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Hotels & Accommodation: All inclusives for teens and 'tweens'
Thursday, November 26, 2009 African dance classes, DJ academies and fashion shows – activities for teenagers have moved into a whole new era. Rob Gill rounds up the entertainment offered by all-inclusive resorts for 10 to 19-year-olds
Keeping teenagers entertained on holiday is often a challenge for families but all-inclusive resorts, which offer a range of activities specifically aimed at teenagers and “tweens” (aged 10-12), can be the answer.Many leading all-inclusive companies offer clubs for these age groups where the youngsters can get away from their parents, hang out and make new friends. Here is an overview of the range of activities offered. Sports A wide choice of watersports and land-based activities, which are included in the package price, is one of the major selling points of all-inclusive resorts and they are a great way to keep tweens and teens occupied. Beaches Resorts, part of the Sandals chain of Caribbean properties, offers a host of water-based options, from banana boat rides to sailing (pictured above), snorkelling and waterskiing. There are also scuba-diving courses tailored to the 10-19 age group. Another attraction are the Pirates Island waterparks which feature at Beaches’ resorts in Turks & Caicos and in Negril and Boscobel in Jamaica. Mark Warner is probably best known for its sporting activities, and the operator’s resorts at Lakitira on Kos and San Agostino in the Peloponnese attract the most families with tweens and teens as they have the chain’s widest programmes of sports. Both of these Greek resorts offer children’s clubs, with a daily schedule of watersports and land-based activities including free tuition. For those who want more intensive lessons, Mark Warner offers dedicated courses for sailing and windsurfing with the Royal Yachting Association, plus Padi Bubblemaker scuba-diving programmes and tennis coaching. These courses cost extra but they are pre-bookable and commissionable for agents so offer a good way to increase the value of the booking.
Only a few of the SuperClubs-owned Breezes resorts cater for families but those that take children, such as the properties in Curacao, Trelawny in Jamaica and Brazil’s Costa do Sauipe, feature a range of water and land-based sports. Sporting activities are also a key part of what Club Med offers for older children. Dedicated clubs Many all-inclusive resorts have responded to teenagers’ wishes to spend as much time away from their parents as possible during a holiday by offering teen-only spaces where they can just hang out or take part in activities. Beaches resorts at Negril and Turks & Caicos have a new hangout called Trench Town for 10 to 19-year-olds featuring TVs, a lounge, electronic games and sound systems. Other facilities at Beaches venues include the Xbox 360 Game Garage where youngsters can hone their electronic gaming skills. An under-21s nightclub, Liquid, also features at the Negril and Turks & Caicos resorts.
Club Med offers two clubs for this age group in its resorts worldwide: Passworld and Juniors’ Club Med, which are both open during the European school holidays. Both clubs offer teen-only spaces with activities targeted at the 11-13 and 14-17 age groups. Options include sports, music, crafts, drama and fashion. The clubs are available at a variety of Club Med’s sun and snow resorts.
Mark Warner also splits its clubs by ages. Its Kidz Club caters for 10 to 13-year-olds and operates throughout the summer season. The Indy Club is designed for 14 to 17-year-olds but only runs during summer school holidays
Teenage clubs are also available at some Breezes properties, such as Breezes Curacao. Regular options such as watersports, tennis, biking and volleyball are supplemented by more unusual activities such as a circus workshop and ice-skating on the resort’s own synthetic rink. For those less interested in sporting action, there are events such as reggae classes, body painting contests and fashion shows. The new Breezes Buzios in Brazil, which is due to open in early 2010, will include a teenagers’ games and activity centre.
Also in the Caribbean, the Dominican Republic’s three Dreams Resorts, which are featured by Thomas Cook, have teenage clubs called Core Zones. Attractions at these clubs include a teen disco where no alcohol is served, foam parties, weekly bonfire parties on the beach, electronic games room, rock-climbing wall and remote control car racing. Sunset Beach Resort & Spa at Montego Bay in Jamaica features the Pirate’s Cove Teen Centre situated alongside its Pirate’s Paradise Water Park, which offers teenagers their own space with arcade games and pool tables. Music
Club Med’s Passworld clubs for teenagers provide a range of music-based activities ranging from hip-hop and singing to an introduction to musical instruments, as well as mixing, musicals and African dance. Beaches has gone further to get down with the kids by launching its Scratch DJ Academy. It allows teenagers and tweens to learn how to DJ through this partnership with the Scratch DJ Academy set up by Jam Master Jay from rap legends Run DMC. Youngsters can learn how to scratch and mix. Spa
It’s not just adults who need some pampering on holiday – teenagers also enjoy some time in the spa, which is why Beaches has launched the Red Lane Spa Teen Spa Experience across its four properties. The programme has been tailored for the needs of teenagers, with a facial designed to help teen complexions, as well as manicures and pedicures plus an Caribbean Journey massage. Contacts www.clubmed.co.uk www.dreamsresorts.com www.s
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(from the end of June to early September) as well as October half-term. Most supervised activities focus on water and beach-based sports. There is early evening entertainment for the younger age group, while the Indy Club holds a “social club” in the evening including dinner and activities such as floodlit volleyball matches and team challenges. 
