How Kids' Clubs Work at Grenada Resorts: Ages, Hours and What to Ask

A kids' club can make or break a family holiday. When it works, children spend a couple of hours a day crab-hunting, making crafts and swimming with other children while parents read a book by the pool. When it does not, parents discover on arrival that the club takes only children over four, closes at lunchtime, or charges by the hour on top of a rate they thought covered everything.

In Grenada, only a minority of properties run a supervised club at all. The large family-oriented all-inclusives near Point Salines and some of the bigger beach hotels on Grand Anse are the most likely to have one; small inns, guesthouses and most villas do not, though many can arrange a babysitter. This guide explains how resort clubs on the island typically operate, what varies from one property to the next, and the questions that reveal whether a club will actually suit your children.

Which kinds of properties run a kids' club

The pattern in Grenada follows size. A resort with a few hundred rooms and a family market, such as Royalton Grenada at Magazine Beach, has the guest numbers to justify a dedicated space, trained staff and a daily programme. Mid-sized beach hotels sometimes offer a lighter version: a room with games and a schedule of supervised activities in high season and school holidays, but not every day of the year. Adults-only resorts, including Sandals Grenada at Pink Gin Beach, do not have one by definition.

Small hotels and inns with twenty or thirty rooms rarely employ club staff. What they often do well instead is flexibility: a member of staff who knows a reliable babysitter, a kitchen willing to serve an early supper, and a quiet garden where children can play in sight of the bar. Villas sit in the same category. If a supervised programme is essential to your plans, treat it as a filter at the start of the search rather than something to check after you have fallen for a property.

What usually varies from club to club

Age bands. Many clubs start at around four years old, when children can use the toilet independently, and run to about twelve. Some split children into younger and older groups. Under-fours often need a parent present or a separate paid babysitter. Teens, if catered for at all, tend to get a separate lounge or activity schedule rather than a supervised club.

Opening hours. A common shape is a morning session and an afternoon session with a lunch break, and sometimes an evening slot on certain nights. Few clubs run continuously from breakfast to bedtime, and hours can shrink outside peak weeks.

Cost. At all-inclusives the club is normally part of the package, though special activities or late-evening care may cost extra. At room-only hotels, a club may be complimentary for daytime sessions and charged for evening care. Never assume; ask what is included.

Days of operation. Some clubs close one day a week, or operate only in high season and school holidays. If your stay falls in a quiet month such as September, check the club will actually be open.

Drop-off rules. Most clubs require a parent to stay on the property while a child is in the club, register allergies and medical details, and sign the child in and out. Some will not take children who are unwell or still in nappies.

What a typical day looks like

Programmes differ, but a morning at a resort club in Grenada often mixes indoor and outdoor time: a craft session, a treasure hunt across the grounds, splash time in a shallow pool and a snack. Many clubs build in local touches such as nutmeg and cocoa crafts, shell collecting on the beach, or a short walk to look at lizards, hummingbirds and crabs. Afternoon sessions are usually calmer because of the heat, with films, board games and quieter crafts in the shade.

Sea swimming is the area where clubs are most cautious. Even on a calm beach like Grand Anse, staff often keep children to the shoreline or the club's own pool unless a specific water activity is supervised by qualified staff. Parents who want their child to learn to snorkel will generally need to book a separate lesson with a water sports team or a dive shop. That is no bad thing: a one-to-one lesson with an instructor is safer than a group activity with mixed ages.

Questions to send the resort before you book

Websites tend to describe clubs in glowing, general terms. A short email before you pay a deposit gets you the details that matter. Ask the reservations team, and keep the reply:

• What ages does the club accept, and are children grouped by age?
• What are the opening hours, and are they the same in the month you are travelling?
• Is the club open every day, or does it close on certain days or out of season?
• Is it included in your rate, and which activities or sessions carry an extra charge?
• What is the ratio of staff to children, and what training or first-aid certification do staff hold?
• Is there a separate pool or shaded play area for the club?
• How are allergies, medication and special needs handled?
• Can you book a babysitter for evenings, at what cost, and how are sitters vetted?
• Is there anything organised for teenagers, and at what times?

Babysitting versus the club

For babies, toddlers and evenings, babysitting is often the more useful service. Many hotels in Grenada, including small ones without a club, keep a list of sitters, frequently staff members or people known to the hotel, who can come to the room while parents eat dinner at the restaurant downstairs. Rates are usually charged by the hour and sometimes rise after midnight; they vary and should be confirmed with the hotel at the time of booking. Requests made on the day can be difficult in busy weeks, so give the front desk a few days' notice.

Ask how the sitter is arranged and who is responsible: whether the hotel employs the person, or simply passes on a contact. That difference affects what happens if a sitter fails to appear and who to speak to if something goes wrong. For a villa, the agent or housekeeper can sometimes recommend someone. Meet the sitter briefly before you go out, show where the first-aid kit and room phone are, and leave your mobile number and the location of the restaurant.

Mistakes families make with kids' clubs

The most common mistake is planning the whole holiday around a club for a child who is too young to join. A three-year-old who just misses the cut-off will spend the week with parents regardless, so the higher rate of a club resort may not be worth it. Another is assuming that the club will absorb a child who has never been in a group setting with strangers. Many children need a short first session with a parent nearby before they settle; build that into the first day rather than booking a long spa treatment straight away.

Families also forget the timing of school holidays. In the weeks around Christmas, Easter and the northern summer, clubs are fullest and some activities need booking in advance. In quiet periods, a club may have one or two children in it, which some children love and others find dull. Finally, remember that a club is a bonus rather than the whole point: a calm beach, a shady pool and a room with space for an afternoon nap often matter more to a young family's week than any programme.

One more practical point: many families arrive with a child who is wary of a new place and new adults. Visiting the club together on the first afternoon, meeting the staff and seeing the space removes much of that anxiety. Most clubs are happy for parents to look around during opening hours, and a short visit often turns a nervous child into one asking to go back the next morning.

Frequently asked questions