08/12/2026
"Things I Would Love for My Travel Clients to Understand, Lesson #1"
Topic: All-Inclusive Resorts
I get quite a few requests for folks who want to travel to all-inclusive resorts and I find that I am often addressing the same misconceptions or questions again and again. So, here are a few things that it would be helpful for you to know if you want to consider an all-inclusive.
1. All-inclusives are an excellent choice for a vacation if you want things to be incredibly decision free. If what you want is to lay in the sun and simply move from the pool to the beach to the ice cream shop, it's an amazing way to vacation. They are also great for gatherings. I think that they are an excellent choice for a honeymoon, anniversary, or friend trip where the primary goal is to be together. Most of my all-inclusive clients aren't traveling for the destinations, they are traveling for the resorts and the company. Which means the resorts matter, a bunch!
2. There are almost no all-inclusives in the United States. Not even in Hawaii, Florida, or Puerto Rico. Warm + beach + tropical ≠ all-inclusive locations. I have the opportunity to explain this all of the time because so many people think that a fruity drink on the beach goes with an all-inclusive. That's not true at all. In order for an all-inclusive to exist at a price point that most folks are willing to pay, it has to be located in a place where the hourly wage is low enough to support that structure. This is not the United States. It is also not the Virgin Islands or many other Caribbean countries. I am not saying that there are ZERO all-inclusives in those areas. I am saying that they are very few and they are disproportionately expensive relative to other options. There are many beautiful resorts in those other places, but they will not be all-inclusive.
3. Location matters so much for pricing with all-inclusives. If a client reaches out to me with a resort request and a tight budget, 100% of the time I am going to start searching in Cancun. That is absolutely, without a doubt, where the most bang for your buck is in the all-inclusive world. After that, I am going to talk to you about the Dominican Republic or Jamaica as those come next in pricing. If one of those three options aren't on your short list, that's great. There are some good properties in places like St. Lucia, Curacao, etc. You just need to be prepared for a bit more of a budget.
4. Resorts have a personality and those personalities vary greatly. That is why I highly recommend that folks work with a travel agent for these types of trips. When I have someone come to me looking for this sort of travel, I have a whole host of questions that I am going to ask them. Of course, one of the is budget, but I also want to know what they are most looking forward to and what is important to them. There are resorts that would be great for foodies but not for people who want a pristine beach. Others are excellent for folks who want great pools for the kids, but are less concerned about top shelf liquor. Travel dollars are limited for most of my clients, it's important to me that I send then somewhere that will meet as many of their expectations as possible!
5. With those resort personalities come specific cultures and systems. Is tipping expected, allowed, not permitted? Are airport transfers included? Do you need dinner reservations and if so, when and how do you make them? Is there a dress code? All of these answers depend completely on the resort and it's important to know these things before you ever board the plane!
6. Last, but not least, pricing varies greatly depending on when you want to travel. You can literally pay double + for a resort at peak times vs. low times. So, if you are flexible, that's great, you can save some money! If you know that you aren't flexible, the biggest key to maximizing your dollars is early booking. Resort pricing is incredibly dynamic and when the rooms are nearly all booked up, the pricing climbs and climbs.
I love helping folks find the right resort for their budget and desires. It feels a little bit like the show "House Hunters" to me. I go in with a wishlist and see how many of those items we can check-off for them!
