All-inclusive resorts offer additional services to draw more luxury travelers

All-inclusive hotels are extremely popular with luxury travelers.

In the wake of the pandemic, demand for all-inclusive resorts has skyrocketed, in keeping with a Report from JLL Research Hotels & Hospitality. According to the report, travelers – suddenly and en masse – wanted a vacation that was stress-free and simple to plan, ideally with a wellness component.

Back then, travelers discovered that the all-inclusive resorts of the past—known for low-quality alcohol and more quantity than quality in food—had modified.

Much of the sector had turn into luxurious.

In 2022, the Dominican Republic's share of “upscale” and luxury resorts accounted for 47% of the overall all-inclusive resort offering – a rise from 31% in 1990, in keeping with JLL. The numbers are even higher in Mexico, where upscale and luxury all-inclusive resorts accounted for greater than half (55%) of all-inclusive resorts in 2022.

According to JLL, prices at all-inclusive resorts – once generally known as a comparatively reasonably priced type of travel – have also increased and are quickly surpassing 2019 levels.

Marriott And Hilton have also expanded into the sector, under brands travelers don't typically associate with all-inclusive resorts — from DoubleTree to Westin to The Luxury Collection.

Resort operators have upgraded the all-inclusive experience with every thing from larger suites to special resort privileges.

Guests on the beach Lopesan Costa Bavaro Resort Spa & Casino In the Dominican Republic, you may go for a “unique” room on the resort, which features an upscale room, a private butler, and access to a personal beach.

“We are seeing more and more guests traveling to enjoy a slow, unplugged experience with an upscale twist,” said Karina Arguello, the resort’s industrial director. “In addition to the elements you get when booking an all-inclusive resort, private and additional amenities help enhance this experience.”

Club Med presented:Exclusive collection rooms” at select resorts that grant additional guest benefits such as private transfers, continental breakfast in the suite, champagne in the evening and, as the name suggests, access to exclusive areas in resorts. One of these, Club Med Tignes, is a ski resort nearby the Italian border, which opened in 2022.

The brand also has six resorts – in the Maldives, Mauritius, Italy and France – which make up its “Exclusive Collection”. Prices on your own Valmorel chalet apartmentsa ski resort in France, starts at $2,475 per person in June and rises to $4,250 per person in December, according to its website.

Sandals, an adults-only all-inclusive resort operator in the Caribbean, offers Butler service for its suites at the highest level. According to its website, butlers will unpack guests' belongings, make dinner and spa reservations, serve drinks on the beach and expedite room service orders.

Travelers with larger budgets opt for these services, said Kelly Connor, a New Jersey-based travel advisor for the AAA Club Alliance. But they are not alone.

“Honeymooners … also like higher levels of luxury,” she said.

Sandals St. Vincent and the Grenadines, which opened in March 2024, introduced a new room category for the brand – the 1,248-square-foot two-story overwater Villa Vincy. A seven-night stay in late June for two adults with butler service costs $22,505 – less a 55% discount off the regular rate.

To counter criticism that all-inclusive vacationers don't see much outside the resort, the Sandals Royal Curacao and the Sandals Royal Bahamian offer a $250 voucher to guests who stay in a suite with butler service for a week Dining available at restaurants across the island. A Mini Cooper convertible is also available for your journey.

Half- and full-board options have long been popular in places like the Maldives, whose “one-resort-per-island” model makes it difficult to eat elsewhere.

But luxury resorts, many of them in remote locations, also opt for all-inclusive models.

Rosewood Cape Kidnappersa luxury lodge on New Zealand's North Island, offers guests half-board, which includes breakfast, dinner and aperitifs but excludes other alcoholic drinks.

Prices in British Columbia Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge Includes all meals and snacks plus wine, beer and spirits. A stay in certainly one of the lodge's 25 tents also includes guided activities reminiscent of swimming in glacier water and a half-day wildlife-viewing trip, in keeping with the web site.

Rates start at $2,900 per night.