Adrian All-inclusive resorts have skyrocketed in popularity over the past decade and there are multiple reasons to choose this type of vacation for your next getaway. Not only are they very cost-effective, located in beautiful spots, and extremely convenient, but they require very little planning which is one of the standout benefits for us.
All-inclusive vacations are sold as being hassle-free luxury getaways, but let’s take a closer look at each of the benefits to see if it’s really worth considering an all-inclusive resort for your next vacation.
The Reasons Why to Book an All-Inclusive
Great Value for Money
All-inclusive resorts can be a really good value for money if you go to the right resort. Most of these resorts are based in locations where the cost of goods and services is quite low compared to that of places like America and Canada. So, you’re getting a great bang for your buck. For a 5 star resort in Mexico, you’re looking at an average cost per person for 7 days of $2,000 USD. That will be all in with meals, drinks, and entertainment. Considering the level of luxury and experience you get for that price point. It’s very good. If you were to book a 5-star resort in the US, the cost of the accommodations alone would probably be greater than $2,000 USD.
All-In Price for a Vacation
If you book through a travel agency or even directly through the resort’s website you have the option to have flights included in the price of the package. That’s pretty much the whole cost of the vacation in one convenient price tag. There are a few additional items that you will need to account for, but most of them will be paid upfront.
The elements that you may need to account for are the likes of tips for the staff throughout your stay. Airport transfers and any excursions that you would like to do throughout your vacation. Spa treatments or romantic private dinners. These are the elements that typically come at a surcharge.
Overall though, having that all-in price makes it really easy to budget for your trip. If you look at the alternative of booking a vacation yourself. There are going to be unknowns to the overall cost of your vacation. The overall cost will depend on where you are eating and drinking. As Well as the experiences and activities that you take part in. With an all-inclusive, pretty much everything from a cost standpoint is already known.
Everything you need is on-site
Once you arrive at the resort you can easily not leave the resort for your entire vacation. Everything that you could possibly need on a vacation is available within these resorts. From a wealth of choice of restaurants, pools, access to beaches, bars, activities, spas, arcades, kids clubs. Everything you can imagine they probably have.
This also means that you can maximize your time to relax at the resort, with no need to travel to and from restaurants or activities. Everything is on your doorstep. Initially, this was something we at InspoVacay were quite skeptical of before our first all-inclusive resort, but once you get a cold pina colada in hand, the weather and good consistent food. They want to leave the resort quickly dissipates. Obviously, if there are local areas of interest or you just want to explore the local culture of the country you are visiting we implore you to do that.
Locations
These types of vacations are sun holidays and most of the locations that all-inclusive resorts are located have sun all throughout the year, so if you’re looking for a winter getaway, these are usually a safe choice. Be prepared to pay the most during the winter months as the months of December to April are considered busy seasons in a lot of these locations. This is because the weather is at its best during these months. The summer months get very hot in places like Cancun, Dominican Republic, and Jamaica.
The majority of all-inclusive resorts are conveniently located near major international airports. Rarely will a resort be located more than a 50-minute drive from the airport, so once you touch down you will usually be sipping on a pina colada within an hour or so. A lot of packages will also include airport transfers, which is another thing to not have to worry about, but it’s important to confirm exactly what’s included before booking.
All you can eat and drink
All-inclusive resorts typically allow you to eat and drink as much as you like. This includes all meals, drinks throughout the day and night, room service and most places normally have coffee and ice cream spots to make use of. We certainly got the urge to make the most of the food and drink at the resort when we first visited, but we learned to pace ourselves as there are so many opportunities around each corner.
In some resorts, there are surcharges for particular restaurants or dishes, but your breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included at a minimum. At times resorts can also have additional alcohol packages available, these will usually give you access to an elevated choice of drinks brands. Usually, room service will be included in your package, but at times resorts will charge for delivery, so it’s worth double-checking at your resort.
Another thing that is worth checking is the type of liquor, wine, and beer that is on offer. Some resorts, although it’s rare these days. Will only carry local spirits and drinks brands. If you’re a wine drinker, usually finding a resort that includes a decent range of wines to choose from can be rare enough. So make sure to check to see if the alcohol offering meets your needs if that’s a priority for your vacation.
Very little planning needed
As everything is located in the resort there is very little planning needed for this vacation type. You can pretty much show up and take the days as they come. There are entertainment and kids club teams on site. Each day there will be a schedule of events that you can partake in or not. The kid’s clubs will also have a comparable schedule, so everyone will be entertained with no planning needed.
For the kids club, it is worth checking with the resort how to book them into the club. At some resorts, it’s a walk-up facility, while other resorts require booking, so that’s something that needs to be double-checked.
Having everything on site is really a game-changer here. Your itinerary is effectively planned for you and there is no need to leave the resort if you don’t want to. There are tours that can be organized as well. Whether it’s visiting local historical sites, booking a fishing trip, or boat trip. All of these can be booked through the resort. These organized tours will also pick you up and drop you back to your resort, which is super convenient.
Convenience
From all of the points we have delved into so far, the overarching theme of each of them is the convenience factor. If you’re booking all of the elements that are typically needed for a getaway, things like hotels, restaurants, entertainment, transportation, etc. There is a lot of organization needed to make sure everything runs smoothly.
With an all-inclusive, pretty much everything is looked after for you. Vacations for a lot of people are a way to destress and what better way of doing that than having such a convenient process from booking to the vacation itself. We would say that the most time-intensive part of the process is if you are going down the all-inclusive route. Is figuring out the right resort for you. As all resorts are not created equal. That is where we at InspoVacay come in. Providing in-depth reviews of resorts to help you to choose your next vacation spot.
Wealth of choice
There are tons of all-inclusive resorts throughout the Caribbean and there are ones popping up throughout Europe too. There are 4 and 5-star offerings, resorts that are targeted towards families, ones for adults only, boutique resorts, and resorts that have a focus on fine dining. resorts that have premium drinks offerings. Resorts that include activities such as golf and scuba diving in the package. This variety makes it super easy to find a resort that fits your needs, but before you go down researching a resort we advise you to check out this article on the questions to ask yourself when trying to find a resort that fits your needs.
Got the itch to go on an all-inclusive vacation and don’t fancy starting a research project? Then below are our top 3 all-inclusive resorts that we have visited and reviewed.
- Finest Playa Mujeres
Located in the area of Playa Mujeres the resort is a 20-minute drive from the main Cancun and a 40-minute drive from the airport. This 5-star family resort is a superb offering that not only caters to families but is a solid option for couples and groups of friends too.
Opened in 2015 the resort has been kept in great condition and the level of service, food, and amenities was the best we have experienced. Add into that the competitive price point and this is a resort that deserves serious consideration for your next vacation.
- Ikos Andalusia
Our top-ranked European resort, the Ikos chain of resorts is a relatively new entry to the all-inclusive market. The resort only opened in the Summer of 2021 and is their first resort located in Spain. Situated a short 25-minute drive from the town of Marbella this resort is very convenient for getting in and out of.
The Ikos resort chain is also really good at the small additional benefits that are included in their packages. We love their local exploration feature which allows you to eat and drink in a selection of local restaurants as well as rent a Mini One car for the day as part of your package. Add on to that great food, a boujee decor and you’re on to a winner.
- Beloved Playa Mujeres
If you’re looking for an adults-only experience in a boutique-style resort then you can not go wrong with the Beloved Playa Mujeres. Part of the Excellence chain of resorts and located in the same complex as our number 1 ranked resort the Finest Playa Mujeres. The Beloved has all of the same great features as the Finest but does it in a more intimate and boutique setting.
