Starwoods New Children’s Programs
Starwood Hotels & Resorts has launched a new family program rolling out in more than 300 Le 
Meridien and Westin Hotels & Resorts around the world. In response to growing global family travel demands, the hotels are reinventing the kids club concept, reimagining family experiences within the hotel and introducing more meaningful branded amenities for young travelers. The programs specifically cater to the new way modern families travel. Westin is putting the emphasis on wellness, using components with nontoxic and largely recycled materials, adding natural light and installing indoor/outdoor tree houses, vertical gardens and storage cubbies. Parent/child yoga classes and healthier snacks and smoothies will be available at some hotels. Le Meridien is emphasizing creativity, global awareness and cuisine with herb gardens, art and music walls and global wall maps. The hotel has a partnership with Lego in which each guest age 12 and under receives a toy on arrival. Some of the hotels in the chain will add an Imagination Playground area that will spur creativity by letting your children design their own play spaces.
Ireland Youth Discount
Less active families can enjoy a self-drive vacation around Ireland and explore at your own pace. CIE Tours, an Ireland and United Kingdom specialty tour operator, is now offering a youth travel discount. Your children ages 8-17 will save 10% (up to $600 per person) on the land portion of any Ireland Independent Self-Drive 
Vacation or Ireland & Britain Escorted Coach Tour. Choose from a variety of itineraries and tour options to make the most out of your visit to the Emerald Isle. The Irish self-drive programs enable your family to mix-and match so that we can create the perfect Ireland vacation. Choose from Bed and Breakfasts, deluxe Irish castle hotels, elegant manor houses, cozy inns or modern properties throughout Ireland. CIE Tours also uses Hertz Car Rentals exclusively featuring current model vehicles with either manual or automatic transmission.
Southern Ireland Adventure
Thomson Family Adventures has added Southern Ireland to their list of tour destinations. This week- long tour 
is now available for departures on June 18 or July 21, 2016 (or as a custom departure). Set off to the Emerald Isle for an exciting family vacation multi-sport adventure. Ireland’s southwest is famous for many things from the calm and scenic sailing waters rich with marine life to the rolling green hills of the country side and you’ll get to experience it all. Learn to sail in the harbor of historic Kinsale, ride a bike through the Gap of Dunloe, and kayak around the shores of Baltimore. Explore small fishing villages and vast national parks while spending nights in a 16th century castle! This quintessentially Irish vacation is perfect for families with travelers of all ages.
Tuscan Villa Family Get Together
This year Rosewood Hotel & Resorts took over the management of Castiglion del Bosco Resort located in the heart of Tuscany. Founded by Massimo Ferragamo, this luxury resort is set within one of the oldest and best-preserved estates in Italy and is located in the heart of Val d’Orcia, a UNESCO World Her
itage Site. The resort showcases 23 suites and 10 villas along with a cooking school, organic garden, golf, spa, pool, two restaurants and gym. The family friendly property is now offering a Villa Family Get Together package that includes accommodation for 4 nights, one In-Villa-Delivery meal for 4 people, 3 hours baby-sitting service in your villa, SUV at your disposal for the length of the stay, pastry basket delivered every morning and groceries upon arrival. The package is available through November 22, 2016. Now is a great time to plan your luxury getaway Italy!
The Renewed Lanesborough
The long-awaited re-opening of The Lanesborough in London took place this past summer. The hotel, located at the entrance to Knightsbridge from Hyde Park Corner, had been closed since late 
2013 and is now be part of the Oetker Collection, which also operates Le Bristol Paris and other luxury properties throughout the world. The hotel loves welcoming children with welcome gifts, movies, games, daily treats and luxury picnic lunches. Rooms and suites also include 24-hour butler service. The hotel is now offering a Family Time package. When you book two interconnecting rooms, you will receive 50% off the children’s room. Plus you will also receive two free children’s breakfast when two adults dine.
