All-Inclusive Resorts Explained. Are They Worth It?
Just imagine with me for one second. You’re laying on the beach and a waitress approaches and asks if you need anything. You order a tequila sunrise and a plate of chips and guac, it’s 10 am. After your morning nap, you take a dip in the ocean and then make your way to lunch. You eat light because you know there is a foam party in a couple of hours. After you’ve danced and enjoyed your fair share of drinks you make your way back to your room where you order room service. The catch? Well, there is none, this is what life is like at an all-inclusive resort.
If you’re looking for a vacation where you pay for everything up front then you need to be looking into all-inclusive resorts. This includes all of your food, drinks (including alcohol), entertainment, and activities. Room service is in this category as well so if you want to order breakfast in bed and eat it naked then have at it.
I just recently returned from five days at an all-inclusive resort in Cozumel, Mexico. I can guarantee you this, you won’t go hungry and you’ll be sure to be hungover at least one morning. Ordering doubles and endless amounts of sushi knowing you won’t get a bill is a great feeling. I have an article coming out next week outlining the whole trip and expenses. But for now, let’s just focus on specifically all-inclusive resorts.
As you can imagine all-inclusive resorts aren’t cheap and if you’re like me you are going to try and get your money’s worth. So, are they right for you?
What Is It and How Much Does It Cost?
Ok, I need to bring you back down to reality. All-inclusive resorts aren’t perfect, they do have some major flaws. For one, they aren’t all-inclusive. In a world of hidden fees, this shouldn’t be shocking. Most have quite a bit of added on things you can pay for. For instance, anything from the spa is usually an extra cost. At the resort we just stayed at a 50-minute massage was a little over $150, a little too much for me.
There are a ton of free things though, especially around entertainment. Every day we would get a piece of paper with the list of activities you could participate in. There was live shows on the beach, wine tastings, karaoke, and a ton more. I may or may not have sung Shania Twain one night. The list makes it so there is more to do then you are going to want to do so that’s a plus.
How much is the total for all of this? Well prices are going to fluctuate pretty heavily depending on your location. If you are on the Mexico peninsula of Cancun, Playa Del Carmen, and Cozumel you are going to be spending anywhere from $100-$150 per day. If you are somewhere like the Bahammas then expect that to be over $200 per day fairly easily.
The resort we stayed at came out to be $120 per day. Remember this is for everything though! Is this justifiable? I believe so. Without calculating everything down exactly just think about this. One night I ordered 2 appetizers, a bowl of soup, 4 rolls of sushi, desert, and a beer from a restaurant. How much would that order cost at a regular sushi spot? Maybe $40-$50, if not more when you include the tip.
That one meal brought my total for the day down to $70. Add in the room, drink, and other food and I think you are getting your money’s worth.
Where Can You Find Them?
All-inclusive resorts are actually decreasing in popularity. You used to be able to find them all over the world but now they are mainly focused in the Caribbean (hola Mexico). Other areas include Egypt and the UAE (Dubai). If this is something that interests you though do some research. I’m willing to bet you can find them or at least something similar at any major vacation spot
Are They Worth It?
This is a question you are going to have to answer yourself. For me, they are once a year or every other year. I enjoy doing absolutely nothing, for a while at least. My problem and this may be yours as well, is I get antsy. I enjoy my organized chaos and my everyday routine. It just makes me feel better overall. This obviously isn’t going to happen when you’re in the middle of the Caribbean.
Don’t get me wrong I enjoy having people wait on my every need. It can be weird at times but when I get the urge for cheesecake at 3 am all I have to do is dial up room service and it will be there in 20 minutes.
I find more relaxation while exploring. This is why Iceland was such a great trip for me. It was a week of just exploring. Not knowing what you’re going to eat that night is a little different from planning on order 6 appetizers.
If you’ve never been I’d highly suggest trying it out. It might be
Have you ever been to an all-inclusive resort? If so, where?
