at this resort surprisingly affordable. Depending on the level of luxury you are looking for (some upgraded rooms come with butler service – a girl can dream) you can score an easygoing, relaxing family vacation for about the same price of bringing your family cross country for the holidays. Not saying you should choose one or the other, as there are merits to both.

Beaches Resorts give back and give their guests a chance to give back as well.

One more thing we loved about our trip to Turks and Caicos was the opportunity to give back. Via the Sandals Foundation we were able to pack a backpack full of much needed school supplies. My children recently received a thank you note from the school children who are now using these supplies in their classroom. I think it’s pretty classy that Beaches and Sandals enlist the help of their guests to make a difference in local communities.

If you have a relaxing family vacation on your wishlist this year, consider a Beaches family reunion. You might just end up like my friend Dede’s family, who’s visited 15 times with her extended clan. And nobody complains about having to drive.

Read a recent Beaches Turks and Caicos by No Back Home here.