10 Best Resorts for a Babymoon Vacation

With the growing trend of couples squeezing in one last trip before their child is born, more and more hotels are catering to soon-to-be parents with romantic vacation packages called “babymoons.” Pre-natal massages, sunbathing (poolside or on the beach), and no-holds-barred gourmet cuisine (no alcohol or raw seafood, of course) are always included, but additional perks include a baby-bump photography session for moms or a congratulatory cigar for dads. And babymoons aren’t just a local thing—you’ll find them everywhere from upstate New York to Palm Springs to posh Caribbean properties in Jamaica, St. Lucia, and Grand Cayman. No matter where you choose to go, these top-tier resorts will have all your pre-baby getaway needs covered.

by Kristine Hansen

Kristine Hansen is a freelance writer based in Milwaukee where she reports on food, wine, and travel topics around the globe for Fodors.com, along with new-hotel openings. She also writes for Wine Enthusiast, TIME, Whole Living, and American Way. In 2006 she co-authored The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Coffee and Tea (Alpha Books/Penguin). You can follow her on Twitter @kristineahansen or through her web site.

WHERE: Waikiki Beach, Honolulu, HI

Once you’re off the long flight to Hawaii, Waikiki Beach is just a short cab ride from Honolulu International Airport. Situated on a private stretch of sand, the 102-year-old Moana Surfrider boats rooms with large, wide balconies, and a plantation-style ambiance. The 18,000-square-foot Moana Lani Spa pairs treatments like Lomi Lomi Ola massage with chocolate-covered macadamia nuts, plus a Hawaiian ritual where guests dump worries into a ho’awe bowl filled with Alaea salt later tossed into the ocean.

PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Honolulu Guide

WHERE: Milton, NY

On the 70-acre Hudson Valley estate Buttermilk Falls Inn & Spa, you’ll find a restaurant, spa, and 10-room inn (there are also a dozen private cottages). Henry’s at the Farm sources from its organic garden, orchard, and beehives, plus nearby Millstone Farm, which welcomes inn guests who hunger for a peek at the country lifestyle. Wake up to a power plate (quinoa, avocado, vegetables, and eggs sourced from the inn’s chickens), then book a pre-natal massage at the eco-friendly spa, where only organic and biodynamic products are used.

PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s New York Guide

WHERE: Soufrieres, St. Lucia

What better place to unwind than a daybed along St. Lucia’s most gorgeous spread of white sand? The island’s twin Pitons are smack-dab in your view. Named for the beach, Sugar Beach, A Viceroy Resort also invites relaxing at Rainforest Spa, where two mother-to-be treatments (pre-natal massage or “The Smoothie” facial) take place inside seven tree houses connected via bridges. Book a luxury villa with a four-poster bed and outdoor plunge pool for even more private pampering.

PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s St. Lucia Guide

WHERE: Nantucket, MA

Island life Northeastern-style means crisp, white-and-blue interior décor with fireplaces and built-in bookshelves, just like at White Elephant. Book the cedar-shingled hotel’s two-night babymoon package—choosing from a room, suite, or garden cottage—and receive $25 off an hour-long pre-natal massage and an on-the-house cigar for dad tied with a pink or blue ribbon. Included at no extra cost for all guests—especially those eating for two—are afternoon cheeses and morning pastries. The staff treats expectant mothers like royalty, providing a courtesy car shuttle into town and chairs and umbrellas for the beach.

PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Nantucket Guide

WHERE: Wisconsin Dells, WI

A short drive from the Twin Cities, Milwaukee, and Chicago, Sundara Inn & Spa, nestled into a pine-tree forest, offers all the goods for a spa-cation. Included in the babymoon package are suite accommodations, a breakfast buffet, and a pedicure for the mom-to-be plus a non-alcoholic sparkling beverage and fruit/cookie plate. Massages for the couple are provided in sync in the “spa together” room. The spa’s organic-style architecture and Ayurvedic-medicine philosophies are guaranteed to calm any pre-baby nerves.

PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Wisconsin Guide

WHERE: La Quinta, CA

In a remote part of the Palm Springs region—Coachella Valley—La Quinta Resort & Club, A Waldorf Astoria Resort still has a throwback, midcentury vibe. But the property, spread across 45 lush acres at the foot of the Santa Rosa Mountains, also features modern amenities—like 41 pools and 53 hot tubs. Spa LaQuinta tips its hat to moms-to-be with its Maternity Massage plus a foot-reflexology massage. Casitas mirror the resort’s Spanish Colonial architecture with fireplaces and private patios.

PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s La Quinta Guide

WHERE: Grand Cayman

At Cotton Tree, bunk in one of four chic cottages complete with a gourmet kitchen (down to the French press). Each morning, fresh juices and pastries from a local bakery are brought to your doorstep. Thankfully, the private beach at this West Bay enclave is nearby (just down a flight of stairs), as are coconut-themed massages and facials (plus foot exfoliations) beneath an open-air pavilion paired with ocean breezes. Guests also have access to a freshwater pool and can book a chef’s dinner for two in their cottages. You can even request a Cayman-style barbecue on the beach.

PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Grand Cayman Guide

WHERE: Phoenix, AZ

Included with the Babymoon Bliss package at Royal Palms Resort & Spa are luxury goods just for soon-to-be parents. This includes a pre-natal massage for mom, cigar plus cognac for dad (who also gets a massage with the package), a “whatever you’re craving” room-service menu, and baby-bump photos taken by a local photographer. A baby-sized bathtub filled with products from Moonbeams (like a hooded towel and baby slippers) round out the package.

PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Tempe Guide

WHERE: Ocho Rios, Jamaica

With just 48 suites and cottages, Jamaica Inn is a welcome alternative to massive resorts. Rooms are decked out in whites and blues, and boast a private veranda. There are no televisions, radios and clocks in the rooms, designed to help couples further relax. Treatments at Ocean Spa, which can be booked in an open-air room where you can hear the sound of waves crashing into cliffs below, feature ingredients sourced from plants grown at local organic farms. Couples are enticed to book the moonlight massage in tandem.

PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Jamaica Guide

WHERE: Sunny Isles Beach, Miami, Florida

Away from the party scene in South Beach but still hugging the Atlantic Ocean, Acqualina Resort & Spa on the Beach is a 98-room property in Sunny Isles Beach. The babymoon package papmpers moms-to-be with three treatments at the 20,000-square-foot oceanfront ESPA Acqualina Spa (maternity treatment, deep-tissue treatment, and scalp/hair mud treatment). Post-relaxation, there are three oceanfront eateries with a romantic vibe, including Il Mulino New York.

PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Miami Guide