Family Gateway in Club Med Sandpiper Bay, Port Saint Lucie Florida

When you hear the words “Club Med,” you may think of bronzed, bikini-clad bodies moving about Turks and Caicos, drinks served up in hollowed-out coconuts and steel drum music tinkling in the background. But Club Med Sandpiper Bay is a whole different story from the stereotype that’s come to define Club Meds over the past few decades.

The only all-inclusive family resort in the U.S.—that means all food, beverages, tips and taxes are included in the price, as well as most activities—the 216-acre Club Med Sandpiper Bay, tucked into the lush natural landscape along the St. Lucie River, offers up surroundings that include palm tree-lined pools, a sandy beach, and beautifully landscaped grounds vibrant with colorful flowers. The village has five pools, including an infinity pool exclusively for adults and a splash park for the Mini Club Med. The 307 guest rooms are set against the banks of the St. Lucie River and have an airy, Floridian-inspired décor with floral upholstery.
Closed for three months while the property underwent renovations, the newly minted Club Med Sandpiper Bay now features, among other things, completely redone restaurants, an all-new L’Occitane spa, and new cabanas and lounges. But there’s so much more here than the term “resort” implies.

The fact that Sandpiper Bay is home to the Club Med Golf, Tennis and Fitness Academies means its guests can take golf lessons with the Golf Channel’s Brad Brewer, who was mentored by Arnold Palmer; train for a triathlon with 5-time Ironman champion Heather Gollnick; and experience video stroke analysis of their tennis swing with Gabe Jaramillo, one-time coach of Andre Agassi. Active types will find their days packed with options: there’s Fitness School, Flying Trapeze and Circus School, Bocce ball, table tennis, cardio-tennis, basketball (a new basketball court came as part of the renovations, as well as a new tennis center with 21 courts), golf, volleyball, football and soccer, plus there’s a cardio training and weight room on the premises for those who can’t bear to miss a workout, even when on vacation. Kids can even get in the act with a special Zumbatomic class designed especially for them.