The Art of Indulgence
How close to paradise can you get at all-inclusive resorts?
There’s a process to choosing a vacation destination.
WHEN TO GO
Winter is best, as the tropics glow brighter when there’s snow on the ground back home. Be wary of booking during hurricane season from June to November.
LANGUAGE
English is used at nearly all Caribbean and Mexican resorts.
COMPANIES TO CONSIDER
Palace Resorts, Sandals Resorts, Excellence Resorts, RIU Hotels & Resorts, Iberostar Beachfront Resort
At the top of the decision tree are two choices: explore or relax. These options are not mutually exclusive—a relaxing holiday can include discovering a new country or taking daily hikes, while glamping offers the opportunity to mix serious outdoor activities and luxury. Still, it helps to have a main objective in mind.
Many serenity-seeking travelers are not craving adventure or excitement. What they crave are daybeds on the beach, a parade of umbrella-topped drinks delivered by smiling waiters, ocean waves and soothing breezes, and no need to exceed 500 steps a day.
That’s why all-inclusive resorts exist. To block out the noise of daily life and reconnect you with yourself. To know room service is close but your stocked in-room mini-fridge is closer. To give you peace of mind that everything you desire is within arm’s reach, and peace of wallet that it’s all included in the fee. If this vacation mode appeals to you, as it does to millions of people a year, here’s what you need to know.
What’s on Offer
It’s difficult to determine how many of these resorts operate around the globe, as the definition of “all-inclusive” fluctuates from property to property. However, Mexico and the Caribbean—the epicenter of indulgence—have the formula down pat.
At resorts in these locations, your stay will typically include spacious accommodations, 24-hour room service, a range of on-site dining (including the tried-and-true buffet), Wi-Fi, top-shelf drinks at numerous bars, premium coffee beverages at the café, basic water sports like paddleboards and kayaks, and entertainment in the form of DJs and live bands. Higher-end resorts will throw in transfers to and from the airport, a welcome bottle of champagne or liquor in your room, tips for the staff, a round of golf, group fitness classes, and a private balcony with a Jacuzzi or infinity pool.
You can pay extra for even more upscale experiences. At all-inclusive resorts, your room bill will rise for certain specialty restaurants, limited-availability boutique wines, whatever shelf is above “top shelf” for ultra-premium liquors, spa treatments with local flair, off-site excursions, private dining experiences (such as a candlelit picnic on the beach), jet skis and other motorized water sports, and professional photo packages. Still, it’s easy to enjoy a resort without spending one extra dime.
Finally, many resorts offer a specific vibe. Some are family focused, filled with on-site water parks and a teen club to keep all ages grinning. Others are adults only, ideal for couples or groups to escape and pretend they’re filming the next season of The White Lotus. Then there are wellness-themed properties, where the buffet has more tofu, the bar more green smoothies, and the mornings more early risers ready for sunrise yoga.
Rates can range from $120 to $2,200 per night, but the average price for a couple staying five nights will run roughly $250 to $350 a night. The final bill may be hefty, but the peace of mind of not paying for anything during your stay is well worth it to many travelers.
Postcards from Paradise
What does a typical day of sun-drenched indulgence look like? It looks like room service wheeling breakfast to the balcony so you can nibble on fresh mangoes and sip mimosas while staring out at the ocean. It looks like lazy days by the pool or on the beach, being on a first-name’s basis with the server who replenishes your drinks, choosing an outdoor taco stand for lunch and a Japanese steakhouse for dinner, watching the late-afternoon sun dip into the glittering ocean waters as your feet sink into the warm sand, dancing to the cover band by the pool, and never needing to change out of your swimsuit if you don’t want to.
Each resort has unique ways to seduce guests. Sandals Dunn’s River in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, supplies a Stargazing Concierge. The concierge shows guests in the Coyaba Sky Rondoval Villas—a premium accommodation with butler service, a private pool, and a rooftop lounge—how to use the provided telescope and points out noteworthy constellations and other celestial highlights.
