Repeat destination? 🏝️ Traveling for merch? Lost, damaged? Tell us What you're owed ✈️
Vacation Travel

New spots to try: Here are 12 of the most anticipated new family resorts and hotels of 2023

Beth Luberecki
FamilyVacationist.com

Whether you’re looking for a tropical escape, theme park vacation, or simply someplace new to stay in one of the country’s top family vacation spots, there’s guaranteed to be a new family hotel opening in 2023 that’s just right for all of your family’s vacation needs. 

This year’s crop of new family resorts and hotels offer everything from cool kids clubs and postcard-worthy views to spacious accommodations and family-friendly perks like water slides, lazy rivers and on-site ice cream parlors serving up cool refreshments any time of year. Here are the most anticipated new family hotels in the U.S., Caribbean and Mexico set to welcome travelers in 2023. 

HOTEL DEALS:10 best hotel booking sites for cheap prices

1. Susurros del Corazón, Auberge Resorts Collection

Punta de Mita, Mexico

Opened November 2022

Susurros del Corazón of Auberge Resorts Collection

The natural setting is the star at the new Susurros del Corazon beachfront resort on the northern end of Bahia de Banderas near Puerto Vallarta, which opened in late 2022. Here families can take surfing and paddle board lessons, book a snorkeling excursion, make a splash in the family pool and maybe even catch a glimpse of a humpback whale during migration season from December to March. 

SOUTH OF THE BORDER: 13 best Mexico all-inclusive resorts for families

The resort’s Los Morritos kids club for ages five to 12 offers activities and programming inspired by Mexican culture, including Mexican folk-art pottery classes and hands-on culinary sessions. Guest rooms, suites and villas feature light and bright contemporary designs incorporating natural materials and Mexican craft culture. Guest rooms also have private terraces and lots of windows for enjoying the gorgeous views.

2. Embassy Suites by Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront Resort

Virginia Beach, Virginia

Opening February 2023

Embassy Suites by Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront Resort

One of three hotel options at the beachfront Cavalier Resort, the new Embassy Suites by Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront Resort will feature 157 suites with ocean views and plenty of space for the whole family. On-site amenities are set to include indoor and outdoor pools, a 24-hour fitness center and a beachfront taco shack. 

WHERE TO GO:27 family vacation ideas for the best trip ever

Guests can also use the amenities and visit the restaurants and bars located at the other hotels throughout the resort, from the new kid-friendly We Scream ice cream shop to the country’s first in-hotel distillery, Tarnished Truth. A full calendar of resort activities will be offered during the summer, with lots of options for kids, adults, or the entire family.

3. Frenchman’s Reef

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Opening Spring 2023

When completed in early 2023, the new two-property Frenchman’s Reef resort in St. Thomas will include The Westin Beach Resort and Spa at Frenchman’s Reef and the Buoy Haus Beach Resort. The resort will occupy a prime elevated spot perched above the Caribbean Sea and Morningstar Beach, providing amazing views and easy access to the water. 

SUN AND SAND:10 Caribbean family resorts that belong on your bucket list

Guests will be able to lounge beside ocean view pools, book face and body treatments at Heavenly Spa by Westin, or head down to the resort’s private beachfront for activities and programming for the entire family. Want more adventure? A private catamaran will depart from the resort’s dock for snorkeling trips and sunset sails.

4. The Lodge 30A

Santa Rosa Beach, Florida

Opening March 2023 

Located in the South Walton area of the Florida Panhandle, The Lodge 30A is a three-story boutique hotel that will feature 85 studio-style and suite-style guest rooms with kitchenettes. Guests will be able to enjoy an outdoor pool and fitness center on site and can opt to make use of the nearby Watersound Beach Club – which offers beach access, multiple pools, a lazy river and restaurants – for a daily fee.

