How hotels could help solve your summer childcare crunch
Getty ImagesAs summer school breaks stretch longer and childcare becomes harder to secure, some families are turning to an unexpected solution: hotels offering full-day, structured kids' camps that allow parents to travel, work and keep routines intact.
Life is never quiet when you're a parent of young children but plotting how to cover the long spring and summer breaks when schools shut down and work carries on can be particularly challenging. Camps fill up fast, babysitters can be hard to secure and relatives rarely have infinite time or patience.
Traditionally, most families look close to home for childcare. But in a world of remote work, flexible schedules and Zoom meetings, some parents are starting to look further afield. A growing number of hotels now offer full-day structured and educational kids' clubs that allow parents to travel – and keep working – while their children are occupied elsewhere.
This is not a mass-market solution; these programmes are largely aimed at families with flexible jobs and the budget to pay for premium accommodation and childcare. But for those who can access it, hotel-based camps are reshaping how some parents think about summer logistics, turning what is usually a juggling act into an opportunity to travel.
Childcare, upgraded
Take Camp Manitou, for example, which partners with several Four Seasons hotels in Hawaii and select Auberge properties in New Mexico and California. Its Adventure Camp Days (for ages eight to 17; $225 [£164.25] per person all-inclusive) typically kick off in Hawaii with stand-up paddling or snorkelling from 07:30, followed by breakfast and a packed schedule of surfing, swimming, beach games and pizza making before a 15:30 pick up.
Alamy"[The camps are] run by real youth-programming pros," says Kristin Winkaffe, founder of travel advisory service Winkaffe Global Travel. "The consistency is the big win. If parents need to work, Four Seasons tends to be a safe choice because the wi-fi actually works and the kids' clubs run on a schedule you can count on."
Practical options for working parents on the road
Ritz Kids: The Ritz-Carlton runs full-day Ritz Kids programmes at many of its properties across the globe, with a focus on destination-specific activities, education and conservation. In southern California's Laguna Niguel, that means bird box painting and squid dissections; while up the coast in Santa Barbara, it's more about tide pooling and learning about Chumash history.
Boundless Camps: Boundless Life offers four-week getaways that bundle accommodation, coworking spaces and an educational programme for children from 08:45 to 15:15 on weekdays. Kids follow a structured curriculum incorporating mindfulness, academic sessions and immersion in nature and culture. Destinations include Greece, Italy, Montenegro and Portugal.
Hyatt Hotels: Hyatt runs well-priced full-day camps for kids up to 12. In Aruba, Camp Watapana includes scavenger hunts, wildlife tours and a beginners' lesson in Papiamento (the local Creole dialect) for $95 (£69.36) per day.
Kids for All Seasons: The upscale Four Seasons hotel group runs its full-day Kids for All Seasons programme at many of its properties. Erin Green of Pique Travel singles out Four Seasons Punta Mita in Mexico for its all-day kids' club, game room, babysitting service and kid-focussed amenities.
Winkaffe says many of her clients use these elevated childcare programmes to blend holidays with remote work. "It's usually parents in consulting, law, tech or any job where going totally offline just isn't realistic," she says.
As a mother herself, Winkaffe says that mixing both modes is "pretty much the only way we get to travel as often as we do". She explains: "We'll set up in our suite, block off a few hours work while our daughter is enjoying herself and then go do something fun together."
Winkaffe says the appeal is emotional as much as logistical. "We still get family time, we can all explore and share experiences together and no one feels 'mom or dad guilt'."
Camps around the world
Options vary widely by age, destination and intensity.
In Scotland, Gleneagles hotel runs the Glen Adventurers Programme for kids aged three to 12 during school holidays, from 09:30 to 15:15. Younger children can try den building and pottery while older ones tackle archery, tree climbing and woodland skills, earning badges as they progress.
In Mexico, travel advisor Erin Green of Pique Travel recommends the all-inclusive Grand Velas resorts. "At their property in Riviera Maya, the hours go until almost 23:00 so adults can enjoy dinner while taking advantage of the childcare," she says. "They make an effort to incorporate Mexican tradition and culture into their programmes as well."
Winkaffe's personal "gold standard" is the Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort in Fiji. "If I had to pick one resort in the world that actually gets what parents need, it's this: dedicated nannies for little ones; 'buddies' for older kids; and genuinely structured programming all day long."
Activities range from marine-biology lessons and snorkelling excursions to kayaking and introductions to Fijian culture. "The kids basically disappear into their own world from breakfast to bedtime. Parents can work, nap, dive – whatever. It's the most 'actual summer camp' resort out there," she says.
Columbia Beach ResortLal Askar, managing director for the Luxury Childcare Association, a new membership organisation for family-friendly hotels and resorts, makes the point that any hotel-based childcare needs to meets or surpass what families rely on at home. She highlights Columbia Beach Resort in Cyprus for its full-day creche and kids' club, plus conference rooms, business centre and office-like suites; as well as Helea Lifestyle Beach Resort in Rhodes.
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"These destinations each provide high-quality childcare from as early as four months, along with dependable babysitting services, safe environments and highly trained staff," she says. "This combination allows parents to work with confidence while keeping the family's daily rhythm intact."
Combining camps with travel
Another option is to enrol your child in a residential summer camp and work remotely nearby. That's exactly what Jessica Frankovich from Naperville, Illinois, has done for the past two summers. She sent her daughter, Reagan, to Teton Valley Ranch Camp (TVRC) in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, continuing her role for an insurance company from a nearby rental home.
At TVRC, kids aged 11 to 16 spend a month at a time immersed in the outdoors, hiking, horseback riding, building fires and exploring nature. Devices and screens are not allowed, but camp-goers send a letter home at least once a week.
Getty ImagesFrankovich chose to stay close enough so she could be near her daughter and attend the weekly rodeos. "It was more for our peace of mind," she says. She would start work at 06:00 and clock off by 15:30, spending her afternoons hiking or biking. "To be able to take a few weeks, where this is my life… is great," she says. "It's so refreshing."
Travel advisor Cari Gray of Gray & Co, meanwhile, points to sports camps – such as Rafael Nadal's residential tennis camp in Mallorca and the Juventus Training Sessions in Italy, as well as Schloss Elmau in Germany, which offers full-day care along with soccer camps and "edu-tainment workshops".
These experiences can be costly, but for families with the means and flexibility, distance is no longer the limiting factor. Frankovich is already planning next summer's adventure after two seasons of remote work. "I absolutely loved it," she says. "I started calling it mommy summer camp."
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