This time of year always brings to mind holiday cheer and gift-giving, with hopes that one of those gifts includes a warm vacation. Luxe Lodgings contributor Angela Fairhurst searched the globe for hotels and resorts that will warm your soul, with or without your family.

Family-Friendly

Krystal Grand Los Cabos in Mexico

Debuting in November, the Krystal Grand Los Cabos is the latest all-inclusive resort to open in this top Mexican destination where the desert meets the Sea of Cortez. Located close to the airport and only 10 minutes from downtown San Jose del Cabo, the 454-room, four-star hotel caters to families, weddings, and groups looking for a VIP experience with friendly service and comfort. The beachfront property has four swimming pools, a Kids and Teens Club, fitness center, a full-service Eternity spa, poolside bars along, with fine dining and casual restaurants offering a range of cuisine including seafood specialties, Mexican, Italian, and Asian cuisine. The Sky Lounge has incredible rooftop views, and the bars offer Instagram-worthy drinks, including a cucumber mojito. Room choice is key here, with several room categories offering exclusive ocean views. The Infinity or Eternity suites include top amenities and service.

The Gates Hotel South Beach in Florida

For a city life vacation, The Gates Hotel South Beach is a newly renovated four-star Hilton by Doubletree hotel situated in the heart of South Beach Miami on world-renowned Collins Avenue. Upon arrival, the kid- and pet-friendly hotel and staff welcome you with warm chocolate chip cookies. The hotel has modern designs with local touches that immerse guests in the art of beachside living through music, food, and drink. Local Miami fine art photographer Jorge De La Torriente, whose gallery is in Key West Florida, has installed art on the conference floor and in all the rooms and public spaces. The hotel’s expansive lobby with workspaces, combined with its outdoor pool deck, makes it easy to hold small meetings and social events. Across the street from the Atlantic Ocean, The Gates has a beach setup specifically for the hotel and tuk-tuk service for transporting you there and back if you want to avoid the short walk. The Gates is close to many cultural attractions including the Bass Museum, the Miami Ballet, shopping, and activities.

Soneva Fushi in the Maldives

Image Credit: Richard Waite

Soneva Fushi is a rustic barefoot luxury hideaway in Kunfunadhoo, Maldives. The property is reached by a 30-minute seaplane flight from Malé and then a short transfer in a dhoni boat to the lush island. The eco-luxury resort features a range of 57 secluded private villas, all with their own beach gardens. Soneva Fushi is set in the Baa Atoll, with its own house reef and 30 different nearby dive spots. Service is provided by butlers. Highlights include an open-air cinema, an observatory for stargazing, homemade chocolate and ice cream, a selection of 500 wines in the six different restaurants, a great childcare center for kids of all ages called the Children’s Den, and a multi-purpose facility that encompasses a glass gallery, boutique, and studio where you can learn the art of glass blowing.

Saint Peter’s Bay Barbados

Saint Peter’s Bay Barbados has 57 three- and four-bedroom beachfront suites, which makes it an easy place for large families to hold celebrations. The property offers all the amenities and services you’d expect from a world-class resort, including everything from adventures to relaxation with water sports, beach yoga, Pilates. There are also kids’ activities, turtle watching, or you can simply recharge by the lagoon in style. The Concierge team contacts you in advance to make the experience convenient, orchestrating everything from the moment you arrive, with access to the Fitness Center, the Adult Recreation Center, and the Sandbox Tree Spa at its Port Ferdinand sister resort. For the holidays, the resort has an exclusive “Pre-Christmas” sale offering a 35 percent savings when traveling on or before December 25, 2017.

Kimpton Seafire Resort and Spa, Grand Cayman

The Kimpton Seafire Resort debuted in November 2016 as Kimpton’s first resort outside of the continental U.S. Delving into the international luxury resort market, Kimpton continues to provide its signature heartfelt care and “luxury without the attitude” service. Located along the world-famous Seven Mile Beach, the 266 guest rooms, each with their own balcony, offer an open-air design indoors and out, making sure you see lush landscapes with the sand and the turquoise sea at every turn. The resort’s amenities include an 8,500-square-foot Spa at Seafire, which features the only Turkish-style Hammam on Grand Cayman, a 1,770-square-foot state-of the-art fitness center, and two pools. There are three signature restaurants, including beachside bar Coccoloba, and signature restaurant Ave serving Spanish Tapas with an exclusive Chef’s Table called Avecita. Parents can truly relax thanks to Camp Seafire, an interactive and well-planned program for children ages 4 to 12. The holiday offerings can be found here.

Ideal For Adults

Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea

Four Seasons Resort Maui is located on Wailea Beach, which is sunny year-round. Guests enjoy 383 newly transformed floor-to-ceiling windowed guest rooms and suites, which are some of Maui’s largest, at the only resort on the island with no additional resort fees. The concierge service team consists of 25 on-site staff with local expertise who thrive on building unique experiences for guests that allow them to experience the island like no other visitor can. For the holidays, the Four Seasons Maui has made it a priority to help guests with special dietary needs have a stress-free and enjoyable stay at any of its five dining options. Julie Nolan, the Resort’s special diet guru, focuses on helping guests with food preferences, allergies, or restrictions safely navigate through the vast array of delicious dishes, monitoring ingredients and staying vigilant about food preparation methods.

Trisara in Phuket, Thailand

Nestled on a private bay along Phuket’s less-developed northwest shore, Trisara’s beachfront pool suites and villas are another holiday getaway option. In Sanskrit the word Trisara means “The Garden in the Third Heaven,” and the resort is wrapped in tropical forest and exotic gardens. The 60 spacious ocean-facing pool villas are designed with privacy, serenity, and relationships in mind. The décor is simple with rich interiors and views of the Andaman Sea. Each villa comes with its own unique natural-grey marble infinity pools. Renowned for authentic dining experiences and imaginative adventures, Trisara is dedicated to ensuring guests are cared for by a team of warm Thai staff which regards hospitality as a joy. This holiday season, Trisara is offering Royal six-hand massages at Jara Spa, tranquil yoga classes taught by in-house instructors, private cooking lessons, and luxury cruises around the surrounding islands. Click here to learn more or book the holiday special.

Mukul in Guacalito, Nicaragua

Image Credit: Ryan Forbes

Mukul, an Auberge Resort, the brainchild of entrepreneur and native Nicaraguan, Don Carlos Pellas, has raised the bar for eco-luxury resorts in Nicaragua. Guacalito de la Isla is a unique coastal community two hours from Managua. This $250 million, 1,670-acre low-density five-star resort is on the country’s “Emerald Coast” and has 37 rooms. Twelve of these are ocean facing villas opening onto two white-sand beaches. Most of the remaining “rooms” are Bohios—621-square-foot treehouse villas perched 300 feet above the Playa Manzanillo, with unobstructed views of the sea below. You can spend time at the beach sipping drinks, at the outdoor pool, or indulge in the spa with a hot stone massage, body wrap, or aromatherapy treatment. Dining choices include three restaurants and two poolside bars. The Guacalito Golf Course is an 18-hole course designed by award winning Scottish golf course designer David McLay Kidd.

Want to discover more high-end hotels around the world? Check out:

• Caribbean Hotels Open for the Holidays
• 8 Original Treatments in Hotel Spas Around the World
• Private Retreats Where You Can Catch Up on Rest & Relaxation

By Angela Fairhurst for PeterGreenberg.com