These resorts have it all
All-inclusives trend toward high-end luxury, from Teslas to caviar to boots
In many minds, allinclusive resorts are associated with value for money, along with inebriated parties, an abundance of riotous children and all the food you’ll never want to eat. And people love them: In 2022, almost 111 million all-inclusive nights were sold globally, according to STR, a hospitality data and analytics company.
But the all-inclusive — which dates to the 1950s
— is evolving. Since the pandemic, smaller, more luxurious and far pricier resorts have taken off, offering high-end dining and lodging in one-of-a-kind buildings and unique experiences.
At the Point, an 11-room resort originally built on Upper Saranac Lake in New York’s Adirondack Mountains as a family residence for the Rockefellers, starting after lockdowns were lifted in 2020 and running through 2022, weekend occupancy rates were 100% during peak season (many guests offered to take any room for any length of time, according to the resort), compared with 80% to 85% on peak season weekends from 2017 to 2019. And at Triple Creek Ranch, a resort high in the Rockies in Montana, average occupancy in 2022 was 75%, compared with 56% in 2019.
“The ranch has always been a popular destination during the summer, but since the pandemic, we’ve seen significant growth during other parts of the year,” said Kristen Snavely, the general manager.
Miraval Arizona, a desert resort in the Santa Catalina Mountains focusing on wellness, would not disclose occupancy rates but said guests are taking advantage of the activities three times as much in 2023 as they did in 2019.
Many travel industry pundits credit the 2008 economic crisis with setting off the growth in demand for higher-end all-inclusives, as savvy travel consumers — still wanting luxe experiences in prime destinations — were attracted to the fixed, value-oriented allinclusive rates, said John Fareed, global chairman of Horwath HTL, a hospitality consulting company in New York.
While the appeal of traditional Caribbean all-inclusive resorts is affordability in beautiful locations with unlimited alcohol, luxury all-inclusives are catering to travelers who may have previously taken an African safari or a smallboat cruise through the Galápagos Islands. Now, those kinds of travelers are looking for easier, bundled vacations they can book without a travel adviser that still offer new experiences, said Benjamin Verot, a co-founder and owner of HotelMinder, a hotel management company.
All-inclusive resorts are happy to oblige.
“Primarily, the difference is in the location, the higher level of accommodations and more personalized guest services — not to mention bragging rights,” Fareed said. “However, it may also be found in the resort’s food and wine offerings: Think celebrity or Michelin-starred chefs, spa amenities and treatments, unique cultural or educational experiences, and niche market offerings such as fishing, golfing, cooking or even yoga with a recognized celebrity in the space.”
As a result, tiny, luxury, often independent allinclusives in the United States, Canada and Europe are flourishing, increasing their offerings and opening new locations. Big hotel brands including Marriott and Hyatt are entering the scene with their own ultraluxe all-inclusives. W Hotel (part of Marriott) is planning its all-inclusive Dominican Republic debut in 2025, while Hyatt is opening its Inclusive Collection portfolio of resorts around the world.
“There’s enough people that will spend $5,000 to their heart’s content now, so there’s a whole market to go to these ultraluxury spots,” said Haydn Kramer, a partner at Valley of the Moon Partners, a hotel consultancy company.
“People are looking for privatized, very special experiences, and they want to pay for them.”
Ikos Odisia recently opened a new resort on the Greek island of Corfu, and the all-inclusive provides guests with a
Tesla and passes to the local museums, churches and restaurants.
La Maison du Val, an all-inclusive castle that opened in 2021 in St.Germain-en-Laye, France, offers complimentary boots so guests can stroll through the forest where kings and emperors of France took afternoon walks. It follows in the footsteps of the Château de Villiersle-Mahieu, an upscale all-inclusive estate that opened in 2019 in a park 45 minutes outside Paris.
At Sonora Resort in British Columbia’s Discovery Islands, accessible only by air or sea, the two- to four-bedroom private suites and four-bedroom villas have been particularly popular this year, and the occupancy rate has increased more than 30% year over year compared with pre-pandemic rates, according to the resort.
The Point was transformed into an all-inclusive resort in 1983, but to make sure guests don’t get tired of the same old, same old, the hotel adds new amenities annually (with increased rates to match). This year, it rolled out caviar and liquor tastings. Next year, said Tony Loscavio, assistant general manager, he is looking into having an on-staff yoga instructor
and massage therapist for guests to use at their whims.
Beth Martin, a 39-yearold designer, sticks with American all-inclusives, as she’s drawn to chef-driven food and creative excursions. She and her husband most recently went to Triple Creek Ranch to see elk, go sapphire hunting and horseback riding, and attend a logging camp where she tried to start a fire with some string and elbow grease.
“This type of traveling isn’t cheap, but it’s an excellent way to see a new part of the country while still being able to unwind,” said Martin, who lives in Charleston, South Carolina. “I hope we can return in winter for a dog-sledding ride.”