Whether a high-end vacation is a matter of course for you and your family or a treat reserved for a special occasion, we present Family Travel Forum's 2006 Top 10 Getaways for Luxury Travelers awards.

Top Luxury Golf Resort

One&Only Palmilla
San Jose del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico
866/829-2977, 52 624 146 7000

Ever since the classic One&Only Palmilla opened in Los Cabos after a $90 million rebuild of the 1924 resort, it has drawn a cheerful mix of celebrities, families and avid golfers. This is a Nuevo Mexicano high-style property where the junior suites outnumber the guestrooms 91 to 61, not counting 20 one-bedroom suites for guests who like even more elbow room. Huge connecting rooms offer balcony views of the Sea of Cortez, as well as hand-crafted furniture accented with wrought iron, travertine, marble and tile work. The on-site amenities are plentiful for even the most discriminating guests and include two fine dining restaurants, an indoor/outdoor One&Only Spa with 13 private treatment villas, shaded beachfront hammocks, a new swimming pool, and a children’s swimming grotto and activity area with waterfalls.

Golf aficionados can play at the spectacular 27-hole Palmilla Golf Club (the first Jack Nicklaus signature golf course in Mexico), which combines views of the glittering sea with cactus-laced greens and the Baja hill country. Best of all, the children’s program includes golf lessons with a pro for families who want junior to learn the sport (the same service is available for tennis). Those who can drag themselves away from the landscaped grounds can try kayaking, snorkeling, whale watching, sailing and reef diving or spend an afternoon deep sea fishing in this area, which locals call the Marlin Capital of the World. Guests can treat themselves to dinner at C, chef Charlie Trotter’s first restaurant outside the U.S., try the semi-private Cellar Dining Room, attend the invitation-only Chef’s Kitchen Table, or take the kids to Agua, a casual eatery next to the infinity pool.

The complimentary, bilingual KidsOnly Club, housed in its own posh villa, offers children 4 to 11 activities that range from tennis, yoga and origami to sand castle contests and Spanish language classes. Operating from 9am to 5:15pm daily, the program smartly rotates activities every 30, 60 or 90 minutes to keep kids from getting bored. Young children can play in a huge sandbox that used to be the villa’s pool, and they can dine from a kids-only buffet.  During holidays, special teen clinics in golf, tennis, volleyball and soccer are organized.  

2007 rates for a family of four range from US$425/N for an ocean front double room to US$925/N for a Jr. Suite to US$2,400/N for a 1BR luxury suite depending on season.