Summer fun is a family affair

While parents busy themselves with the time-honoured summer ritual of packing for family travel, the hotels and resorts of Preferred Hotel Group are doing a little packing themselves – loading plenty of value into holiday offers across the globe. From coast to coast and across the sea, the deals range from big discounts on adjoining rooms and suites to complimentary children’s meals.

Rare treats like underwater photography off the coast of Greece share the spotlight with vintage kid appeals such as classic bicycle rentals in Boston, dive-in movies in Southern California, and scavenger hunts in the Colorado Rockies or by a sparkling Minnesota lake.

Castaway in the Caribbean

Families who take advantage of discounted summer airfares to the Caribbean will find a luxurious Barbados getaway well within reach, thanks to a Family Fun package at the renowned Sandy Lane, a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts. Valid until Oct. 31, the package takes 50% off the price of an adjoining room (for up to three children ages 16 and under) when parents book a five- or seven-night stay. It also includes a full daily breakfast at the beachside Bajan Blue restaurant, one family lunch during the stay, and an in-room gift for each child.

Rates for a five-night stay start at £2,470 for the first room and £1,544 for an adjoining room; for seven nights, rates start at £3,088 and £2,162, respectively. Guests under the age of 16 can also take advantage of a Golfing Camp that includes roundtrip transfers to the Country Club, plenty of instruction, a nine-hole round with a pro, complimentary lunch, and a Sandy Lane gift – all for £185 per child.

European Idylls

The elegant Cape Sounio Grecotel Exclusive Resort, a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts, perched high above the Aegean Sea at the southern tip of mainland Greece, takes children ages 8 to 12 on an unforgettable journey of play and discovery through its Ambassadors of the Environment programme.

Designed in association with Jean-Michel Cousteau, the programme offers days and nights filled with snorkeling, stargazing and underwater photography in order to help children understand their role in the eco-system. Younger tots can take part in the Tiny Ambassadors (ages 4-7) programme, where they enjoy nature walks, crafts, and more. Rates start from £46 per activity.

Just steps from the Uffizi Gallery in downtown Florence, the Hotel Brunelleschi Firenze, a member of Summit Hotels & Resorts, is featuring a Family Package that includes two nights accommodations in a double deluxe room, buffet breakfast, a welcome treat, gym access, and a light four-course dinner that includes a special children’s menu. In-room entertainment includes a large selection of cartoons.

Children under the age of 12 stay free when sharing the room with two paying adults, and an adjoining room is available at a 50% discount. The hotel can arrange for tickets to museums and exhibitions throughout the city. The package is priced at £512 for a deluxe double shared by two adults and a child, and £736 for a deluxe double plus adjacent double room. Taxes and service are included.

In the desirable Knightsbridge district of London, The Egerton House Hotel, a member of Preferred Boutique, treats families like the VIPs they are. Children up to the age of 16 stay and eat for free when they share their parents’ room, which comes stocked with unlimited in-room movies and a games console.

Through Dec. 31, the Kids Go Free rate is priced from £495 per night for two adults and one child under the age of 16 sharing a room. In addition, a Fun for All the Family promotion accommodates families of four with two adults in one room and two children up to the age of 16 in a second room at one special rate of £402 per night. Rates are exclusive of VAT and subject to availability.

California Dreaming

Southern California’s exclusive Montage Laguna Beach, a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts, has introduced new children’s activities just in time for summer. The family fun is centered around Paintbox, the resort’s camp for youngsters ages 5-12 (£37 half day/£56 full day), while the new Paintbox Petite (£12/hour) caters to the 2- to 5-year-old set. Activities range from plein air painting lessons and a Mini Muscle Beach to a rare chance to observe sea lion rescue and release.

Throughout July and August, every night is Children’s Night Out at the oceanfront resort, with games, movies and dinner for £37 per child. Holiday weekends – from July 4 to Labor Day – are filled with glorious summer celebrations, including pool parties, ice cream sundae creation stations, a School of Rock party, and more.

