As a Michigan resident and mom of five, I am always looking for the best Florida resorts for families as a means to escape the winter cold. (In fact, it’s snowing in March as I write this.)
Over the weekend, I chatted with a fellow mom about our family’s plans to visit TradeWinds Resort in St. Pete’s, Florida, for my birthday. She quickly grabbed my arm and pulled me to the side, confiding that her family owns a condo right next door to TradeWinds and has been visiting every year for nearly a decade.
“Be careful!” she said. “We don’t want other people knowing about it down there!”
As it would turn out, TradeWinds – and its neighboring town of St. Pete’s – is a bit of a local favorite. With 40 acres of beachfront, tons of on-site activities for all ages, and a close proximity to the lively yet relaxed town of St. Pete’s, the two hotels within TradeWinds Resort may just be the best kept secret for families looking for a Florida vacation.
Here’s why we think TradeWinds Resort is a winner in the best Florida resorts for families, along with what our family is looking forward to enjoying during our visit.
Entertainment for All Ages
I have a mix of kids’ ages, from preschool to tweens and teens, so it can sometimes be challenging to find a vacation spot that makes everyone happy. TradeWinds, fortunately, offers age-appropriate activities for a wide range of ages. Obviously, there’s the beautiful 40 acres of beaches as well as five heated pools (including family-friendly and adult-only pools), but there’s plenty to do elsewhere on the resorts too.
For instance, tweens and teens will love the three-story high tide water slide as well as an entire 15,750-square-foot floating water park right on the gulf, complete with inflatable slides and floating trampolines. (Honestly, this looks incredibly fun, so hopefully moms are allowed!)
There’s also the SunSetter Game Zone filled with ping-pong, foosball, giant Jenga, and mega Connect-4. To wind down at night, enjoy free activities like watching dive-in movies while floating in the pool or eating s’mores around the fire pits, all included!
Free Resort Activities
Speaking of free, I love the resort’s included activities. For our family’s last trip to Florida over spring break, we rented an Airbnb and took in some “traditional” Florida vacation experiences, such as SeaWorld, Medieval Nights, and Gatorland.
Even though we had fun, for our next trip, I specifically searched for the best Florida resorts for families where we could have a home base that didn’t require leaving.
I absolutely love that TradeWinds offers tons of on-site activities included in the resort price, such as:
- Unlimited rides on the High Tide Slide
- Beach volleyball
- Fitness center
- Family pirate shows
- Paddle boats
- Beach games
- Beach yoga
- Beach hammocks
- Miniature golf
- Dive-in movies
- S’mores around the fire
There are also additional activities you can pay for, such as massages (now we’re talking!), painting and craft classes, paddle boarding, dolphin cruises, and parasailing.
Dining With a View
A big draw of the resort for our family is the RumFish Grill – the full-dinner restaurant that sits next to a wall-to-wall 33,500-gallon aquarium featured on Animal Planet’s Tanked TV show that I just know my kids are going to love.
The other dining options are more casual and are located on the beach, which is ideal for stretching your legs after dinner, burning off some energy with the kids, or just enjoying nightly live music.
You Can Swim With Fishes (Shark-Free)
The wall-to-wall aquarium in RumFish Grill isn’t just for decoration — it’s also a fully functioning ecosystem that curious swimmers can explore. You and your kids (8 and older) can snorkel directly inside the massive aquarium. I have to say, I love the idea of snorkeling, but snorkeling in the ocean does scare me a bit, so I love that the resort restaurant offers this.
You can pre-book a spot to snorkel with more than 200 fish, including a green moray eel, grouper, snook, and more.
Private Villas for the Whole Family
Piratey Fun
All of my kids went through a big pirate phase (IYKYK), so if your kids are in their pirate era, they will get a big kick out of the many pirate-themed activities and entertainment at TradeWinds.
The resort is set up with two hotels on the property, but guests can share some amenities on each side. So no matter which hotel you stay at, your kids may run into Captain Redbeard, the property’s resident pirate. The captain and his trusty first mate, Blaze, host interactive shows every Saturday, which are free and included in the resort fee.
The storytime includes pirate fun, of course, and even gives kids the chance to make their own shark tooth necklaces. If your kids want even more pirate fun, they can join Pirate Invasion Camp, a kids’ camp where kids can train like real pirates.
Amazing Local Area
As my mom friend alluded to, St. Pete’s Beach is one of the best places for families to visit in Florida because it’s much more low-key, relaxed, and less crowded than many other Florida vacation destinations. (She wants to keep it that way, which I can’t say I blame her for!)
But still, it should be said that if you’re looking for the best Florida resorts for families, you may want to check out St. Pete’s. There are many condos near the resorts you can book if you don’t want to stay on-site. Some of the condos are so close, in fact, that you could walk to the resort’s restaurants to enjoy beachfront dining. You can also check out the famous St. Pete’s walking waterfront to enjoy a post-dinner walk by the water. (Don’t forget to stop for ice cream!)
St. Pete’s was an area hit by the recent hurricane, so check its website for updates on construction. TradeWinds also keeps an ongoing list of what amenities are closed and/or undergoing renovations following the hurricane.
I confirmed with the resort that the list is updated in real time, but always reach out if you have any specific questions.
