While all-inclusive resorts have always appealed to families, couples, and anyone who wants to minimize decisions during their vacation and budget ahead of time, the concept has changed in recent years to include elevated dining with chef-driven tasting menus, an increased focus on wellness with customized activities and sprawling spas with hydrotherapy circuits, and immersion into local culture through performances and artisanal design.
It’s no surprise, then, that all-inclusives are surging in popularity. Travel agency Fora has seen a 324% increase year-over-year in bookings across top-booked all-inclusive brands in 2024, and searches on Hotels.com using the “all-inclusive” filter are up 60% from last year, according to Business Insider.
Most all-inclusive resorts offer a variety of dining options and a ton of amenities. However, there are some factors to consider before booking a stay at an all-inclusive resort.
First things first, what is an all-inclusive resort?
All-inclusive resorts have been around since the ’50s, when entrepreneurs and sports enthusiasts Gilbert Trigano and Gérard Blitz founded Club Méditerranée (Club Med) in Alcúdia, Spain. With WWII in the not-too-distant past, the idea was to create a simple and affordable holiday where everything is rolled into one price. To this day, all-inclusive resorts are vacation destinations where guests pay a single price for accommodations, meals, drinks (usually including alcohol), entertainment, activities, and sometimes additional services like airport transfers.
Where to find an all-inclusive resort
While there are all-inclusive resorts all over the globe, the Caribbean has some of the highest density of properties, with most found in Mexico’s Cancun and Riviera Maya regions, as well as in Punta Cana and Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic. Hoteles Xcaret, for example, operates three all-inclusive resorts in Riviera Maya alone, and guests who stay there have unlimited access to their eight theme, adventure, and water parks. There are also a variety of all-inclusive resorts on the Caribbean islands of Jamaica, Aruba, Barbados, and Turks and Caicos; in the Central American countries of Belize, Panama, and Costa Rica; in Thailand and Indonesia in Southeast Asia; Morocco in Africa; across the Mediterranean; and island nations including the Maldives, Fiji, and the Seychelles.
Most all-inclusive resorts are located by the beach, and some properties have golf courses with stellar oceanfront views. But you’ll also find them in rural locations, like Twin Farms in Vermont and Blackberry Farms in Tennessee, and in the mountains like Paws Up and Brush Creek Ranch in Montana. Spa devotees will love properties like Canyon Ranch, which has four locations, and Miraval in Arizona, where spa treatments and amenities are part of the inclusive package.
You may be familiar with some all-inclusive brands that have been around for a while, like Sandals, which appeals to couples seeking romantic getaways, and its sister brand Beaches, which caters to families. Club Med recently opened a wealth of all-inclusive ski resorts around the world, and its Luxury Collection provides more upscale accommodation, amenities, and personalized service. Other well-known all-inclusive brands include Iberostar, Riu, and Melia, which tend to be massive resort complexes with a plethora of dining options and activities for families, though a portion of the resort is usually reserved for adults.
Major American hotel chains have also jumped into the all-inclusive space with properties like Hyatt’s The Inclusive Collection, the Marriott by Bonvoy collection, and the All-Inclusive by Hilton collection, which bring a sense of familiarity to travelers loyal to those brands, as well as the chance to earn (and use) points from their loyalty programs. On the flip side, smaller, boutique properties like Jade Mountain Resort in Jamaica and Kura Boutique Hotel in Costa Rica offer a more intimate, curated experience.
Keep in mind that resorts might offer both an à la carte and an all-inclusive experience, so be sure to double-check the price and inclusions on the hotel’s website rather than on an aggregator site. If pricing includes a meal plan, it might be exclusive of alcoholic beverages. Also, while there are exceptions like the spa resorts mentioned above, most all-inclusives will charge extra for spa treatments, as well as tee times and motorized watersports.
Follow these eight tips to make sure your vacation goes swimmingly:
1. Choose the right resort for you and your travel companions
Before you book your all-inclusive vacation, take some time to think about your resort style. If you want to relax, unwind, and soak up some sun, your best bet is to select an oceanfront resort where you can laze under a palapa on the beach or read by the pool — proximity to city centers, sights, or attractions will matter less.
Should cultural attractions and local adventures be top of mind, proximity may matter more, but you should also look for resorts that feature on- and off-property activities and excursions designed for immersion. This could mean cooking or mixology classes that use local ingredients, snorkeling or scuba diving trips, tours to local sights and museums, and music and dance performances. If you’re truly interested in learning more about your destination, do a little digging online to see if there’s an ethos of authenticity and sense of place to the resort’s cuisine, design, and activities, or if it all seems a little more interchangeable.
If your priorities include spa treatments and fitness classes, consider a resort that doesn’t charge for either, and if you’re into food, look for culinary-focused resorts (more on that below).
Finally, if you’re traveling with children, check for age-specific activities or amenities like a dedicated kids’ poolscape, water playground, or water slides. A kids’ club will keep the younger ones entertained and give caregivers some alone time, while a teens’ club, disco, or arcade gives older kids a chance to meet peers.