DREAM TRIPS:10 dreamy Florida beach resorts that are perfect for families

Situated near Florida’s 15,000-acre Point Washington State Forest, the hotel takes design cues from its natural surroundings and will provide a good home base for exploring South Walton’s sugar-sand beaches and 16 different beach neighborhoods. It’s also adjacent to a new shopping and dining zone called Greenway Station (opening summer 2023).

5. Embassy Suites by Hilton Aruba Resort

Eagle Beach, Aruba 

Opening February 2023 

Embassy Suites by Hilton Aruba Resort tiki bar rendering

The new Embassy Suites by Hilton Aruba Resort will be the first Aruba property for Embassy Suites and only the second Hilton-branded resort on the Caribbean island just north of Venezuela. Families can book one of the 330 tropically stylish suites offering views of the Caribbean, plenty of room to spread out and close proximity to the sands of Eagle Beach, a perennial favorite for travelers. 

VISIT THE HAPPY ISLAND: 7 best Aruba all-inclusive resorts for families

In addition to spending time by the shore, guests will also be able to take a dip in the kids-only or adults-only pools and enjoy an al fresco meal or refreshing beverage from one of the resort’s five on-site dining options. 

6. Omni PGA Frisco Resort

Frisco, Texas

Opening May 2023

Omni PGA Frisco Resort

Located near the recently opened PGA of America headquarters in Frisco, Texas, the new Omni PGA Frisco Resort will appeal to golfers of all ages and experience levels. In addition to teeing off at two 18-hole championship golf courses, guests can also enjoy a lighted two-acre putting course (considered to be the largest natural-grass putting course in the world) and a lighted 10-hole short course, plus stop by the PGA Coaching Center for club fittings and instruction on their golf vacation.

LONE STAR STATE: 9 family resorts in Texas with the best things to do with kids

Non-golfers will be able to take a dip in the resort’s four pools, book a treatment at the spa and do some shopping at the resort’s PGA entertainment district. And even picky eaters will be able to find something to like at the resort’s 13 dining options, which offer everything from sports bar fare to artisanal ice cream. Families can book one of the 500 guest rooms and suites or reserve one of 10 four-bedroom ranch houses for more space.

7. AutoCamp Zion and AutoCamp Asheville

Virgin, Utah and Asheville, North Carolina

Opening Spring 2023 (Zion) and mid-2023 (Asheville)

AutoCamp Zion rendering

Known for offering stylish Airstream suites and luxe tent setups in picturesque nature-focused areas, the AutoCamp brand has a lot going on in 2023. First up is AutoCamp Zion, which will feature 72 Airstreams and 10 BaseCamps that include both an Airstream and tent. Located about 20 minutes from Zion National Park on 16 acres of land along the Virgin River and taking design inspiration from its setting, the property will also include an all-season pool, communal fire pit, riverfront beach access and a clubhouse with a general store and food and beverage options. 

LUXURY CAMPING: 10 best family glamping resorts in the U.S.

Similarly, AutoCamp Asheville will offer easy access to outdoor adventures in the Blue Ridge Mountains as well as the hip North Carolina city loved by foodies and beer drinkers. The Asheville location will include 51 Airstreams, four BaseCamps and six compact Bambi Airstreams among its lodging options, along with an all-season pool, bar and lounge and clubhouse. 

Additional AutoCamp locations in Texas Hill Country and near Sequoia National Park are planned to open in late 2023.

8. Hampton Inn and Suites Rochester Downtown

Rochester, New York

Opening Spring 2023

Part of a major expansion of The Strong National Museum of Play, which houses the world’s largest and most comprehensive collection of historical materials related to play, the new (and pet-friendly) Hampton Inn and Suites Rochester Downtown will be located in the museum’s new Neighborhood of Play. There guests will also find shopping, dining and residential components.

KID-FRIENDLY:10 best northeast family resorts: Where to stay in Maine, Vermont, more

The hotel design will take playful cues from its museum neighbor for everything from its 126 guest rooms (including 40 suites and five bunk-bed rooms) to the zero-entry indoor pool. Additional amenities will include a fitness center, lounge and daily hot breakfast. It’s an ideal place to stay to check out the museum’s new, 90,000-square-foot wing dedicated to video game history and a new World Video Game Hall of Fame exhibit, which also opens in 2023.

