The 10 best Marriott hotels for families for a carefree vacation

by admin May 03, 2023

When planning a family vacation, choosing the right hotel is just as important as packing the stuffed animal your child can’t fall asleep without.

Whether you are headed to the beach, the big city or a theme park, Marriott has hundreds of properties that promise kid-friendly vacations with amenities that are most important to families, like comfortable, spacious accommodations, family-friendly dining and activities, and a location convenient to the attractions you plan to visit.

And when you choose a Marriott hotel for your family vacation, you can earn — or spend — valuable Marriott Bonvoy points that can offset the cost of your family vacation. After enough stays, you can earn elite status (or fast-track your way to elite status with certain credit cards), which will get you access to perks like late checkout, room upgrades and more.

Here are 10 Marriott hotels that guarantee you’ll have the best family vacation ever. Just don’t forget to pack that stuffed animal!

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The Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance is one of the closest off-site hotels to Disneyland. It’s so close to the California theme park, in fact, that you can walk to Disneyland’s front gates in less than 10 minutes (maybe just over 10 minutes if you have little ones to wrangle), and there is an outdoor patio where you can watch Disneyland’s fireworks from outside the park. Some rooms have balconies with theme park views, as well.

In addition to being so close to Disneyland that you can practically smell the Mickey pretzels, the Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance has plenty to keep your family busy during your time away from the park. Families can fuel up in the morning at the hotel’s restaurant (which serves Starbucks coffee to tired parents), stock up on necessities and souvenirs at the gift shop, and cool off at the on-site Surfside Waterpark, which has a large water play area for younger kids, winding waterslides for big kids (and parents), a swimming pool and a large 17-person hot tub.

Many guest rooms are designed specifically for families and can comfortably sleep up to six guests. These rooms have two queen beds and a twin bunk bed, a corner banquette with a dining table, a bathroom with a shower-tub combo and a separate stand-alone shower so everyone has space to get ready in the morning.

Room rates at the Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance start at around $300 or 65,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night.

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While not technically a Walt Disney World hotel, the JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort & Spa is one of the most conveniently located hotels for visiting Epcot, Disney Springs and Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park. Disney’s other theme parks are only about a 10-to-12-minute drive from the hotel, or you can utilize the hotel’s complimentary shuttle service.

Like all Disney World-area hotels, the JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort & Spa knows its target audience and gears its upscale amenities and accommodations toward families. The hotel has a minigolf course, a rock climbing wall, a large pool with a splash area for kids and a rooftop terrace where families can watch the nightly fireworks at Epcot and Magic Kingdom. Kids ages 5 through 12 can also visit the Hidden Garden Kids Club (additional fee required) for supervised crafts and activities every day of the week.

The hotel has 516 guest rooms and suites in a variety of layouts, but the family loft suites are designed specifically for guests traveling with children. The family loft suites have two bedrooms, one with a king bed and twin sleeper sofa and one with a queen bed and lofted bunk bed. They also have two full bathrooms and a large living area.

Room rates at the JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort & Spa start at around $330 or 40,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night.

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Atlantis Paradise Island in the Bahamas is a wildly popular tropical vacation destination for families. This massive beachfront complex comprises five hotels, more than 40 restaurants and bars, a 141-acre water park, a supervised kids club for children as young as 3, a teen club and a large selection of aquatic adventures.

There are only three Atlantis Paradise Island hotels you can book using Marriott Bonvoy points: The Coral at Atlantis, The Cove at Atlantis and The Royal at Atlantis. Of the three, The Royal is the best choice for families. Its central location provides easy access to many of the resort’s amenities, including the Aquaventure water park and Dolphin Cay marine experiences.

If you manage some time away from the kids, Atlantis has a casino and exciting nightlife for adults. Still, most activities are geared toward families, including access to more than 5 miles of white-sand beaches and educational marine exhibits and activities. The Aquaventure water park (admission is included in your stay) has 11 swimming pools, a fast-moving river ride and multiple waterslides, some of which provide underwater views of fish, sharks and other marine life. With so many restaurants on-site, there are plenty of casual dining options for families.

The Royal has 1,201 guest rooms and suites, each with floor-to-ceiling windows, a private balcony, gorgeous views, and modern, island-inspired decor.

Room rates at The Royal at Atlantis start at around $750 or 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night.

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The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa is the perfect coastal South Carolina retreat for families. Located on the quieter north end of the island, guests have access to a private beach, three sparking outdoor pools, a kids club and four on-site restaurants.

The resort holds daily activities, including fitness classes, pool games and arts and crafts for kids (for an additional fee). Guests can rent bicycles to explore the beachfront or Hilton Head’s more than 60 miles of pathways and nature trails, or relax in a poolside cabana rental next to the family pool. Cabanas have a TV, towels, fans and a minifridge stocked with drinks and snacks. In the evening, you can also rent a fire pit with seating for up to eight guests and a complimentary s’mores kit.

The design of guest rooms and suites at The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa reflects the hotel’s coastal location. You’ll find peaceful, neutral decor, a private balcony and Westin’s signature “Heavenly Bed.”

Room rates at The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa start at around $240 or 43,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night.

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Marco Island is a small barrier island near Naples on Florida’s Gulf Coast. The island is home to a handful of beach resorts, including the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort and its 3 miles of private sandy, white beach on the Gulf of Mexico. If you venture from the resort, you are only a short drive away from Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge and Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve and less than an hour from Everglades National Park.