Just over 100 miles away, family friendly Beaches Negril sits idyllically on Seven Mile Beach, a stretch of powder-soft sand that often places high on “World’s Best Beaches” lists. For kids, however, the true attraction is the resort’s Pirate Island Waterpark—an 18,000-plus square-foot playground with giant slides, a lazy river, and swim-up soda bars.
Hotel Xcaret México in Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, takes the included park concept up a level by giving guests transportation and access to seven popular activity parks in the region, making it easy to snorkel in cenotes (natural sinkholes that form underground pools), swim in underground rivers, zip-line through the treetops, and more. Its nearby sister property, Hotel Xcaret Arte, includes workshops on dancing, pottery, weaving, painting, and literature to better immerse yourself in the local culture.
A few miles north, Club Med Cancún keeps the local culture front and center with authentic Mexican cuisine, spa treatments in heated temazcal huts, and excursions to nearby Maya ruins Chichén Itzá and Tulum. However, you don’t need to leave the property for a true adventure that’s included in the fare. At the resort’s Flying Trapeze School, guests can fly through the air with the greatest of ease—after proper guidance from expert instructors.
If your childhood dreams lean more to rock stardom than the circus, then the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic may be your ticket to the big stage. Guests here can request a Fender guitar—Stratocaster, Telecaster, or bass—along with an amp and premium headphones to be delivered to the room. Shred on your balcony or quietly learn how to play from in-room instructional videos. Those without music skills can also order classic vinyl records to play in their room.
Rock out in your room or conk out by the pool. Drink up at the swim-up bar or stare up into the night sky with your Stargazing Concierge. Dig into a massive steak or into a massive new paperback you finally have time to read. Discover which bartender makes the best old fashioned. There’s nowhere to be at any set time. There’s no need to carry your wallet. There’s no one to answer to except yourself. That is why all-inclusive resorts are a paradise to those who need to escape.
The all-inclusive resort industry is competitive, with properties often sitting side-by-side-by-side, fighting for beach space and clientele. One way they differentiate themselves is through culinary offerings, where it’s not uncommon to find a dozen impressive restaurants included in your package. Here are some dining experiences that stand out.
Lumière at Le Blanc in Cancún, Mexico > Inspired by the French Mediterranean, upscale Lumière serves haute cuisine in a setting that would not be out of place in New York City, but with beach views.
Royal Thai at Sandals Royal Caribbean, Jamaica > You must ride an authentic dragon boat to this offshoreisland restaurant to enjoy pork loin simmered in ginger sauce and other exotic cuisine.
Himitsu at Secrets Royal Beach Punta Cana, Dominican Republic > Regardless if you choose fresh sushi or a seat at the slice, dice, and serve teppanyaki table, your meal will be unforgettable for all the best reasons.
Cocina de Autor at Grand Velas Riviera, Maya, Mexico > This Michelin-starred restaurant serves imaginative dishes such as a mix of bone marrow and caviar called Jack the crab.
Several cruise lines also offer an all-inclusive atmosphere away from land. Here are a few to consider.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises > The closest thing to an upscale resort on the water from Asia to the Arctic, Regent voyages include unlimited shore excursions, beverages of every kind, stocked in-suite minibar, dining at specialty restaurants, gratuities, Wi-Fi, and laundry.
Silversea > Silversea’s door-to-door inclusive fares are well named, for they include private transfers from your home to the airport and back again, along with gourmet dining, butler service, alcoholic beverages, and complimentary shore excursions. There’s a cruise for every continent.
Virgin Voyages > Alcoholic drinks will cost you on this exclusively adult cruise line, but you will not need to pay for Wi-Fi, group fitness classes, Michelin star-inspired dining, and some of the best entertainment on the seas stretching from the Caribbean to North America to Europe.
AmaWaterways > The best included feature on this popular river cruise line— besides the regionally inspired cuisine and complimentary drinks during lunch and dinner—is the up to eight free shore excursions you can choose from at each port, from Egypt to Colombia and beyond.
