Discover the Ultimate Family Getaway: Kensington Hotel Saipan’s All-Inclusive Experience

“Did you come just to see this?” — forbidden. “The water tastes the best.” — forbidden.

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There’s a reason the “Ten Commandments of family travel” resonate. Family trips can create tension out of nowhere. Whether it’s a trip to honor parents or one with kids in tow, someone ends up satisfied and someone ends up compromising.

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That’s why the younger generation often becomes the trip’s “general manager” rather than a traveler. When you’re in charge of the schedule, meals and routes, the vacation can start to feel a lot like work.

Kensington Hotel Saipan exterior/Photo by Ji-eun Kim, Travel+ reporter

All rooms face the ocean/Photo by Ji-eun Kim, Travel+ reporter

Kensington Hotel Saipan is an option that helps lift that burden. It operates an all-inclusive program bundling lodging, meals and activities, and it also offers a program that lets guests move between other resorts. In short, it’s a place where the Ten Commandments of family travel aren’t necessary.

Kensington Hotel Saipan, operated by E-Land Park’s overseas unit Micronesia Resort International (MRI), is an all-inclusive hotel. Because it includes most travel essentials—accommodations, meals and activities—it significantly reduces the stress of planning an itinerary.

Loria, a restaurant inside the hotel / Photo by Ji-eun Kim, Travel+ reporter

Let’s start with the food. You can have all three meals at the hotel. Each buffet operates with a different concept—Japanese, Chinese, barbecue and more—rotating by day, so there’s a wide range of options. Local specialties like Saipan tuna sashimi and Korean dishes such as seaweed soup and various side dishes mean the menu also suits older guests’ tastes. If you go out sightseeing, you can reserve a lunch box in advance, so meal worries are minimal.

The hotel features a water park, an infinity pool and private beaches. / Photo by Ji-eun Kim, Travel+ reporter

The facilities are more than sufficient. With a water park, private beaches and an infinity pool, you can enjoy a water-focused hotel vacation. The water park offers slides, and on the beach you can try paddleboarding and kayaking. If you join the “sailing boat” program, you can head out to sea and see turtles and stingrays up close.

Northern island tour (left) and stargazing tour (right) organized through the hotel / Photo by Ji-eun Kim, Travel+ reporter

The hotel’s “all” even covers off-site activities. You can arrange Saipan sightseeing right from the hotel lobby without a separate reservation. In-house programs include the “North Island Tour,” which visits Saeseom, Banzai Cliff and the Korean memorial, and the “Starlight Tour” for stargazing. You can also book external tours to major attractions like the Grotto, Managaha Island and Forbidden Island. With Hana Tour located on the hotel’s first floor, arranging trips is convenient.

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The most popular offering was the massage. The hotel recently converted some guest rooms into dedicated massage spaces. You can book your preferred time and receive treatments on-site, so there’s no need to travel elsewhere.

Saipan bucket-list tour / Photo by Ji-eun Kim, Travel+ reporter

Activities you can enjoy in Saipan, including massages, are offered for free through the “Saipan Bucket List Tour.” Depending on your stay, you can select one tour for a 3-night stay, three tours for 5 nights, and five tours for 7 nights; programs are chosen at check-in. The promotion was originally scheduled to run through the end of March, but due to popular demand it was extended through the end of October.

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Saipan is a small island roughly the size of Suwon in Gyeonggi Province. To be honest, it’s not a destination overflowing with activities. That’s why, here, the hotel sets the pace for how busy your trip feels.

A quiet corner of Saipan / Photo by Ji-eun Kim, Travel+ reporter

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Kensington Hotel Saipan offers programs that increase the density of your trip. MRI operates three properties on Saipan — Kensington Hotel Saipan, PIC Saipan and Coral Ocean Resort Saipan. The program that lets guests freely use these three resorts is called “Saipan Flex.”

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It’s essentially a “resort pass” that allows you to use the buffets and facilities across the three hotels and resorts. You can enjoy 13 restaurants, 11 pools and more than 40 activities within a single trip.

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For example, you could have breakfast at Kensington, spend the afternoon at PIC Saipan’s water park, and finish the day with dinner at Coral Ocean Resort. Complimentary shuttle buses make transfers between properties easy.

PIC Saipan / Photo by Ji-eun Kim, Travel+ reporter

Each property has a distinct personality. PIC Saipan is undeniably a kids’ paradise. With Saipan’s largest water park—complete with a lazy river, artificial wave pool and giant slides—children could play all day. Club Mate staff run programs with kids and naturally engage with them, earning a reputation as a place where parents can relax while their children are cared for.

Coral Ocean Resort Saipan / Photo by Ji-eun Kim, Travel+ reporter

By contrast, Coral Ocean Resort Saipan is a “golf-cation” resort with a course that runs along the coastline. Signature holes like the ocean-crossing 7th hole “Shark Bay” and the 14th “Turtle Point” are highlights. It’s become increasingly popular with golf travelers—winter occupancy this year rose more than 53% year over year.

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During my stay at Kensington Hotel Saipan, I often saw three-generation families. Trips naturally included everyone, from grandmother to grandchild.

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Ji-eun Kim, Travel+ reporter

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