Where is the best place to stay with a 12 and 10 year old? When is the less busy time of year to go?

I think Cancun would be a good choice for a family. It's touristy, but also is clean & easy to get around and has lots of activities. I would stay at one of the hotels on the strip (I don't know which ones might cater more to kids), but from there it is easy to get anywhere because they have a great bus system. I think fall might be one of the best times to go - we went once over Halloween and it was not at all crowded, plus hotels & restaurants had good discounts.

Yes stay on the strip but stick to the hotels on the Isla Mujeres Bay side as they have the large beaches with calm water. The Carribean side is often rough. Consider Presidente, Calinda Viva and Fiesta Americana. Great locations.

Try Na Balam Hotel on Isla Mujeres. Great place for a family. We took our girls three years ago when they were 11 and 13. We stayed in Cancun, Playa del Carmen, and Isla Mujeres and liked the island the best. They have a website www.nabalam.com. I would stay in the units on the beach side of the small sand road (only about 30 units in all). No TV in the rooms, small pool that we never went in because the beach and water was so calm, awesome snack bar on the beach with swings for chairs. The kids loved it. It's only a 20 minute jet boat ride to Cancun. ***My family wants to go back again for sure.

My family and I just came back from Cancun 0n the seventeenth, it was fabulous. We stayed at the Crown Paradise and my seven year old did'nt want to come back. The beack is great a little rough, food was great and service was great, and it caters to kid's. It has 5 pools kid's water park with waterslides everything well worth it. Last year we stayed at the Gran Caribe another good choice but not as much to do for kid's.