I'm a jet-setting mom of twins and only book hotels with kids' clubs. It's more than daycare and my children experience things they can't at home.

• I reject the premise that travel has to cease — or cease to be fun — once you have kids.
• I travel a lot for work and leisure and only book resorts where I can send my twins to kids' clubs.
• It's more than daycare. They offer fun and cultural immersion and allow parents to feel rested, too.

Traveling with kids is challenging. And for many parents, a family vacation feels far from from.

But as a travel writer by trade, a wanderluster by nature, and a mom of school-age twins, I fully reject the premise that this is the way it has to be.

Admittedly, when my kids were born in 2014, my family's travel landscape changed considerably. It took us at least a year to get back on the road. It was hard. 

But when we did feel comfortable traveling again, I refused to give my hard-won vacation time over to huge water parks or costumed character theme parks. I wanted to visit far-flung places with sophisticated lobbies that smelled like roses and savor pristine sea views.

This type of travel experience might sound like a fantasy for a parent of young children, but for me, it's a reality made possible by resort kids' clubs.

Resort kids' clubs aren't daycares. They offer fun, friendship, and cultural immersion 

Some parents have told me that such environments are nothing more than just repositories for unengaged kids. But in my experience, kids thrive in the presence of peers. My children have made friends from all over the world in kids' clubs, developing lasting bonds that result in newly-acquired penpals.

I attribute part of our success to choosing hotels known for these programs, properties with glowing reviews and reputations as havens for families. To that end, we've never shown up at one and left our kids if it didn't meet our standards, namely, clean, and well-run with creative programming and warm, engaging staff. 

In these clubs, my children don't just play without structure. In many cases, they've received cultural immersive experiences. My kids baked Moroccan bread in Marrakech, crafted (and then busted) pinatas in Mexico, and snorkeled with a conservation-focused marine biologist in Bora Bora.

Kids' clubs allow for much-needed grownup time to rest, recharge, and reconnect

When my kids are in clubs, I enjoy time with their dad or indulge in solo time. It's fun but also essential for my mental health. I think kids thrive when their parents have the bandwidth to focus on their relationship, and find that I am a better, more patient, engaged parent when I'm rested and feel personally fulfilled. (See also: my strategy for summer Fridays.) 

If I didn't get to realize my long-held dream of strolling the souks in Marrakech until my kids went to college, I think I would build up an unhealthy resentment. When they're in the kids' club, they're having fun at the same time that I'm able to fulfill my curiosities and passions.

Using a kids' club doesn't mean sacrificing family memories 

We leave plenty of time for family bonding, too. Typically, the kids' clubs are open for about eight hours each day. On some days, we might send the twins for the whole time if my husband and I have a full-day excursion planned, or if the club programming seems especially compelling. And we still plan for family pool time, sightseeing, exploring, and meals together.

On other days, they'll just go for a portion, or not at all if we have a full day of family activities planned. On some occasions, my children have asked not to go to the kids' club and stayed behind with us, as well.

I also have cherished memories from vacations where resorts with kids' clubs weren't feasible, such as two weeks traveling throughout Greece and the Dalmatian Coast.

But it's always everyone's preference to book a hotel where a kids' club is offered. I believe parenting does often take a village. To travel with kids in a way that is fun and rewarding for the whole family, I think the best option is to make plans around lodgings with well-equipped, warmly staffed, brilliantly programmed kids clubs.

From my point of view, no one will miss out on a single thing — so long as the perk of kids clubs doesn't go unused, especially when it's included in the hotel price.