Best Hotels: North America

best dinnertime-playtime compromise

This grand old hotel's 6,160-square-foot family-entertainment center has a playroom, a movie theater, an arcade, and—cue the choir—a window to the restaurant, so Mom and Dad can have a date while keeping an eye on the kids. From $299 a night.

best place to feel like a Roosevelt

It's only three years old, but this Adirondacks lodge evokes the places northeastern families once retreated to every summer, thanks to its mountainside location, luxe-rustic suites, and water sports. You can even rent your own vintage wooden Hacker Craft to cruise the lake. From $315 a night.

best U.S. chain

These 43 hotels set the bar for family-friendliness. Many offer 24-hour on-call pediatricians, babyproofed rooms, and high-quality gear. And then there's the fun stuff: At some locations, your kids can borrow a pet fish to make your room feel more like home; at others, they can invent their own ice cream flavors. From $200 a night.

best view

This resort gets the southern-charm thing just right: Waterfront cottages are set amid a moody landscape of live oaks and Spanish moss. From your porch, you can see dolphins leaping through the inlet. From $475 a night.

best double feature

At the end of the day, you and your young film buff/petered-out tourist will relish the exhaustive in-room DVD collection—260 movies, most of which are G-rated. From $525 a night.

best people watching

It's the best deal in a pricey town. The country-cute rooms are big (suites have kitchenettes) and near the farmers' market, museums, and the CBS studios, where seeing The Price Is Right fans line up is entertainment in itself. From $184 a night.

best turndown service

At this oceanfront resort, kids can get a tent, a sleeping bag, and a s'more at turndown in their parents' room (sure beats a hard rollaway and a mint). From $525 a night.

best bear sightings

This château has partnered with the Biosphere Environment Museum to create a kids' program that doesn't just babysit but inspires. Children learn about plants and insects and, from an observation platform, view black bears in the wild. You will want to tag along. From $209 Canadian a night.

best brunch

It turns the bad-hotel-brunch stereotype on its head. Not only are there homemade tortillas and fresh fish, but the churros, fried before your eyes, are like nothing you've ever tasted. From $210 a night.

best place to feel glam

This white-on-white hotel isn't too cool to treat parents like VIPs. The staff gladly secures babysitters, modifies the light French menu for picky eaters, and tiptoes around sleeping babies. The gift-shop sarongs make you look hot even with a postbaby pooch. From $800 a night.

best end to a sun-soaked day

At night, you and the kids can flip-flop over to the Ritz's outdoor screen and lounge on teak chairs, curl up with pashmina shawls, and eat popcorn while watching a movie under the stars. From $299 a night.

best spa innovation

Book a consultation with "chief spa elder" Stella Gray, who has been with this Montego Bay hotel for 37 years. She'll inquire about everything from your diet to your favorite products, then suggest the best treatment and therapist for you. Her recommendations are spot on, every time. From $250 a night.