All About All-Inclusive Resorts

Sandals Grenada. Photo by Jennifer Wittman, (c) 2024

We are recently converted fans of all-inclusive resorts.  As a deal finder, I spent years avoiding all-inclusive vacations, as I was sure that piecing together trips on my own would ensure that I maximized what we got for our money. While that may be true in many cases, I found that there was one thing I hadn’t considered: my urge to pinch pennies even while on vacation. If there is a price tag, I’m going to look. And if I can avoid spending money, I’ll probably try to, despite any prior agreements my husband and I have made about splurges that are acceptable. At some point in every trip, I’d find myself hemming and hawing about price tags, or even worse, participating in the agreed upon expense but stressing about the money that we were spending.  Clearly, this doesn’t scream relaxation and enjoyment. Enter the all inclusive vacation.

Friends told us about their love of all-inclusive resorts in Jamaica, and we decided to look into it.  After having planned and researched five all inclusive vacations in three countries and two resort chains, I’ve compiled a list of pros and cons for other families who are considering this style of vacation. 

Pros:

• Easy to budget

The most obvious advantage to this style of trip is that it is extremely easy to budget for.  With an all-inclusive, the food and drinks(including alcohol) are or can be included. Additionally, excursions off resort can usually be booked ahead of time. For example, Sandals is currently booking into 2026! That’s lots of time to pay off a vacation and hunt for good airfare.   Souvenir and miscellaneous small spending at the airport is really the only money that we actively spend while on an all-inclusive vacation. This means that we know what the trip will cost us, and there’s no need to deal hunt or compare prices once on resort.

• Money is spent by the time you get there, so there's no worry about overspending or examining price tags of meals etc

Given the nature of all-inclusives, any worrying about cost is done ahead of time. By the time that you’ve arrived on your vacation, the money is gone, for better or worse! There’s no opportunities to pinch pennies, no remaining cash to hand over, and no opportunity to try to talk yourself out of spending the money.  With this in mind, you truly end up in the “make the most out of it” mindset, which is exactly  how I prefer to vacation: living it up instead of worrying over price tags. Want to go to every restaurant on the resort? Might as well, we’ve already paid for it! An extra drink at the pool? Don’t mind if I do!

• So many destinations available

All-inclusives really can be found in so many different destinations.  The US has some domestically, and there are several major chains that offer resorts all across the globe. Sandals is the chain that we’re currently utilizing, for several reasons (separate post on that soon), but it is only one of many. Want to go to the Caribbean, Canada, Europe? There’s an all inclusive to be found! 

• Rewards and discounts if you're attached to a chain

Most families rely on deals and sales to make vacations doable, and we’ve found that all-inclusive resorts do their best to make themselves more affordable the longer you use them.  So, many resort brands offer loyalty rewards. Sandals, for example, offers tiered loyalty discounts. The more nights you’ve stayed there, the higher the discount you receive.  This discount can be used not just for booking the rooms/stay, but also at the gift shops, photo purchases, etc.  It all adds up when you’re booking a family vacation. 

• Different levels of inclusion 

Finally, there’s no one size fits all with all inclusives. There are often different levels of inclusion, letting you pick and choose things that make sense for your budget and vacation preferences.  

Cons:

• Bound to the resort and its excursions if you want to get your money's worth

The biggest downside to an all-inclusive resort is that your prepaid bill applies only to the actual resort and any of their excursions that you’ve paid for. This means that, for better or worse, you’re tied to the actual resort and nearby offerings if you want to avoid spending money elsewhere. Additionally, if you spend lots of time away from the resort, you may wonder why you paid for a resort you’re not using.  These leads into the next potential cons.

• All- inclusives will not fit everyone's travel style 

While we love the all-inclusive style vacation, it is because we are in a very particular stage of life right now. We’re tired parents, who want to relax all day, enjoy a gorgeous location, and do minimal activities outside of what resort life and an excursion or two offers.  When we bring the kids, the last thing we want to do is wrestle with cars, picky eating habits, and wagons worth of beach equipment in a foreign place. Sitting in paradise with nothing to worry about is our preferred style of vacation, so all-inclusives suit us perfectly.

However, if we wanted to truly explore everything about the destination, I would not opt for an all-inclusive, or I’d choose an all-inclusive with the bare bones inclusivity level.  If you’re someone who wants to find hidden local bars and cafes and sight see all day, it truly makes little sense to tie your money to a resort, when that money is intended to cover the resort offerings and meals. 

• Need to research in advance to avoid confusion or buyers remorse

Given all these things, you can see that all-inclusives can be confusing to research, as there’s so many things offered, and you’re potentially dropping lots of money all in one destination/resort, sight unseen. In all my research, it does seem that the people with buyer's remorse are the ones who did not look into things well ahead of time, leaving themselves with unrealistic or inaccurate expectations. If you’re going to choose an all-inclusive vacation, go into it knowing that you’re going to do lots of research, and potentially feel overwhelmed initially at all the possibilities. It is something that improves with time and experience.

