By Shirin Yadegar
A perfect family vacation is when everyone is happy. Rarely do you encounter a place that’s both fit for kids and adults. A place that isn’t too inandated by children, but welcoming to the little ones.
Last month, my husband, three children and myself stayed at the W hotel in Miami beach. It was sensational. The rooms are mainly suites with kitchens so you have plently of room and a stove to make eggs with a full refrigerator for milk and other goodies.
We spent mornings playing tennis and basketball on their 7th floor courts before the sun was too strong. Then we cooled off in the swimming pool and made sand castles at the privately owned beach across the street. The food was good and the service was fantastic for Miami beach.
These fabulous rooms are for sale, which is a great opportunity to buy a second or third place because you partner with Starwood for a lucrative rental program. If you’re interested you can contact Katy at katysoka@gmail.com. She gave us a tour of the grounds and we were blown away. http://Www.wsouthbeach.com
The W is just a few blocks from Lincoln Road where you can walk for lunch, dinner or ice cream sundaes. Our favorite spot was Ghiradelli for their amazing banana split. It’s to die for.
The epicurean on Lincoln is a great place to pick up food to put in the hotel room refrigerator for lunch or snacks. Their deli white fish is fantastic and the kids loved the rotisserie chicken. http://Www.epicuremarket.com
If you have younger kids and don’t want to spend the entire day in the sun, the Miami Children’s museum is a blast. http://www.miamichildrensmuseum.org
The parrot jungle in Miami is also worth visiting if your kids are interested in birds, monkeys and tigers. We actually got to take a photo with the animals that I have framed as an 8 by 10 in my den. http://www.jungleisland.com
Overall, Miami is a great vacation. It’s nearly a 5 hour flight, but if you can endure the flight with electronics, crayons and a few movies you will love the time you spend in this glorious beach town.