9. Great Wolf Lodge Maryland

Perryville, Maryland

Opening Summer 2023

Great Wolf Lodge Maryland rendering

When it opens this summer, the new Great Wolf Lodge Maryland will be the 20th location for this popular indoor water park resort chain. Situated in Perryville, Maryland, it will be an easy drive from Baltimore, Philadelphia, Wilmington and the Washington, D.C., area. Families can book one of the lodge’s 700 suites, some of which will offer fun hotel rooms for kids like log cabin-themed or cave-themed sleeping areas for the kiddos. 

LEADERS OF THE PACK:11 best Great Wolf Lodge locations in the U.S. and Canada

In addition to a 126,000-square-foot indoor water park complete with water slides, a wave pool and a lazy river, Great Wolf Lodge Maryland will also include multiple kid-centric dining options and the 57,000-square-foot Great Wolf Adventure Park, a family entertainment center with bowling, mini golf, a ropes course and other activities. 

10. Kona Village, A Rosewood Resort

The Big Island of Hawaiʻi

Opening June 2023

Kona Village

Situated on 81 acres on the Kohala Coast of the Big Island of Hawai‘i, the new Kona Village (a reimagining of a former resort that’s been closed for more than a decade) will tie in elements of the local culture and the natural setting to give guests a true Hawaiian experience. 

NO PASSPORT NEEDED: 4 best Hawaii all-inclusive resorts for families

This will be reflected in everything from the design of the 150 guest hale (a traditional Hawaiian structure that’s like a stylistically elevated beach bungalow) to the amenities, which include an on-site cultural center to help visitors understand the area better, a spa and state-of-the-art fitness center, outdoor pools and five restaurants and bars. Sustainability will also be a focus and the resort will be powered completely by solar energy. 

11. Conrad Orlando

Orlando, Florida

Opening Fall 2023 

A new luxury hotel located close to the Orlando theme parks and water parks, the new Conrad Orlando will be part of Evermore Orlando Resort, a full-scale redevelopment of the former Villas of Grand Cypress. The Conrad Orlando will feature 433 rooms done up in beachy hues, including 51 suites and 10 family suites offering more space and home-like touches. 

WATER WORLDS: 15 best Orlando hotels with pools, water slides, and water parks

Amenities will include an outdoor pool, a spa and dining options ranging from a European-style café to a rooftop Mexican restaurant. Guests will also have access to Evermore Orlando Resort amenities like two Jack Nicklaus-designed 18-hole golf courses, a 20-acre tropical “beach,” and an eight-acre crystalline lagoon with features like a rope swing, waterslide and recreation hub with kayaks and stand-up paddle boards.

12. Dollywood’s HeartSong Lodge and Resort

Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Opening Late 2023

Inspired by its setting in the Great Smoky Mountains, Dollywood’s HeartSong Lodge and Resort will incorporate touches like exposed beams, high ceilings and lots of natural textures to help bring the outdoors in. This new 302-room property is located at Dolly Parton’s Tennessee theme park and resort, Dollywood. 

HASSLE-FREE:7 affordable family travel adventures where someone else does all the planning

Accommodations will include family suites and bunk rooms, many with balconies, plus special themed suites and loft rooms tucked into the dormers of the five-story hotel. When the kids need a break from the rides and thrills at Dollywood Theme Park and Dollywood’s Splash Country water park, the family can head to the resort’s indoor and outdoor pools or relax by the two-story stone fireplace or communal fire pit.

12 most anticipated new family resorts and hotels of 2023 originally appeared on FamilyVacationist.com.

More from FamilyVacationist:

FamilyVacationist.com covers family vacation ideas; family vacation spots; all-inclusive family resorts; and must-have travel accessories for families of all shapes, sizes and orientations. The views and opinions expressed in this column are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY.

Featured Weekly Ad