Articles - Travel

CLUB MED—NOT JUST FOR SINGLES

But of course: Club Med Sandpiper is every bit as enchanting en famille. Here is an à la carte guide to a family-friendly resort.

By Veronique Fessard

When planning a vacation, a chief concern is always our budget. Face it. Most of us are all too familiar with the frantic thoughts that fill our heads such as, "How much is this really going to cost me?" Lets see, there’s air fare, then ground transportation, food, and entertainment. And those last two can be a gigantic headache and expense all on their own .

At Club Med Sandpiper Resort in Port St. Lucie, Florida, you’re offered a sanctuary from these monetary hassles. Just lay back and let your cares slip away at this all-inclusive family resort. Yes, that’s right! I said family resort, and that’s exactly what the emphasis is on. This is not just a resort that allows children but rather, this is a resort, which caters to children—and to their parents. At this resort, they believe in pleasing the family as a whole and as individuals. Everything you need is here: water sports, great places to dine, entertainment, well-run kids’ clubs, and it’s all pre-paid. Family friendliness and convenience ooze from every corner. With G.O’s (gentils organisateurs, French for congenial hosts) who greet you and ask you about yourself and guide you through your day.

Everything is laid back and friendly, which might lead one to feel that everyone’s family here. This resort even pampers baby with a chef who prepares fresh baby food from the fresh products of the day, a dining area scaled down for tots, baby cribs, monitors, strollers and even potties all at no extra charge. You can leave your guilt behind, knowing that your children are doubtlessly having as much fun as you are.

At this resort, you will find a litany of children’s activities ranging from pool games, beach games, soccer, softball, volleyball, treasure hunts, fish feeding, arts and crafts, videos, golf, tennis, tie dye parties, water festivals, face painting, rollerblading, joke telling, swimming races, scavenger hunt, tubing (pulled by a boat), water polo, water skiing, parachute games, science club, goofy golf, jewelry making, story time, pink elephant hunt, a visit from a Disney character, circus training (trampoline, clowning, juggling, and trapeze), and Hollywood rehearsals for a night time show that the kids perform for all of the parents at the end of their stay.

Parents will find that the innovative children’s clubs not only provide an excellent opportunity for their children to have fun with their peers, but that they also provide parents with a well deserved twelve-hour break from their kids. The children’s clubs are grouped by ages: a baby club for ages 4 to 23 months, a petite club for ages 2 and 3 years and mini clubs with age groupings of 4 and 5, 6 and 7, and 8 to 12 years olds. These clubs are open Sunday through Friday from 9:00 am-9:00 pm and are closed only on Saturdays for cleaning.

You might choose to make Saturday a special family day taking in one of the many nearby fun places to explore such as the Kennedy Space Centre, Magic Kingdom, the Epcot Center, Sea World, Universal Studios, Palm Beach, or Miami. Excursions are available at an extra charge. Or you might choose to pay a sitter service and continue to pamper yourself with your own amusements.

Adults can indulge in many of the same activities that are offered to their children. At the beach or one of the 24-hour pools, you can participate in water sports such as skiing, basket-polo, volley-polo, rugby-polo, sailing, swimming.  There is a free hourly shuttle to the beach (20 minutes away).

If you’re a land lover, body sculpting, massage, a workout at the gym, aerobics, stretching, tennis, in-line skating, trapeze lessons, driving range, 2 putting greens, 9-hole pitch and putt, training bunker and at extra cost, two 18-holes of golf on a Mark Mahannah designed course are also offered for your pleasure.

The resort is located on the St. Lucie River, 45 miles north of West Palm Beach and 70 miles south of Orlando. While still laid back, the Sandpiper is one of the fanciest of the Club Med locations, and is therefore not the typical camp- like experience of many other Club Meds.

In the plaza you will find a boutique, a bar, huge swimming pools, a restaurant and food annex, as well as a showroom for nightly entertainment. Without a doubt, the superb food will be a pleasantly surprising high point of your trip and you will soon realize just why there are so many activities that involve exercise. The meals served at the annex are buffet styled and each day has a different theme: Asian, French, Tex-Mex, and Italian to name a few. But of course there are always everyday staples of enough varieties of cheese, wine, and pastries to make a French native feel right at home.

If you want to be gauche you could always settle for a hamburger and fries. But even young children—except for the pickiest of eaters—will enjoy this abundance of culinary works of art that will leave you reeling even without the free wine and beer. If you’re longing for an intimate gourmet dinner for two, make reservations for the five-course French restaurant Riverside. Oh yes, it’s included, but you must make reservations!

Children dine early and then proceed to their evening activities, offering their parents some free time until the family is reunited at 9:00 pm for the evening show.

The lively and entertaining shows often engage the audience in interactive fun. They range from theatrical productions to comedy and dance. The children’s productions are sure to have you scampering to take photos of your children in their humorously charming moments.

I enthusiastically recommend this Club Med family resort to anyone who wants tons of activities in which your family can learn, have fun, or just relax and walk away feeling happy, revitalized, and refreshed. I assure you that you will long to go back! n