Along the beach, you’ll find cabanas and daybeds available for rent, or you can bring your own chairs and umbrellas to the beach. Off the sand, JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort has multiple pools, including a family-friendly Tiki Pool with a kid-size waterslide, a waterfall and a shallow zero-entry area for younger children. The hotel also has multiple dining options to choose from. Families will be particularly thrilled with the 10K Alley gastropub with bowling, minigolf and arcade games.

Guest rooms have a refined beachy feel, with floor-to-ceiling windows and balconies where you can take in views of the gulf or the pool and ocean-inspired artwork above the bed. Lanai suites, while pricier than standard rooms, provide families with more space and direct access to the beach and pool.

Room rates at JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort start at around $300 or 64,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night.

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There’s nothing quite like staying at a Gaylord Resort. With five locations across the U.S. (and more on the way), these all-in-one resorts have everything you need in one place — food, shopping, fun and a place to rest your head before you do it all again the next day.

If your travels take you to Music City, the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center makes for a fitting, one-of-a-kind home base for your Nashville adventures.

The sprawling resort is housed within a series of large glass atriums, and many rooms have balconies that overlook the gorgeous indoor gardens. These “atrium view” rooms are perfect for families, and kids will love sitting on the balcony to marvel at the sights below. In addition to guest rooms, the atrium is also home to restaurants, shopping, a full-service spa, ponds, fountains and gardens and myriad family-friendly activities.

Year-round activities include things like scavenger hunts, atrium light shows, movie nights, animal encounters and more. If you visit during holidays like Christmas, Easter or Halloween, you’ll find even more activities and events themed to each holiday.

Admission to the hotel’s indoor-outdoor SoundWaves water park is not included with your stay unless you purchase select overnight packages, but you can add on daily admission as long as space is available.

Room rates at Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center start at around $300 or 40,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night.

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The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa is located just outside of Scottsdale, Arizona, in the captivating Sonoran Desert. The hotel’s rooms and suites evoke the colors and textures of the desert with a neutral color palette, accent pieces and artwork made with natural materials.

In addition to standard guest rooms, the hotel has a variety of suite types, though families may most appreciate the Casita Suites. These rooms are located closest to the pool complex and have separate living and sleeping areas, a large furnished patio and a kitchenette stocked with cookware and dinnerware.

The hotel’s Adventure Water Park has a 110-foot-long waterslide, a FlowRider surf simulator and a 900-foot-long lazy river. You can easily spend a full day at the water park, and the hotel makes it easy with plentiful seating and cabanas available for rental. You can even rent the Tommy Bahama Relaxation Reef “private island” area located in a section of the lazy river with shaded seating, reserved tubes for the pool and a dining table.

Room rates at the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa start at around $209 or 41,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night.

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At the Wailea Beach Resort, families have access to two beautiful beaches, multiple pools — including one with a kid-friendly splash area and a twisting, turning waterslide — a complimentary kids club for children ages 5 to 12, a cozy movie screening room with oversized beanbag chairs and daily cultural activities.

Like the rest of the resort, the hotel’s 547 guest rooms have a laid-back, beachy style. Each room also has a private lanai, and if you plan to spend most of your time at the beach or pool (and why wouldn’t you?), select ground-floor rooms have larger furnished lanais with direct access to the hotel grounds.

If your kids do choose to utilize the kids club, adults can visit the full-service spa and championship-level golf course, swim in the adults-only pool or take a complimentary fitness class. For some memorable togetherness time, families can reserve a spot at the luau (held Mondays and Thursdays through Saturdays), visit the large indoor game room or take a complimentary lei-making class or ukulele lesson.

Room rates at Wailea Beach Resort currently start at around $807 or 71,500 Marriott Bonvoy points per night.

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The New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge is close to some of New York City’s most popular family attractions. From the hotel, you are less than a mile from Brooklyn Bridge Park and within walking distance of the Brooklyn Bridge Walkway. Once you make your way across the bridge into Manhattan, you can continue to explore by foot or hop on the subway to continue your New York City adventures.

Back at the hotel, you’ll find stylish, modern guest rooms with large murals inspired by the sights of the city, sleek furnishings and floor-to-ceiling windows where you can drink in the city views. The hotel also offers two-bedroom suites for families who need additional space. When you aren’t galavanting around the city or lounging in your room, you can swim in the hotel’s heated indoor pool.

Room rates at the New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge currently start at around $291 or 32,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night.

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The Hythe recently received a $40 million renovation, making it even more modern and stylish than it was before. For families, this means elevated alpine-style, spacious rooms, and thoughtful touches like complimentary s’mores and hot chocolate every afternoon, all within walking distance of the snowy slopes.

Standard guest rooms have an upscale lodge feel, but it’s worth splurging on one of the deluxe rooms with more space and a cozy fireplace, or the larger guest rooms with a furnished terrace and a fire pit.

For your apres-ski adventures, The Hythe offers delicious dining, multiple pools and hot tubs for soaking away post-ski soreness, complimentary private transportation around Vail, a ski rental shop and a ski valet.

Room rates at The Hythe currently start at around $250 or 77,500 Marriott Bonvoy points per night.

Related reading:

The 10 best Marriott hotels for families for a carefree vacation

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