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Top 10 Hotels: Family Resorts
 1. Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Lake Buena Vista
Readers crave the timeless feel of Disney’s Grand Floridian. The Victorian-inspired resort on a lake with a sand beach borrows all the picturesque components of a historic hotel with the modern amenities families appreciate, from a zero-depth-entry beach pool for the tots to two-bedroom suites with separate sitting areas ensuring group harmony. Disney entertains the kids with Alice in Wonderland teas, and the parents with a fine dining restaurant. (407) 934-7639, www.disney.com
 2. Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas
Family favored in the Caribbean, Atlantis keeps all ages moving. The recently opened Aquaventure water park includes slides that plummet 50 feet and a mile-long lazy river. Dolphin Cay allows guests to interact with rescued marine mammals displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Also new, Atlantis Kidisthenics offers fun fitness classes including sand relay races, and Mandara Spa has facials, manicures, and massages for kids as young as 6. (888) 528-7155 or (242) 363-3000, www.atlantis.com
3. Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa, Maui
In addition to the Grand Wailea’s multilevel, multislide activity pool, kids love the new Chocolate-Coconut Polish treatment added to the Keiki Spa Menu. (800) 888-6100 or (808) 875-1234, www.grandwailea.com
4. Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa, San Antonio
The day camp at the Hill Country Hyatt lets kids search for arrowheads and play a cattle-roping game. The new teen club, Underground — It’s Your Space, has a “mixologist” who concocts teen-friendly smoothies. (800) 233-1234 or (210) 647-1234, www.hillcountry.hyatt.com
5. Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa
Kids love the meandering pools and 150-foot water slide. Parents love the newly enlarged spa. (800) 554-9288 or (808) 742-1234, www.grandhyattkauai.com
6. The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs
The new children’s club room at this foothills favorite includes a large kitchen designed for culinary classes. (800) 634-7711 or (719) 634-7711, www.broadmoor.com
7. JW Marriott Cancun Resort & Spa
After a day on the beach, the newly reopened JW Marriott offers families pizza and a movie. Milk and cookies show up at turndown. (888) 813-2776, www.jwmarriottcancun.com
8. Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, Lake Buena Vista, Florida
Club-level guests at Disney’s African-themed lodge can take a night safari that culminates in a family-style dinner. (407) 934-7639, www.disney.com
9. Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, Hawaii
Two new eagle rays inhabit the King’s Pond where kids can snorkel safely. Kids get faux tattoos at the pool and the resort will now arrange family dinners on the beach. (888) 340-5662 or (808) 325-8000, www.fourseasons.com/hualalai
10. St. Regis Resort, Monarch Beach, Dana Point, California
Beach volleyball and surf lessons by day, with s’mores by night, initiate kids into the California lifestyle at this St. Regis treasure. (800) 722-1543 or (949) 234-3200, www.stregismb.com
Mainland U.S. | Hawaii | Canada | Mexico/Central America/South America | Caribbean | Europe | Asia | Africa | Australia/New Zeland/South Pacific | U.S. Business | International | Business | Family Resorts | Editor's Picks
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The Platinum List
Isn’t
it great to hear firsthand from a friend about a wonderful travel
experience, complete with tips on where to stay and where to play?
Welcome to the ever-popular Celebrated Living
Readers’ Choice Platinum List, which is like having more than 38,000
friends share their travel preferences in one superb best-of-the-best
list. And what a list it is: 130 luxury hotels, 48 legendary golf
courses, 26 sumptuous spas, and 10 top cruise lines.
Two
highlights of the survey, for me, actually take the form of statistics
— we received 10 percent more entries than last year, and a whopping 79
percent more of you reported you read Celebrated Living regularly. As editor, that’s music to my ears.
For your eyes, our Platinum List has a handsome new design, courtesy of CL’s
talented art director Marilyn Calley. The pages are fresh, engaging,
and filled with images that will make you say “I want to go there,” or,
also fun, “We’ve been there and loved it!” As one reader commented,
“These picks are a mix of places already visited and those I dream of
visiting.” See for yourself, beginning with a handy pullout compilation
list on page 49.
 Of
course, we wanted to entice and reward you for taking the time to weigh
in with your outstanding travel knowledge. Grand Prize winner Henry de
Lagarde is glad he participated. He was randomly chosen to win a
two-year lease on a 2007 Lincoln MKX, MKZ, or Navigator (he chose the
MKZ and is pictured with it here), and 500,000 American Airlines
AAdvantage miles. Ten Second Prize winners received 50,000 miles each.
Quite an incentive, I’d say.
We hope you’ll agree that the rest
of this summer issue is as entertaining and enlightening as the
Platinum List. There’s a feature story on Heidi Klum, a look at
chartering fabulous yachts, five great summer motorcycle rides and
several bikes to enjoy them with, a tour of several cool European
castles, and more. Or, for those weekends when you want to just sit
back and enjoy your own backyard, check out our cocktail story, with
recipes perfect for poolside sipping — and for contemplating where
you’d like to go next.
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