Families can dive right into summer at The Woodfin Hotel San Diego, a member of Sterling Hotels. This all-suite hotel, convenient to the world-class attractions of San Diego – from award-winning Southern California beaches to SeaWorld, Legoland USA and the San Diego Zoo – is offering complimentary Summer Dive-in Movies every Saturday night throughout July and August. Kids and parents can enjoy family-friendly fare under the stars while floating in the Woodfin Hotel’s pool.

Florida Fun

Florida-bound families have plenty of room to stretch without stretching the budget at Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club, a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts, thanks to a £61 Summer Rate on executive suite accommodations that feature full kitchens, separate living areas and private patios or balconies.

To sweeten the deal further, the 900-acre Gulf Coast resort – whose recreational appeals include four championship golf courses, a nine-hole family walking course, a spa, and six pools (including the fun-filled Loch Ness Monster Pool) – is offering a third night free for two nights booked, putting a three-night family stay at just £122. The summer rate is valid until Sept. 30.

Rocky Mountain Adventures

Robert Redford’s Sundance Resort, a member of Preferred Boutique, encourages kids to discover the natural splendor of Utah’s North Fork Canyon through a summer camp series at the resort’s Sundance Nature Center. Days are filled with activities such as hikes through an old-growth forest, kick ball, painting lessons and more. Designed for children ages 5-12, the Sundance Kids Camp is available for £28 per day (9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday through Friday) or at a discounted weekly rate of £111 (five days for the price of four), and includes a souvenir camp tee shirt.

Also in Colorado, The Grand Lodge Crested Butte Hotel & Suites, a member of Sterling Hotels, in Crested Butte is offering a Family Adventure Package that includes a two-night stay plus two days of fun for kids at Camp CB. Exclusively for children ages 5-12, Camp CB’s Passport to Adventure Program keeps youngsters happily entertained exploring their mountain surroundings while parents embark on adventures of their own. The youngest tots are well-cared for at the Camp CB Nursery. Rates start at only £184 and are valid until Sept. 7, 2009.

City Delights

Summer in Milwaukee means festival time, and the landmark Pfister Hotel, a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts, is pulling out all the stops with a City of Festivals package series designed to complement the variety of ethnic celebrations on the calendar. These custom-tailored, three-night holiday packages offer special room rates to correspond with a wide array of city events, ranging from Bastille Days (July 9-12) and an African World Festival (Aug. 1) to the Great Circus Parade (July 12) and the Wisconsin State Fair (Aug. 6-16).

The Signature at MGM Grand

Bicycling is a classic summer pursuit, and Boston’s Charles Hotel, a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts, in the heart of Cambridge offers families the use of six Electra Amsterdam Classic Bicycles free of charge for the first four hours ($5 for each additional hour). The Hotel Bike Programme also includes the use of a helmet, lock and cable, and a map of area biking routes.

In addition, the hotel’s Regattabar is offering a Kids Summer Music Series every Sunday afternoon from July 19 through Aug. 16. Among the great family entertainers on the schedule are Brady Rymer and the Little Band That Could, Baby Loves Salsa with the Jose Conde Band, Laughing Pizza, and Ben Rudnick. Performances are £6 in advance and £7 at the door.

In the Land of 10,000 Lakes

Nisswa, Minnesota’s Grand View Lodge, a member of Summit Hotels & Resorts, caters to holidaying families with a Kids’ Club (ages 3-6) and Adventure Club (ages 7-12) that fill youngsters’ days with old-fashioned summer fun along the sandy shore of beautiful Gulf Lake. Special Kids’ Night Out events, held several times a week throughout the summer season, include such memorable themes as Wacky Relay Races, Waves of Laughter and Mystery Night. Club prices range from £9 for two-and-a-half hours to £18.50 for six hours.

For more information and reservations, log on to preferredhotelgroup.com.