2. Decide whether you’re a “beach person” or a “pool person”
If you’re looking for a coastal all-inclusive resort, know that not all of them are blessed with both a gorgeous beach and a sprawling poolscape. In Turks and Caicos, for instance, some resorts take full advantage of the area’s beaches, often voted as some of the best Caribbean with their powdery white sand and calm turquoise waters. However, at other all-inclusive resorts on the islands, the pools — often flanked by plush chairs and swanky cabanas — are the true star of the show. So, do you prefer saltwater in your hair or the refreshing tang of chlorine? Determine which is the bigger draw for you.
Be sure to research what the beach or pool area is like at a given resort, keeping in mind that some — such as many in Punta Cana and Riviera Maya — might have rocks on their beaches or in the ocean, or rough waters that aren’t ideal for swimming. Also, some beaches might vary in quality seasonally. For instance, Mexico and Barbados beaches are sometimes covered in sargassum, a large brown invasive seaweed, and Jamaica can be plagued with jellyfish in the springtime.
3. Pick the right room and amenities
All-inclusive resorts often have a staggering amount of room categories, from small accommodations that face the garden to sprawling oceanfront suites. Before booking, you’ll want to make sure that the layout works for your party, whether you’re a couple, a friend group, or a family.
All should come with amenities like a minibar that’s included and stocked daily with water, juice, soft drinks, beer, maybe even snacks like chips and crackers. Nice-to-haves include a swim-up suite where the pool is directly accessible from your room, a private plunge pool or Jacuzzi on the deck, and a large soaking tub inside your room.
That said, make sure you’re not overpaying for things you might not use. For instance, if water sports are included and you don’t intend to use them, it might be worth looking for a more affordable resort.
4. Consider your dining needs and style
One of the biggest draws at an all-inclusive resort is the food: Guests can pile their plates high at the breakfast buffet, grab a drink at a swim-up bar, and eat dinner at a swanky steakhouse without getting a bill. While food and beverages will be included, know that there may be a surcharge for certain dishes (lobster, for example), or even some of the à la carte restaurants. Likewise, ordering a cocktail with premium alcohol may cost extra.
If this is a dealbreaker for you, select a resort where all-inclusive means what it says. Also, decide if the quality of food and drink over the quantity is important to you. If so, look up reviews of the resort and its restaurants, or look for culinary-focused resorts like Hotel Xcaret Arte, where the menus and dining concepts (like Yucatan-Lebanese and Chinese-Puebla fusion) are overseen by celebrity chefs, or Grand Velas Los Cabos, whose signature restaurant Cocina de Autor was recently awarded a Michelin star.
5. Decide if you want a VIP experience
Some all-inclusive resorts offer VIP or concierge-level rooms or suites for an additional price, giving you an upgraded experience. These may include a larger room category with a better view and additional in-room amenities like a premium minibar, and luxury bath products, or even a personal butler to make dining reservations and attend to other needs. Outside of your room, there may be a separate lounge with premium drinks and food throughout the day (or even a dedicated restaurant and bar just for VIP guests), as well as a separate pool and beach area.
Sometimes, these amenities start at the airport, where a resort rep fast-tracks you through immigration, customs, and baggage claim while you relax in a lounge with a drink. The resort check-in process is also generally swifter and more pleasant, often done seated in a separate area.
While it can elevate your experience and generally make your vacation feel more special, the cost of this type of upgrade can be substantial. If you’re paying a lot extra just for a bigger room that you’re not going to be spending much time in, it might not be worth it. However, the time-saving aspect as well as the exclusivity of the extra niceties that can make a large, crowded resort feel less so might be worth the spend.
6. Consider a resort complex for even more options
Some all-inclusive resorts, especially those in Riviera Maya and Punta Cana, are part of a larger resort complex. That could mean that there’s a sister property that’s connected to yours or that’s located nearby. While a vacation at these complexes can feel overwhelming, it allows guests to “stay at one, play at two,” as they’re allowed to use the amenities and facilities at the other resorts, including the pool, beach, and restaurants. This can be refreshing during a longer stay when you may grow tired of the same settings or dining options. Those traveling with children should note that some restaurants (and maybe even the entire added resort) may be reserved for adults.
7. Think about location, location, location
When your plane lands, you understandably want to start your vacation right away. However, after claiming your luggage and clearing customs and immigration, you’ll also need transportation to your all-inclusive resort. Depending on its location, that could be a quick taxi or shuttle ride — or it could suck up precious time better spent by the pool.
Most of the all-inclusives in Cancun, for example, are in the city’s Hotel Zone, which is about 15 minutes from the airport. Those in the Riviera Maya region, however, could take an hour or more to get to (although a new airport in Tulum now conveniently serves the southern Riviera Maya). Likewise, Jamaica’s resort area of Ocho Rios is at least an hour and a half from Kingston’s airport. Use Google Maps to check distances, and if you don’t want to spend too much time in a car after you land, select a property closer to the airport.
Being close to town will provide opportunities for shopping and soaking in the local vibe, as well as access to restaurants and bars — but since you’re staying at an all-inclusive where your food and beverages are covered, that might be less of a draw. As for going off-property for activities like hiking, snorkeling, or tours, resorts will usually offer a variety of options based on what’s nearby or doable in a half- or full-day excursion, so check distances to any attractions you’re interested in seeing.