insideKENT Magazine Issue 45 - December 2015 | Page 139

ample bathroom with a bath and shower (perfect
for washing sandy little toes!), a large living area
with trundle pull out bed, dining area, flat screen
TV and Xbox, and not forgetting the fully equipped
kitchen with state of the art fridge, oven and
microwave. To top it off, our room was just a
stone’s throw from the beach with its swaying
hammocks, comfy fire pit hangouts and sleek
beachside infinity pool.
Key West is also home to three of the resort’s
restaurants, of which there are no less than
twenty, yes twenty, to choose from and all are
included in your holiday cost.
Food is a big deal at Beaches and there are
dining experiences and options to cater for every
whim, taste and vibe from the laid back casual
beachside dining of Barefoot where you can
choose from a host of fish and grill dishes whilst
being literally barefoot in the sand; the grab-andgo of Bella Napoli’s pizzas; to the sophisticated
a la carte choices of Sky, the sleek open-top,
sea view restaurant with its divine molasses
glazed pork belly.
And of course there are a host of international
options: Arizona’s serves up the ultimate day
buffet and evening Tex Mex menus with steaks
that fill the plate, burritos and wraps; Mario’s with
its Italian buffet stations piled high with antipasti,
and its authentic signature dishes. For a unique
experience check out the flair show cooking at
Kimonos, the vibrant and fun Japanese
Teppanyaki restaurant where chefs cook right
before your eyes. Then there is every child’s (and
adult’s) drea: Bobby Dee’s – the 50’s-style diner
serving burgers, fries and shakes. There’s also
24-hour dining available on the resort, and the
best bit? It’s all child friendly, with smaller portions
for little diners, alternative children’s menus
available everywhere, superb service and tips
are included.
And so to the little (and not so little) people that
Beaches aims to cater for – it’s almost hard to
know where to begin to explain just what this

resort offers, but the great thing is it can be
completely tailored to what suits you. You can
have a relaxing family break where you all spend
time together, an activity-filled adventure as you
join in the poolside games and sports on offer;
or, children can join the kids’ clubs staying for
anything from an hour to a whole day, meaning
you can also get some ‘me-time’, knowing that
they are safe and happy. There is even a
babysitting service should you wish to have an
evening or night out child free.
The kids’ club offers age specific activities, with
fully qualified staff, for five different age groups,
from the tiniest newborns to teens. The infants’
programme offers cribs, swings, and toys in
climate controlled nurseries – a lovely respite for
our 13 month old to have a nap, play and interact
with other little people. There’s also a dedicated
toddler programme for 3-5 year olds; the preteens camp for up to 10 year olds; and the
tweens and teens clubs which event has its own
nightclub! Kids’ camps are open from 9am-9pm
and once our 8 year old discovered the XBox
lounge and kids’ camp, we hardly saw her for
three days straight – she even went for lunch
and dinner with her new friends. She took part
in talent shows, scavenger hunts, pool games,
made puppets with Bert and Ernie and even
appeared in the Sesame Street Parade!
Due to an exclusive partnership only at Beaches
can you meet and play with your favourite Sesame
Street Characters. Storytime with Elmo – check!
Baking with Cookie Monster – check! Counting
with the Count – Check! Add in parades, meet
and greets and shows and your little ones will
have experiences they will never forget.
As an added extra you can also book an exclusive
Catamaran Cruise through Island Routes, the
sheer delight of being met by Zoe in the lobby
escorted to the beach and then being welcomed
on board by Elmo himself – amazing! Add to that
a delightful cruise around the island with superb
views, yet more food and drink and an onboard
party with the characters, it’s a hugely popular
and highly recommended trip.

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The resort itself? How about swimming pools in
every village, complete with swim-up bars and
a 27,000 sq foot waterpark including water slides,
surf simulator, lazy river, water jets and whirlpools
to explore and enjoy? Prefer the beach? Try out
the range of watersports on offer: boats, paddle
boards, snorkelling a