This post may contain affiliate links. If you click one and make a purchase, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It helps support the site so I can continue to offer great content to you!
If you’re looking for a stress-free way to travel, an all-inclusive vacation might be just what you need. But with so many resorts to choose from, it can be overwhelming to find the perfect one for you and your family. That’s why we’re here to help! In this article, we’ll share our best all-inclusive resort tips to help you choose the best all-inclusive resort that meets your needs.
What to consider when choosing a resort
All-inclusive resort tips
1) Location
Not all countries have all-inclusive resorts, but there are many options to choose from.
You can find a large concentration of them in the Caribbean.
The United States has some all-inclusive resorts in Florida, Colorado, California, and a few other states but are not as widespread.
You can also find all-inclusive resorts in several European countries, South America, and more.
Because of the number of all-inclusive resorts, we recommend nailing down your location first. Here are some important factors to consider when picking the location:
- Weather
- Distance to travel
- Type of activities you want to do
- Language
- Safety
2) Set your budget
This second of four all-inclusive resort tips is crucial.
When considering a stay at an all-inclusive resort, it’s important to set a budget as prices can vary.
It will help you reconcile the list of what you hope to have at the resort with what is available within your price range.
This will also assist you in ruling in or out certain upgrades or day activities outside of the resort you may be interested in booking.
3) Adults or Family
Many all-inclusive resorts prefer to market to unique groups of people. Specifically, you will find resorts targeting families while others advertised as adults only.
If you’re traveling with children, the choice is obvious. However, if you’re traveling with adults only, we recommend comparing offerings. Some adult-only resorts attract young party crowds while others offer a more quiet and relaxed atmosphere.
Do your research and find something suitable for all the personalities in your party.
4) Key amenities
Restaurants
If you’re planning to stay at an all-inclusive resort, it’s crucial to take into account the dining options provided. Some resorts may have a limited number of restaurants, which could be inconvenient if you’re staying for an extended period. If you prefer to have a wide selection of dining options, it’s better to look for a resort that offers a broader range of restaurants.
All-inclusive resort tips: In addition to the number of restaurants, we recommend paying attention to the cuisines offered, the service type (sit-down versus buffet), and whether or not a reservation is required. Some resorts require reservations to be made well in advance.
Pools
If you enjoy spending a week by the pool, ensure that the resort you choose provides the appropriate setting.
Some resorts only have one large pool with loud music and activities all day. If you are looking for a more quiet environment, ensure they have a few other pool options.
Here are a few other elements to consider related to the pool:
- Bar nearby or waiter service
- Number of loungers
- Heated versus non-heated pool
- Types of pools: lazy river, water park
Free/Included activities
The types of activities included free of charge can greatly vary from one resort to the next.
If you enjoy snorkeling, kayaking, or paddle boarding, make sure these options are available
On the other hand, if a gym and spa are important services to you, confirm that the resort has what you are looking for.
Other activities that may be non-negotiable to you:
- Evening entertainment
- Entertainment by the pool
- Fitness classes
- Room service
- Babysitting
- Kids Club
- Hot tubs
- Swim-up bar
- Tennis or basketball courts
- Night club
Types of rooms
Each resort has its own unique layout. If an ocean-view room is important to you, make sure this is an option at the resort you are selecting.
Keep in mind that your room choice also has to be within your budget.
If you’re traveling with children, ensure the room is spacious enough. Consider booking two rooms if necessary, and make sure to choose a resort that offers connecting rooms if that’s important to you.
Beach
If traveling to a beach destination, pay attention to the amenities on the beach as well as reviews from other travelers.
Ensure there are plenty of chairs if you enjoy lounging on the beach and confirm if the resort offers waiter service on the beach.
Furthermore, make sure the resort has a walkable beach if you enjoy walking or running on the beach.
All-inclusive resort tips: Reading other travelers’ reviews can be immensely helpful. It can provide insights into the cleanliness of the beach, the algae situation, whether it’s crowded or not, and more.
How we chose our next all-inclusive resorts
Let us share how we used the method described above to pick our next all-inclusive vacation.
1) Location
We knew we wanted a place by the ocean, where the weather would be nice, and a place that we had not visited with our children before.
We landed on Mexico.
2) Setting a budget
We had a ballpark figure that we wanted the total cost of the trip to be around. We were able to narrow down the list of resorts that were within our budget and that were available during the week we would be traveling.
All-inclusive resort tips: If you are flexible in your dates, you can save money. Explore different departure and arrival dates to see the impact on the cost. We saved about $1000 (keeping the same total duration of the trip) by moving our departure and arrival dates by a day.
3) Adults or family
We, of course, needed a family-friendly resort. However, we will be traveling with a couple who don’t have children.
We were able to find a family-friendly resort adjacent to an adults-only “sister” resort. This is the best of both worlds for our group.
The adults-only resort has better reviews and it will be nice for the couple to stay there. The adult resort includes all amenities from the family resort. They will have access to both resorts and we have the option to purchase a day pass at the adults-only resort if we would like.
4) Key amenities
The key amenities for our groups were:
- Multiple restaurants
- Nice walkable beach
- Ocean-view rooms
- Hot tubs
Our pick?
We will be traveling to Mexico, Puerto Vallarta specifically staying at the Dreams Vallarta Bay All-inclusive resorts. Come back in 2024 for a full review of the resort.
In conclusion
We hope you found this article filled with all-inclusive resort tips specifically around picking the perfect resort for you and your family.
Make sure to check out our review of a phenomenal family-friendly all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana and our article about what to pack for an all-inclusive resort trip.
Bon voyage!
Cat xx