Wizard School
The five-star Ashford Castle in Western Ireland invites parents and children to attend wizard school this 
Halloween and Thanksgiving season. The 2-night Wizard School package includes kid-friendly activities such as a painting class in the “Chamber of Art”; a cooking class for “house elves”; and a “Forbidden Forest” treasure hunt on the estate’s 350 acres of winding passageways, hidden alcoves and secret gardens. Children also have the opportunity to meet Dingle, Ashford Castle’s resident owl. On both evenings, a “Harry Potter” film is shown in the castle’s new cinema, while parents can enjoy a 5-course table d’hote dinner in the George V dining room. The Wizard School package starts at $1,349 for two adults and two children (under 12) and includes accommodations in a Deluxe Family Room, plus breakfast and dinner. The package is available Oct. 23-24, Oct. 25-26, Oct. 30-31, and Nov. 25-26.
New Family Journeys
Abercrombie & Kent is offering three new trips for 2016 to their selection of Family Journeys: Italy, Central Europe and Scotland/Ireland and they are all on sale! These luxury trips are designed to satisfy adventurers of all ages, with engaging local guides, fun and enriching activities, and child-friendly hotels – all with a $400 per-child savings. Every day includes at least one Family Discovery, a chance for your children to connect to your destination by interacting directly with nature, culture and even with local children. The Italy tour includes stops in Rome, Tuscany, Florence, Cinque Terre and Venice. Central Europe highlights include Budapest, Bratislava, Vienna and Prague while the UK trip features Glasgow, Inverness, Edinburgh, Dublin, Killarney and the Dingle Peninsula. Lower rates are also currently available on family tours to Spain, Amsterdam/Paris/London and Antarctica/South Georgia/Falkland Islands.
Prague Family Package
The Hotel UNIC, a 4 star designer hotel in Prague, has a good value on their Family Package 
that is available through June 30, 2016. The package includes a 2-night accommodation with complimentary upgrade to their spacious Family Suite (one bedroom + living area) for two adults and two children up to age 15. You also receive welcome cookies, buffet breakfast, a 3-course family dinner with special children’s menu, a family ticket to the Prague Zoo, parking in the hotel garage and a city map. An additional night is available at a 15 percent discount. The hotel opened in June 2013 and is ideally located in the heart of the historical city center within walking distance to all major historical and cultural attractions such as Prague Powder Tower, the Jewish Quarter and the Old Town Square with its famous Astronomical Clock.
New From Backroads
Backroads introduced its new selection of trips for 2016 responding to a growing demand for family programs. The company is tripling its selections for families! Some of the new trips for families with children and teens include biking in the Canadian Rockies, the Italian Dolomites and Palm Springs and multi-sport trips in Argentina’s Lake District, Spain’s Basque Country, Alaska and even in the Caribbean on St. Kitts and Nevis. New Family Breakaway trips, created for families with older teens and young adults, include Croatia and Montenegro, England, Patagonia, Peru and New Zealand. A Rhine River cruise has also been designated as a Family Breakaway itinerary. Backroads trips are ideal for active families and even for multi-generational families (as there are varying route and activity options) and for families who really want to get immersed in a region. Trips are generally 5-6 days leaving plenty of time before or after to explore in more traditional ways or just relax. Let The Family Traveler help put together the perfect trip that meets your family’s needs.
Kid-Friendly Cannes
Located on Cannes’ Promenade de la Croisette in the French Riviera, the Hotel Majestic Barriere
tries to make children feel just as much at home as the celebrities who stay at the hotel during the Cannes Film Festival. This summer, the hotel is rolling out the red carpet for its younger guests, opening the doors of its in-house cinema both for private family viewings and for a Cartoon Festival, a regular occurrence during the school holidays. Other benefits for children include a welcome backpack with toys and games, free breakfast for under age 12 and Jacadi baby products such as diaper changing mats, bibs and bathrobes. The Majestic’s Diwi & Co Kid’s Club on the hotel beach takes care of children between 4 and 12 years old, offering a variety of creative, cultural and fun activities. Swimming lessons are available on request at the hotel pool. Your family can enjoy a wide range of water sports such as parasailing, fly-fishing and paddle boarding, accessible directly off the hotel jetty. The luxury hotel also offers a spa, gym and several dining options. Current promotions include a free night stay and a discount on suites.
