Daydream Island Resort and Spa

Daydream Island Resort and Spa Review

Colorfully decorated, with whimsical touches—starfish-and-shell-embedded toilet seats, mermaid and dolphin statues perched on rocks, a giant chess set, and outsize marine mobiles and murals—this family-friendly resort has youthful, cheerful staff, a well-run, albeit pricey kids' club (open daily for morning and afternoon sessions for 0- to 4-year-olds; fun school-holiday programs, including evening sessions, for 5- to 12-year-olds), a terrific pool, and a lovely day spa. Condo-style garden- or ocean-view rooms and suites have cane and blond-wood furniture, cool tiled floors, and beach-theme fabrics, and are equipped with cable TV, pay-per-view movies, PlayStation games, and Wi-Fi; suites also have hot tubs. Complimentary activities include aqua aerobics, makeup workshops, outdoor movies on a 44-foot screen, scavenger hunts, and daily fish-feeding at the ocean-fed aquarium that meanders through the grounds. The tour desk can arrange various offshore excursions and water sports. The million-dollar, Australiana-theme 19-hole miniature-golf course at the island's southern end is bargain-priced hilarity. Breakfast is included in most room packages. For a fee, child care is available: drop the kids off and head out on a day cruise, or to the 16-room Daydream Rejuvenation Spa.