Fun Hotels That Cater To Active Families

While some families like to chill on the beach and completely veg out on vacation, others are more of the active type. For parents and kids who like exploring through fitness and adventure, there are a number of US hotels catering to your needs. Check out the five properties below, which encourage you to leave your guest room to explore without sitting still. 

21c Museum Hotel Bentonville (Bentonville, Arkansas) 

For active families who love exploring on two wheels, 21c Museum Hotel Bentonville features an impressive array of paved cycling and mountain biking trails. You can bring your own bike, opt for a free cruiser rental (first-come, first-serve) or borrow a discounted bike from the property’s affiliated Phat Tire Bike Shop. Onsite you’ll also find bike lockers, a bike washing station, a bike valet and even a special package for cycle enthusiasts called “Just Ride.” The offering includes perks like a welcome amenity, two 21c water bottles and a $100 credit for a two-person dinner at  The Hive. Tip: Pair a farm-to-bar cocktail with the pasture-raised chicken laced with green garlic or the wood fire-cooked burger topped with pimento cheese. 

Starting Rates: $200 per night. 

Spruce Point Inn (Boothbay Harbor, Maine) 

This 56-acre resort caters to both land and sea-loving families thanks to its waterfront setting. Along with a well-equipped fitness center offering everything from elliptical machines to bosu balls, parents and kids can go for a 3.5-mile jog on their onsite marked trail, pair up with a guide to trek around Boothbay Region Land Trust, get in a game of tennis, or borrow a bike to cycle around the town. To cool off, opt for kayaking to Burnt Island Lighthouse, paddle boarding, or swimming in your choice of saltwater or heated freshwater pool. For a special meal with a local twist, spend some time fishing from the dock — before having Spruce Point Inn’s chef prepare your day’s catch for dinner. 

Starting rates range from $145 per night in May to $310 in July and August. 

The Westin Riverfront Beaver Creek (Avon, Colorado)

This family-friendly resort includes a ton of active amenities: an onsite sports store for renting bikes, immediate access to the 40-mile Eagle River Bike Path, free daily Gore Creek Fly Fisherman-led casting clinics — not to mention nearby Nottingham Lake offers standup paddle board and fishing pole rentals. One wildly popular amenity from last summer that they’re bringing back for spring is their FIT Family Kits. The kits include chalk, jump rope, cones, footballs, a kite and other fun active play accouterments, available to check out for up to 24 hours free of charge. 

Starting Rates: $199 per night. 

Sanderling Resort (Outer Banks, North Carolina) 

For families wanting to get active with a quirky twist, Sanderling Resort offers a one-hour Mermaid School. During the class, parents and kids learn to swim like Ariel while donning a mermaid tail. You’ll truly master that dolphin kick and your hula hoop dive! Additionally, their Kitty Hawk Kites popup means fun fitness activities like paddle board yoga, surfing, kiteboarding, hang gliding, wake boarding, sunset kayaking — even jet packing — are available. Tip: don’t miss an extra special off-roading excursion to see local wild horses. 

Starting Rates: From $189 per night in spring and from $399 per night in summer. 

Red Mountain Resort (St. George, Utah)

This resort caters to families with children 12 and over, offering daily guided hikes (at varying intensity levels) as well as excursions focused on kayaking, canyoneering and rock climbing. Fitness-minded guests will love their classes ranging from yoga to Pilates to meditation, along with bike rentals to explore local trails and indoor/outdoor swimming pools. With all these calories being burned, it’s important to refuel with delicious onsite dishes like grass-fed steak (or tofu steak!) with potatoes, or skillet-seared venison done in a zinfandel strawberry sauce and celery root puree. In the resort spa, parents can enjoy luxe treatments like whipped honey body wraps and agave nectar massages while teens partake in beauty treatments and fitness sessions (or spa treatments under the supervision of a guardian). 

Starting Rates: Active families can opt for Red Mountain Resort’s all-inclusive Adventure Retreats, which include all meals, daily hikes, activities and accommodation starting at $265 per night. 

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Note: Available plans and coverages may have changed since this blog was published.