• Food and drink preferences: 

All-inclusives offer what they offer, and some leave little room for modification.  If you are a very particular eater, have extreme dietary restrictions, or consider yourself a foodie, you need to really look into the food offerings on resort.  While resorts are used to dealing with food restrictions, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll love the alternatives offered. Similarly, everyone has their own idea of what fancy or resort style dining should entail.  Given that a huge chunk of the money and your experience will involve 3 meals + snacks on resort, make sure that you’re fully aware of what you’re buying so that you don’t walk into the resort blindly expecting a food experience that may or may not be actually offered there. Sandals offers menus online for their resort restaurants, and the facebook groups are full of people discussing and posting pictures of their restaurant experiences. It’s a great way to look into it ahead of time.

Similarly, all-inclusive alcohol doesn’t mean they offer every liquor or beverage you’d want. If you look for the information, it can be found.  If you’re picky or particular, check ahead of time! There’s nothing worse than being excited for an all-inclusive stay, only to discover you’re stuck drinking something you don’t enjoy.

Coffee and energy drinks, alternative milks, sweeteners: Most of us consume something particular on a regular basis, and we may not think about it until we’re out of the country and suddenly don’t have it. My husband’s realization was a particular brand of energy drinks. He doesn’t drink coffee, and suddenly was scrambling to find the daily drink he relied on every morning. Luckily we could find it, but not without assistance from a resort butler and over paying for it, outside of our all-included resort bill. If you know ahead of time that you’ll get withdrawal headaches or stomach issues without having a special drink or sweetener, look into it ahead of time. Things like gatorade powders and sweetener packets are very easy to throw into a suitcase, and it’ll make the trip smoother (and cheaper!) if you’re not panicking to find the key ingredient to your morning or post workout beverage.

Things to consider:

If you decide that an all-inclusive is a good fit, here are the things we considered when selecting and designing our stays.

• What's your ideal vacation?

Are you looking for a resort with a party vibe? Do you want something remote? Are you hoping for something calm and quiet? Despite being within the same chain, Sandals resorts drastically differ in terms of their atmospheres and offerings. Once you settle on a chain or a destination, look into reviews that show you what to expect from the type of stay offered on resort.  Then, choose accordingly. 

• Do you drink?

If you’re a general beer and wine drinker, or prefer mixed cocktails, you can probably find something you like at most all-inclusives. If you’re an enthusiast for a very particular liquor or high end drink, expect that your drink preferences may not be covered in the resort’s all-inclusive offerings, or may not be available at the resort. Check the resort’s offerings ahead of time if this would be a deal breaker for you.

Alternatively, if you don’t drink at all, look at whether or not the all-inclusive rate feels like a good deal when you take a daily tab out of your budgeting expectations.  You may find that it doesn’t feel like it’s as great of a deal.  Some US all-inclusives, for example, don’t include alcohol but do include resort activities, and those may feel like a better inclusion deal for you.

• Feel of room versus atmosphere/destination 

Some vacationers view the room as a place to sleep and nothing more. Others go into it expecting a lux and relaxing room as part of their experience. Determine which group you fall into ahead of time, and use that to guide your resort and room selection. Some resorts are expensive because they’re on an island that is more expensive, and that may make their baseline rooms feel more expensive than they’re worth. Alternatively, other islands may offer fancier rooms at a better price, making you feel like you’re really getting your money’s worth. Browse room offerings across the chain’s resorts to get a feel for what is available, and then use that information to inform your expectations. Want a basic bedroom with an attached bathroom? Want to walk out onto the beach from your room? Want a private pool that overlooks the ocean? You can find it, but not at every resort and not for the same price point at every resort. 

• All water isn't the same

If the appeal of the resort is a very specific water experience, make sure you look into what body of water is near the resort you’re actually booking.  River view versus man made beach versus coastline versus beachfront: these all drastically differ in terms of what the water is like for someone wanting a beach day.  It might be fine if you’re laying in the sand all day, but might be too choppy to enjoy water sports or ocean swimming. Are there other beaches nearby that are worth a visit? Are you looking to snorkel? Look into groups that discuss whether the dives in the area are good.  Is there a water sport you want to engage in? Some islands ban things like jet skis. Once you’re there, things like this are outside of your control, so make sure you check ahead of time if there’s something specific you’re hoping to experience.

• Public versus private

Many resorts are located on public beaches. So while the resort property is private, the beach is not always. For some travelers, vendors on the beach may be bothersome. For others, private man-made beaches feel small and not like a real ocean getaway.  If this factor will bother your enjoyment of the resort, research it ahead of time!

• Differences within a chain

Not every resort in the chain will offer the same amenities, restaurants, experiences, etc. If you don’t know what you’re wanting, look into all of the resorts first, see what grabs your interest, and then choose a destination. If you’re stuck on a particular destination, make sure you are aware of what they do and don’t offer.

• Travel day cutting into first night

Finally, keep in mind that international travel, especially to islands, often have limited daily flight options. No matter when you leave home, you may only have a particular time of day available to actually get onto the island. Then, there may be a drive to the resort  Often, the first day there will resort in an afternoon or evening arrival, which will cut into your first day on the island. Depending on how late you’d be arriving, some prefer to book a cheap hotel room for arrival day, and then check in to the resort the following morning, ensuring that they don’t lose any precious resort time. 

LET THE VACATION RESEARCH BEGIN!