Best Toddler-Friendly Florida Beach Resorts

 With numerous restaurants, pools, and on-site activities, Hawks Cay is a top choice for families with small kids.

Five pools, six restaurants, on-site dolphin encounters, babysitting services

Located on 60 tropical acres in the Florida Keys, Hawks Cay is a sprawling resort halfway between Miami and Key West. It provides a mind-boggling number of activities; families can choose from snorkeling, SNUBA diving (divers are connected by hose to an air supply), fishing, kayaking, paddleboarding, tennis, and more. Kids as young as 2 can see dolphins up close through the dockside Dolphin Connection program.

The resort has five pools, a private lagoon, and a marina. The Coral Cay kids’ club has activities for kids, and little ones will love the playground and the pirate ship splash park. Accommodations range from comfortable guestrooms to four-bedroom townhome villas with full kitchens and plunge pools, which are ideal for parents who want to keep naps and sleep routines while on vacation.

At the Holiday Inn Resort Panama City Beach, kids under 12 eat free, making this a good deal for families.

 3,400-square-foot water park, four restaurants, room service

Sitting on the Gulf of Mexico in Florida’s panhandle, Panama City Beach is known for powdery white-sand beaches. A good budget option here is the Holiday Inn Resort Panama City Beach. Its accommodations provide plenty of room to spread out; the upgraded two-bedroom suites have full-size fridges and microwaves, and select rooms also have bunk beds with a partition wall for a bit of privacy.

Guests can take advantage of Florida’s nearly year-round sunshine and hang out in the lazy river, kids’ water park, or lagoon pool, which has its own waterfall. Live entertainment, complimentary kids’ activities like hands-on crafts, and poolside movies are also included in your stay. The resort has four different restaurants, provides room service until 10 p.m., and offers complimentary food for kids under 12 when adults purchase an entrée, a huge draw, as all the activities will surely ramp up their appetite.

With five outdoor pools, a water park, and an indoor pool complex, Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa has plenty of great options for small swimmers.

Babysitting services, two golf courses, complimentary resort photoshoot

A few miles south of St. Augustine, Florida’s oldest city, Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa offers some incredible water activities. There are five outdoor pools in total, and families can hang out in the zero-entry pool, float down the lazy river, or splash around in the 91,000-square-foot water park. On rainy days (which happen often in Florida), head to the indoor pool complex, which features two hot tubs. The Kids Crew offers kids’ programming for children ages 4 and up, and for an additional charge, kids get supervised activities and meals.

The sprawling resort also has six restaurants, two beautiful golf courses, and a 10,000-square-foot indoor/outdoor spa. Ideal for large families, the accommodations are a mix of updated one-, two-, three-, and four-bedroom suites, villas, and condos with large, covered balconies.

Disney’s Vero Beach Resort offers families a taste of the Disney World theme park right on the beach.

Babysitting services, arts and crafts room, miniature golf course

For families who want a taste of Disney, this Vero Beach resort offers the upbeat customer service Disney is famous for without the Orlando crowds. Travelers can choose from comfortable guest rooms and one- or two-bedroom villas that come with views of the ocean, garden, or pool.

Outside, kids can slide down a two-story spiral waterslide into the Mickey Mouse-shaped pool or play in the pirate-themed splash park. Throughout the day, they can also participate in scavenger hunts, and families can rent bicycles to explore the property. At night, the resort hosts events like campfire sing-alongs, and past guests have noted that Disney characters sometimes stop by. Though it’s a bit of a trek, families have the option to drive two hours to Disney World to explore the theme parks.

With easy access to some of Miami’s top attractions, Loews Miami Beach is ideal for families who want to explore the city and then retreat to upscale accommodations.

Game room, 24-hour room service, pool cabanas with bathrooms and showers

Though Miami is known for late-night partying, it’s also a culturally rich city with lots for families to do. Loews Miami Beach offers a great place to retreat to after exploring Miami’s nearby shops, museums, and outdoor attractions.

While the hotel offers luxurious guest rooms and suites with sleek marble bathrooms and high-end furnishings, it’s also one of the most family-friendly hotels in South Beach. Its SOBE Kids Club offers full- and half-day programs filled with scavenger hunts, treasure dives, and themed cooking classes for kids ages 4 to 12. The resort also provides kayaks, paddleboards, and banana boat rides. Families should be sure to take advantage of the complimentary professional resort photo shoot to capture some vacation memories.

 With a rooftop boutique spa, a lazy river, and a wraparound balcony overlooking the beach, the Pelican Grand Beach Resort is a relaxing oasis.

Lazy river, zero-entry pool, luxury spa, ice cream parlor

The Pelican Grand Beach Resort is a hard-to-miss, buttercup yellow high-rise on Fort Lauderdale Beach. Once you’ve checked in, make a beeline for the hotel’s zero-entry pool or grab an inner tube for a ride on its lazy river. After a day in the sun, head back to the guestrooms, which have been recently updated with hardwood floors, pillow top beds, and beachy details like wicker chairs and palm tree print pillows. Travelers can spend their days hanging out on beach lounge chairs, which come with food service, or taking part in daily family-friendly events like sandcastle building contests, movie nights, beach yoga sessions, pool parties, and scavenger hunts.

The dining options include two restaurants, Ocean2000 and O2K Lounge, and in-room dining, which is convenient for families with small kids. For a sweet treat, check out the hotel’s old-fashioned ice cream parlor, where guests can customize their ice cream sundaes. The resort is also close to Fort Lauderdale’s top art and science museums.

Nestled in one of Florida’s most upscale communities, the Ritz-Carlton, Naples offers top-notch customer service in a private beachfront location.

Two heated pools, babysitting services, entertainment lounge, 24-hour in-room dining

A stay at the Ritz-Carlton, Naples offers luxury accommodation on a quiet, 3-mile stretch of beach. Standard rooms start at a comfortable 434 square feet, and the well-appointed guest rooms come in muted shades of cream and blue with breezy balconies that overlook the Gulf of Mexico.

Parents can take advantage of in-room babysitting services, spa treatments, and two courses at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort. Kids ages 5 and up can enroll in Nature’s Wonders, a half-day program of hands-on science activities, while toddlers will love the interactive splash pool. During the day, families can hang near one of the two heated pools, where cabanas come with concierge service. There are seven different dining outlets, and guests who book upgraded suites get access to the Club Lounge, which offers breakfast and all-day snacks and drinks.

With a wide range of accommodations, South Seas Island Resort makes for a hassle-free getaway off the mainland.

Babysitting services, three pools, six restaurants and bars

Situated on 330 acres, South Seas Island Resort is a great choice for parents who want to stay in an enclosed resort community. Visitors can choose from hotel guestrooms, one- and two-bedroom villas, and single-family homes. There are food options for even the fussiest eaters. The resort offers six different restaurants and bars and even has a convenient grocery store to stock your fridge. Kids can hop between three pools (with two exciting waterslides), and the concierge can arrange boat rentals to explore the area.

The resort is located on Captiva Island, off Florida's Gulf Coast, which means there’s some extra planning involved if you want to go sightseeing. But with activities like golf, tennis, pickleball, and parasailing, there’s enough at the resort to keep family members of all ages entertained.