When it comes to types of travel, the category of all-inclusive is either wildly loved or passionately hated. Some people swear by the incredible value and service you can find in it. The other half hate the monotony of sitting in one place within the confines of the resort. What’s my take? Pure and simple – they serve a purpose. Here is why…
Some of Our Creds
Very quickly, just to keep the trolls at bay, let me give you the sample size we are working with in generating our opinions. Collectively through the years, we have visited roughly 9 resorts in 3 different countries. Majority have been in the Dominican Republic. The others were in Mexico and Bahamas. Here is our list:
- Ocean Blue – Dominican Republic
- Paradisus Palma Real – Dominican Republic
- Barceló Bávaro Palace – Dominican Republic
- Excellence Punta Cana – Dominican Republic
- Breathless Punta Cana – Dominican Republic
- Now Onyx – Dominican Republic
- Iberostar Tucan Riviera Maya – Mexico
- Now Sapphire Riviera Cancun – Mexico
- Hotel Riu Palace Paradise Island – Bahamas
Why To Love it
First and foremost – Amazing value. Generally you are getting a huge bang for your buck when choosing an all inclusive. I will go so far as saying – it’s cheap. I don’t know of another vacation that will give you incredible modern accommodations, dedicated service, all you can eat and drink, while setting it all on a scenic white sand beach.
Recently, we booked 3 nights at Paradisus Palma Real. For the two of us, the rate was $274 per night base. We opted to try their VIP offering which was an additional $160 per night. So for roughly $1,300 we had an ocean view room, dedicated butler service, reserved beach cabanas, all you can eat, and all the booze you’d want. I don’t know how a value like that can be beat.
Specialized experiences. Recently the trend seems to be making all-inclusive resorts more specialized for a specific kind of guest experience. For example, Nickelodeon recently built an all inclusive resort in Dominican Republic trying to target families complete with waterpark and fan favorite characters. On the other end of the spectrum, several resorts have opened adults only resorts, banning those under 18 from even walking near them on the beach. Even further down the spectrum are resorts catering to the adults only party crowd.
Recently we got to stay at Breathless Resort in Punta Cana which is an adults only resort and markets itself with an almost sensual party vibe. Each night was a themed event. They offered white parties, foam parties, and masquerade dance parties. Even the breakfast buffet featured a live DJ, which made waiting in line for an omelet significantly more entertaining. During the day the “party pool”, complete with swim up bar, not only had a DJ, but several pool attendants spraying champagne all over guests who, by the looks of it, couldn’t wait to get a face full of suds. The funniest part of this whole deal was that the average age was about 45. It got better when these older women decided to start dancing up on the stage. It got even more weird when some of these middle aged women took their tops off to flash the crowd below. So yeah – specialized experiences.
The setting. These major parent corporations like Riu, Now, Iberostar, and Melia are no dummies and their formula is pretty simple. Find a screensaver worthy beach in a country with cheap labor, and build a massive modern resort. I can’t really specifically comment on the beaches. They are all equally amazing. Minus the sargasm – which sounds erotic, but is just another name for seaweed. What I can comment on is the layout and design of the resorts which are constantly evolving. Each company is constantly trying to one up the other in terms of features and guest comfort. The restaurants seem to be getting more specialized, the VIP offers are getting more luxurious, the designs are improving. As a guest, the all inclusive resorts allow us to enjoy comforts normally reserved for the high end, wealthy clientele. One of the resorts we visited that stands out was Now Onyx, also in Punta Cana. Their design and layout was so unbelievably impressive and new age. Instead of burying the pool way inland Now Onyx opted to build their pool right on the beach. Really smart if you aren’t a beach person but still want to enjoy the sea air and great view. They also offered really neat VIP rooms, which had their own daybeds and plunge pools.
Why Hate It
You’re stuck. It’s true that many of the all-inclusive resorts are set way off the beaten path. Also many of them are – unfortunately – in countries that are not exactly the best for casual exploration. Of course you can book excursions to get out and see something new, but a majority of your time is going to be spend inside the confines of the resort. I wouldn’t recommend booking for more than 5 days.
The food. A lot of people have issue with the structure of either dining at a set time, dining with strangers, or dining in buffet style settings. Resorts are trying to break that stigma by offering specialized restaurants with normal seating options. That said, of the 9 different resorts we have been to the food has NEVER been good. In fact, more often than not the food was down right terrible. In my opinion you can’t expect Dominicans, Mexicans, or Bahamians to perfectly nail French, Italian, or Japanese cuisine. You especially can’t expect them to nail it when they are cooking for 1,000+ people.
It’s kind of corny at times. Every now and again it seems like the “luxury” is a bit over the top. It’s almost like they are trying too hard. Things that were perceived as lux 30 years ago are still a thing at all-inclusive resorts. For example, when we stayed at Barcelo Bavaro, our dedicated butler thought it would be nice to draw me a bubble bath, complete with floating rose petals. He also left chocolate covered strawberries and a bottle of champagne. Just to clear any doubt, it wasn’t like I was getting engaged or celebrating an anniversary – it was just something nice he wanted to do for us. Maybe it is just me – I don’t know.
The Bottomline
Truth be told, I am actually a big fan of all inclusive resorts. I think they are perfect for a quick getaway without breaking the bank. They are usually very accessible and easy to get to. If you need an escape, a quick Thursday to Sunday (or Monday) is perfect. You can sit on the beach and do nothing, or find yourself a pool dance until your top falls off.
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