The Spread:
The Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa towers 39 stories over Broward County's portion of the Atlantic Ocean, with 998 rooms and an adjacent conference center being clear winners for business groups. However, this Fort Lauderdale-area property offers plenty for take-along-kids, including Westin's revamped kids' program and 220 feet of new beach, courtesy of a recent rehab project. Set your lounge chair oceanside and help your children build sandcastles. Or take budding swimmers to

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the infinity-edge pool, where waterfalls flow and a see-through bottom affords views of the lagoon pool below. A few minutes away, the Diplomat Country Club & Spa features a Joe Lee-designed, five-star golf course plus a 30,000-square-foot spa.

Why Families Love It:
The resort features the enhanced Westin Kids Club, whose theme is "destination discovery." Upon check-in, kids aged three to 12 receive a tote bag with a postcard kit, sports bottle, and a Kids Club hat. Summer 2006 sees the addition of programs tailored to three- and four-year-old tots along with its usual five- to 12-year-old range. On their first visit to the Kids Club, children receive a Westin Discovery Backpack filled with a disposable camera, a canteen, and a passport book containing vacation stickers of activities such as fishing, boating, tennis, and sandcastle building. Kids learn camera tips, do pool exercises, listen to songs and stories, do arts and crafts, play tennis and golf, and go on fishing and snorkeling outings. Half-day camp runs from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. or 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and costs $35. A full day (9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) costs $60, and the evening program, which runs from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., costs $35.

At Adventure World, located at Diplomat Landing, families can sign up for snorkeling, kayaking, canoeing, and fishing outings.

Special Activities & Events:
The Diplomat boasts great ocean views and is spacious enough no matter what room you're given. But a spot on one of the club-level floors (about $100 extra per night) offers a few nice perks. The living-room area allows for more "hangout" space, and the view is a guaranteed winner. Rates include complimentary continental breakfast, as well as evening cocktails and hors d'oeuvres.