Best Family-Friendly Hotels In The U.S. Virgin Islands

When you become a parent, your daily life becomes all about them—and so do your vacations. Luckily, today's resorts in the U.S. Virgin Islands are packing the amenity list full of what you need, from kids' clubs with daily activities to grocery delivery right to your villa's fridge. It all adds up to a hassle-free experience, so you spend more time making memories to last a lifetime. Here are the best resorts for families in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The vibe is quiet and relaxed at Bluebeard's Beach Club and Villas, a Club Wyndham property on the southeast coast of St. Thomas. The beach is sheltered, with almost no waves—perfect for small children. For older kids, we like the resort's outdoor game room with table tennis and billiards, and oversize chess on the lawn. Onsite, you'll also find a tennis court, a pool with a volleyball net and a deli for refueling between games.

Secret Harbour sits on one of the best beaches on St. Thomas for families. It's quiet and wide enough for groups to spread out. Plus, the sugar-soft beach is flat and free of rocks, making it super friendly for even little water babies. Snorkeling, scuba diving and water sports rentals are available onsite, giving families with older kids more options for activities. We love that the 48 beachfront condos have kitchens, so feeding your crew meals and snacks is easy any time of day.

A Caribbean camping experience isn't for every family, but for those who appreciate nature, a quieter escape and the experience of being on a small island—in this case, the Water Island—there is no better experience than the Virgin Islands Campground. The property sits on a choice stretch of golden beach, and offers quick access to the island's hiking trails. The accommodations are stand-alone cottages with electricity, with a communally shared kitchen. Ferries run four times each day between Water Island and Crown Bay, St. Thomas.

Tamarind Reef Resort and Spa, with just 40 rooms, offers a retreat-like resort experience along a shallow, white-sand beach with conditions generally favorable enough for even toddlers. Older kids will enjoy the volleyball and tennis courts, as well as the paddle boards, kayaks, snorkel gear that are free for guests to use. Parents will like the protected waters, sheltered from waves thanks to the offshore island of Green Cay blocking any wave action.

Find Divi Carina Bay All Inclusive Resort on the southern coast of St. Croix, 20 minutes by car from Christiansted. The quieter location comes with a wide, private beach where sailboats, kayaks, paddle boats, snorkel gear are available for guest use. We like that younger kids can join in the action with the Divi Treasures kids' club, which organizes pool games, sandcastle-building contests and dive-in movie nights with popcorn and drinks.

The soft, inviting beach that fronts Sugar Bay Resort and Spa is reason enough to bring the fam to this spot—and the Kid's Club seals the deal. The half-day sessions include bumper boating, mini-golfing, scavenger hunting, iguana feeding and more. Parents will love the swim-up bar, in-room on-demand movies and seven on-site restaurants. Note that the property is currently under renovation, with plans to reopen in late 2019.

A great choice for families with older kids, Bolongo Bay Beach Resort, a 15-minute drive east of Charlotte Amalie, outfits their white-sand beach with one of the island's most extensive collections of water toys: aqua tricycles, Hobie Cat sailboats, kayaks, Jet skis, paddle boats, pool noodles, plus the onsite St. Thomas Diving Club offering scuba and snorkel sessions. Plus, everyone who books a stay of five nights or longer gets a complimentary sunset sailing tour.

The Westin St. John Resort Villas is one of our favorite U.S. Virgin Islands resort thanks to its white-sand beach, quarter-acre pool and watersports offerings that include scuba diving, Jet-skiing, boating and more. All the villas have kitchens, with in-room grocery delivery an option for families who want to jump right into pool and beach time, and still have snacks and drinks on hand. For little guests ages 3 to 12, the Family Kids Club offers half- and full-day sessions with arts and crafts, movies, games and more, plus evening sessions are available so parents can enjoy a night out.

Renaissance St. Croix Carambola Beach Resort & Spa occupies one of the most scenic beaches on island, set against a backdrop of rainforest-covered mountains. The beach is somewhat protected, but in the winter, bigger waves do sweep the coast, making this shore better suites to bigger kids. Kids old enough to snorkel will appreciate the reefs just yards from shore, home to lobsters, stingrays and even octopi. We also really like the buffet dinner nights, which make feeding the whole family a breeze. Other perks include complimentary guided hikes of Hams Bluff on the eastern edge of the property, plus most rooms have screened-in porches ideal for napping and reading.

With three beaches, two pools and three restaurants, The Buccaneer has enough action to keep your kids entertained for the week. Staff from The Mermaid restaurant serve salads, wraps, burgers, conch fritters and drinks to you poolside so your brood can have nearly uninterrupted play. The resort also offers a Kids' Camp for guests aged 4 to 12, with beach games, treasure hunts, crab races and more organized from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Parents can take that time to enjoy onsite golf, tennis, spa treatments or paddle boarding and other water sports, or simply enjoy some downtime alone.