La Costa Spa and Resort is Paradise for Your Family

by Lorri Ballance Laird

When your family is on vacation, there's nothing better than "built-in" entertainment for the kids. By "built-in" entertainment, I mean on-site facilities at resorts and hotels that cater to the kids while parents relax.

As part of its recent multi-million-dollar renovation, La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, has opened its version of paradise for kids--Kidtopia, a club for kids, and Vibz, an interactive teen lounge. The two facilities, with a combined total of 6,000 square feet, offer something exciting for every kid, ages 6 months to 16 years. Kids can have fun while their parents hit the links at one of the resort's two championship golf courses, relax with a spa treatment, or dine at one of the resort's two restaurants--Legends or the Bluefire Grill.

Kidtopia, the resort's kids club, encourages children to use their imaginations, while having a good time. The club features geological formations, a magical forest, and a 600-gallon saltwater aquarium filled with exotic creatures from the deep. The infant toddler area offers a calm, nurturing environment with age-appropriate toys, soft-climb items, books, puzzles, and infant swings, while two to four-year-olds will have a great time playing in a seven-foot tree house complete with slide. For four to 12-year-olds, the club features a number of high-tech entertainment stations with games and computers, a small animal display, and a 10 x 10 light floor where they can play games and dance. In addition, Kidtopia features educational programming aimed at providing a themed curriculum that is highly interactive and fun. Both indoor and outdoor activities include everything from crafts and costumes to games and treasure hunts. Themes include Pirates of the Pacific, La Costa Olympics, Global Greatness, and Western Roundup.

If you're a teen or tween, there's nothing better than being able to ditch your parents for a little while. Vibz allows your 10 to 16-year-olds to do just that, while you can relax knowing the kids are in a safe environment. Vibz is decorated to resemble an underground mine and features a wide selection of music and dance activities; pool tables and air hockey; and an X-Box gaming lounge.

Parents will appreciate the secure check-in area, trained staff, and night camp, which is offered from 6 to 9 p.m. Kidtopia and Vibz are open seven days a week. Kidtopia daily hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., while Vibz is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more information, visit lacosta.com.