Top 10 all-inclusive beach resorts

By ShermansTravel Editorial Staff

updated 10:10 a.m. ET March 6, 2009

How will you ever achieve that perfect full-body tan if your hand is constantly reaching into your pocket?! That’s why our editors have rounded up a list of our 10 favorite all-inclusive beach resorts in the Caribbean and Mexico, where the focus is on the sun, surf and sand — not on opening up your wallet. We know that tallying up all of those “extras” (like meals, tips, cocktails, and activities) can be a real buzzkill on your happy-go-lucky vacation, so we propose bunking down at one of these all-inclusive gems instead. Ranging from luxury to boutique and from mega-sized to eco-friendly, these standout properties deal with the costs in their all-inclusive up-front pricing, leaving their guests to enjoy a blissfully cash-free adventure once there. After all, that soft sand is no place for hard cash!

Almond Beach Village
Straddling 32 beachfront acres on the grounds of an 18th-century sugar plantation, this 395-unit all-inclusive resort is large enough to cater to honeymooners, families and conventioneers alike. The handsome rooms at Barbados’ Almond Beach Village offer guests fine amenities like mahogany-stained two-poster beds and private balconies or patios, but the abundant fun-in-the-sun activities are the real lure. Caribbean waters beckon with wind surfing, kayaking, snorkeling, sailing and reef fishing, while tennis, golf and a “Kids’ Club” (giving mom and dad a chance for some quality alone time) round out the activities on dry land. Guests can savor unlimited meals and cocktails in one of the resort’s restaurants and bars (or via room service), or hop aboard a complimentary shuttle to Bridgetown for a day of shopping and sightseeing

Amansala
An alternative to the barrage of luxury complexes lining the Mayan Riviera coastline, this rustic-chic resort in Tulum offers a healthy, tranquil retreat with no pretensions. Amansala is best known for its six-night "Bikini Bootcamp" — a robust regime of yoga, meditation, salsa dancing and more, designed to get guests (note that some retreats are women-only) into tip-top swimsuit-shape. This all-inclusive program includes cabana lodging, with digs ranging from a one-room thatched-roof hut to an ultra-classy luxury suite — expect private bathrooms, mosquito-netted beds and running hot water (in all but one unit). Rates also include all meals, with an emphasis on low-fat, organic ingredients (think freshly caught grilled fish and fresh mangos). The coup de grace on the package, though, are the heavenly extras like massages and a Mayan clay treatment, piled onto the traditional resort offerings like snorkeling, bike-riding and more. 

Azul Beach Hotel
This stylish small hotel in Puerto Morelos, Mexico, offers big-resort amenities with a boutique sensibility. The self-proclaimed “first all-inclusive boutique resort,” Azul, with just 97 rooms, offers sweet respite from the rowdier neighbors in nearby Playa del Carmen and Cancún. All-inclusive rates include food and drinks from the four restaurants and three lounges, champagne at check-in, and activities for kids and adults (think yoga classes, not limbo contests). After a morning Spanish class, snag a seaside cabana and let a “Beach Butler” (he’ll be the one carrying the mineral-water vaporizer) take care of the rest. 

Bolongo Bay Beach Resort
Nestled along a 1,000-foot stretch of palm-lined beach, Bolongo Bay Beach Resort offers travelers a great-value, all-inclusive resort experience in the U.S. Virgin Islands’ beautiful St. Thomas. Complimentary use of water sports toys like sailboats, kayaks, windsurf boards and snorkel equipment provide plenty of active ways to work on that tan, while a warm staff and restaurants doling out eclectic Caribbean and Continental cuisine — and mouth-watering culinary treats like lobster, fresh seafood and filet mignon (all included at no additional cost) — encourage guests to linger back on resort grounds. The rooms, each boasting a waterfront balcony, are situated just steps from the beach and offer guests a bright and airy, if somewhat basic, place to rest their heads.

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