When you’re looking for a luxurious family break away, finding the perfect destination is never easy. As nice as some places look in the brochure, sometimes reality can be a world away from your expectations.

To some resorts, the idea of ‘children’s activities’ means laying out some colouring pencils for an hour each morning. Others will promise a ‘fun-packed kids’ club’, which actually consists of a bored teenager semi-supervising a riot of youngsters, lethally dangling from various items of clapped-out play equipment.

If you know your family deserves better than a bedraggled resort ‘mascot’ and the inevitable arcade of slot machines, looking to providers with a reputation for excellence when it comes to catering for kids is a great place to start. Club Med is one such outstanding provider, having built a reputation since the 1950s of offering a genuinely incredible experience for children of all ages, whilst still providing stunning accommodation and facilities for the adults too.

Worthy of note is the unique way in which Club Med has integrated their staff into the fun and games of the resorts. Instead of ‘staff’, the company offers G.O.s (Gracious Organisers), and gracious is the right word; these bouncy, lively people are the heart and soul of the children’s activities on site, and will become your child’s best friend in no time at all.

Flickr cc: Leon Brocard

We’ve handpicked three of the very best Club Med resorts, where you can expect all the usual Club Med frills and fun, but with a little bit extra, too.

1.    Club Med Ixtapa Pacific, Mexico

Mexico is an incredible place to visit with the family at any time, but when you book the Club Med Ixtapa Pacific resort, you know you’re in for a treat. Voted second in TripAdvisor’s ‘Best Hotels for Families 2013’ poll, Ixtapa is truly out of this world in terms of facilities and friendliness. One Trip Advisor voter commented: “The children's program is absolutely fantastic. The staff are nice, warm, and passionate about working with kids.”

The resort itself is spacious and accommodation is available in everything from a basic family room up to enormous suites, for complete and total luxury. The seemingly endless grounds have enough space to host a full-size football field, skate park, archery court and a trapeze area. They even own a section of the beach, which is exclusively for their own water sports.

The kids programmes are incredible, and you won’t see numerous ‘movie afternoons’ or PlayStation tournaments here; you’ll see groups of kids with their leaders having an amazing time doing everything the resort has to offer.

Families with younger children can expect free pushchairs available for use, baby baths, bottle warmers and potties. They will even lend you a play pen to take along to the beach or poolside to keep your little one safe while you relax. From two years of age they can join in with Petit Club Med, where specially trained staff engage with these younger children, no matter what language they speak.

Mini club med caters for the 4-10 age group, although there are well thought out age divisions within this group too. They have their very own pool for use throughout the holiday and take part in everything from circus skills to dance shows and more. Older kids can join in with Junior Club Med, which offers fun and exciting activities suitable for this age group.

2.    La Pointe aux Canonniers, Mauritius

Breathtaking scenery, an action-packed activity schedule, and the trademark impeccable Club Med staff make this resort a top choice for any family looking for the ultimate break away. La Pointe aux Canonniers is situated amid a tropical paradise of white sandy beaches, palm trees and with uninterrupted views of the Indian Ocean from just about every room on site; you can’t fail to be impressed with the outlook.

Although the hotel is modern in terms of facilities and cleanliness, Club Med have managed to retain a decent amount of good old Mauritian charm in the colours and elegance of the building. You can look forward to whiling away hours at the Dodo Bar, just a few footsteps from the warm ocean, or take to the water for a range of water sports, scuba diving and more.

When you go to La Pointe aux Canonniers in Mauritius all inclusive really does mean all-inclusive. Far from the basic kids clubs offered by some lesser resorts, your kids will be treated like absolute royalty here. Sport, creative activities and games are all part and parcel of the Club Med experience, and from just four months old, children can get their first sights of the underwater wonders of fish and coral thanks to Baby Club Med.

As a recent visitor said on TripAdvisor: “Club Med (at La Pointe aux Canonniers) is no doubt the antidote to civilization! You don't unwind here - you unravel!”

flickr cc: Mohammed Alnaser

3.    Club Med Cancun Yucatan, Cancun

With an enviable setting that is possibly the best in all of Cancun, Club Med’s Cancun Yucatan is the perfect place to find your dream holiday. With no less than 22 acres of resort and a private peninsula at the end of the hotel district, Cancun Yucatan offers privacy, relaxation, space and, of course, the infallible, jam-packed children’s programme.

Cancun was a victim of Hurricane Wilma some years ago, and this event caused serious damage to the resort there. Not ones to be beaten, Club Med rolled up their sleeves and invested no less than £15 million in a major refurbishment and improvement project, leading to many more facilities being added.

One particular change of note was that originally, this resort was adults only, but after Wilma, Club Med opened its doors as a family resort offering all the usual incredible activities for kids, alongside the luxuriously appointed facilities that were originally designed for grownups.

The end result is a no-compromise holiday resort, with the luxury and attention to detail you would expect of an adults resort, but with the added benefit of plenty of activities for the kids, too.

In addition to the usual kids clubs, Cancun Yucatan also offers Passworld, a cool hangout for tweens and teens where they can learn to mix like a DJ, make their own jewellery, create a music video, or simply lounge by the pool watching a wall-projected movie.

flickr cc: Hermann Luyken

When you book with Club Med, you know it’s going to be something special. The incredible amount of effort this company puts into making both you and your kids feel like you are the most important people on the planet, guarantees you an amazing time anywhere in the world. However, these three particular resorts offer something truly out of this world, and are definite contenders for your shortlist if you are looking to create memories that will last a lifetime.