Traveling With Kids? This Caribbean Resort Is Just What You’re Looking for

The stress of finding the right destination for a family trip can be enough to put any plans on indefinite hold.

From hunting down affordable flights to ensuring that your intended destination has something for everyone is no small feat. And if you're looking for some alone time with your spouse, there's a whole other layer of complications as not everywhere offers kids camps or in-house babysitters. But for those determined to get some quality time, there are simple solutions, we promise. All you need to do is look to spots like Sugar Beach, A Viceroy Resort.

My wife and I were planning our first family vacation, and we had some strict parameters. We were traveling with our three daughters, all under the age of six, and for our three-year-old twins, it was their first flight. We wanted a direct flight from New York so we didn't have to navigate between gates with three kids in tow, and we wanted a property with plenty of activities for everyone in our family — an obvious request but hard to come by. And since we were traveling in the middle of winter, we were looking for something warm with a beach but not overloaded with tourists. After narrowing down the list, Sugar Beach came out on top.

The hotel has 130 rooms spread across 100 acres, allowing for a less crowded scene. Guests can book individual villas, which all offer stellar views of the surrounding mountains and ocean and a bit more privacy — plus a personal pool, so you don't have to schlep everything down to the beachfront. But the beach is a must for some time with your toes in the sand. It's an idyllic scene thanks to its location set between the two highest peaks on the island, not to mention the smattering of lounge chairs and canopies dotting the shore.

For the four to 12 crowd, there's a kids club with activities that range from painting to baking and plenty of toys to keep the younger ones happy. When it's time to grab a bite, there are seven restaurants and bars to choose from, or you can order room service for ease. We're lucky not to have picky eaters, but even if we did, there were plenty of options to choose from.

For five nights, we were able to unwind and connect in a way that's difficult when you're running between school drop-offs and gymnastics practice. The girls played in the pool and searched for lizards while my wife and I bounced from swimming with the kids to playing cards. It was the recharge all of us needed and a great first foray into traveling with kids. Next time, we might just skip that search for a new destination and head right back.