The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Travel
Go all-out for an all-inclusive hotel
From classic escapes to new resorts where glamour is everything, Fiona Kerr finds the perfect option for you
The all-inclusive hotel has come a long way since Belgian diamond cutter and yogi Gérard Blitz pitched a few army surplus tents on a beach in Mallorca in 1950, naming it “Club Méditerranée”. But it started simply enough: charging holidaymakers one price upfront for their holiday and giving them beads to exchange for drinks at the bar. How clever.
Today, bookings for all-inclusive holidays are up 20 per cent in the year to August 2023, according to research by travel agents’ association ABTA. Previous data showed that 57 per cent of young families planned to take an all-inclusive holiday this year. While the likes of Club Med and Sandals have been in on the act for decades, now all the mainstream hotel mega brands are joining them, introducing increasingly smart options where the tired all-inclusive image of long buffet queues, naff evening entertainment and flashing your neon bracelet for an equally fluoro cocktail is entirely recast.
“People are looking for the cost certainty that you get from an all-inclusive experience,” says Safak Guvenc, Marriott International’s area vice president and managing director of all-inclusive for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. “However, at the luxury end of the market, guests are also seeking hassle-free holidays.”
All-inclusives now are not just about the shoulder-dropping relaxation of knowing the bottom line upfront, but also the ease of not having to sign bills every five seconds. All with top-notch food, slick design and wall-to-wall activities – a holiday without compromise or cabin fever.
“We are focused on creating exceptional resorts that can offer real variety,” says Ennismore co-CEO Gaurav Bhushan, “where guests are not restricted by our schedule. They can choose when it suits them to eat or take part in an activity.”
This new audience has in part driven a timely re-evaluation of the concept, too, with mindful sustainability policies – eliminating single-use plastics and reducing food waste, for instance – and progressive itineraries which plough some of travellers’ money back into the local community. These address common criticisms of the all-in approach. Both Sandals’ Island Inclusive and Ikos’s Local Discovery programmes encourage guests to eat out at local restaurants as part of their rate.
If the sheer variety on offer feels overwhelming, fear not – we are here to take you through all the options. This is a holiday formula that does not need to be complicated – and in our exhausting world, it has never been more appealing.
The world’s largest hotel player, Marriott International – with everyone from grand St Regis to trendy Edition in its portfolio – is expanding at speed into all-inclusives. It has taken its collection from seven to 32 hotels in the past four years, with 15 more in the works. One of its livelier brands, W Hotels, will open its first all-inclusive in the Dominican Republic’s Punta Cana later in 2024, and even chi-chi Ritz Carlton will enter the fray soon. In January this year, Marriott’s latest addition was Sanctuary Cap Cana, A Luxury Collection All Inclusive Resort, also in the Dominican Republic, offering ayurvedic treatments in the spa and just-landed seafood at stilted restaurant Blue Marlin (0800 085 8179; all-inclusive.marriott.com, seven nights from £1,518 per person).
Then there is the rapidly expanding Ikos group, a byword for luxury all-inclusive and winner of Best Hotel Group in this year’s Telegraph Travel Awards, with its Greek island favourites such as Ikos Dassia on Corfu or Ikos Aria on Kos. Last year it arrived on the Spanish coast with Ikos Andalusia, and this summer Ikos Porto Petro opened between two sandy covers on Mallorca’s southeast coast. A la carte menus have been created by Michelin-starred chefs; swordfish carpaccio at Italian spot Fresco or a fragrant Thai red curry at Anaya. In the super-smart bungalow suites you get your own private pool and, by virtue of staying as part of the “Deluxe Collection”, a romantic private dinner by the sea, along with massages in the Anne Semonin spa and use of a Tesla for a day to whizz around the island exploring (0808 111 0131; ikosresorts. com, seven nights from £2,423pp).
Rixos meanwhile has hotels across Egypt, Qatar, the UAE and its homeland Turkey. Now part of the Ennismore (Hoxton, Gleneagles) and Accor (Mondrian, SO/hotels) partnership, it is the star of the new ALL Inclusive Collection – which aims to roll out 20 hotels in the next three years. At the tip of the outer crescent of Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah, Rixos the Palm Hotel & Suites has city skyline views and a Turkish hammam to enjoy together (0161 619 8001; allinclusive-collection.com, seven nights from £1,643pp).
Adults-only Secrets (now under the Hyatt umbrella) skews more towards younger couples with its resorts, many of which are on the Riviera Maya in Mexico and in Punta Cana. One of its latest additions is Impression Isla Mujeres by Secrets, which opened in May just off the coast of Cancun. Fun is guaranteed thanks to a welcome bottle of tequila on arrival and a thrilling poolto-sea waterslide, as well as an Ibiza-style white rooftop pool bar. Mexico is a good option for same-sex couples, especially since marriage equality became law at the end of 2022 (0800 021 1945; hyattinclusivecollection.com, seven nights from £4,442pp).
Closer to home, Paradisus by Melia arrived on Gran Canaria in March. Slick white and wood-decorated rooms are joined by a “Destination Inclusive” concept, which covers visits to the Cueva Pintada “painted cave” or the Arehucas rum distillery. Exhibitions by local artists and creative workshops at the hotel will satisfy culture-seekers. The Canaries are particularly LGBTQ-friendly too (0808 239 4279; melia.com, seven nights from £1,288 pp).