family retreat

I remember staying at a certain Caribbean mega-resort and overhearing parents talking about dropping their kids off for the day at the kids' program, then hiring a babysitter for the evening so they could go out to dinner and the casino. While I am all for "couple only" vacations, when traveling with the kids I believe you should actually spend some time with them. That's why the new Family Package at The Somerset on Grace Bay is so appealing. This idyllic property in Turks and Caicos was developed by Allyson Nick, a New York real estate developer and mother of five, who knows what families want to get out of a vacation. She designed the Somerset with exceptionally large suites (featuring one to five bedrooms!), two swimming pools (one with a zero-entry shallow end for toddlers and the other with underwater music piped through for teens). The Family Package (available now through December 18th, 2009) offers four night stays for the price of three (a savings of $500 to $4,000, depending on the type of room booked) and includes an Alice in Wonderland tea party, a beachfront clambake with live music, a dive-in movie night, early dining room hours for kids (plus free meals for those under 12!), cookie baking sessions, en suite pizza delivery (extra charge), complementary snorkeling equipment and babysitting services (if you do want to get away for an hour or two!). For more info, visit www.thesomerset.com.