The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Travel
SPECIAL OCCASION
Whether it is a honeymoon or a golden wedding anniversary, if you have splashed out on a once-in-a-lifetime holiday there is even more incentive to know there are no nasty surprises when you check out. In the idyllic Maldives, the Ozen Collection has two all-inclusive hotels – and knowing that everything is paid for upfront makes particular sense here, where most travellers can’t and don’t leave their private island resort. At Ozen Reserve Bolifushi, stilted overwater villas (some with slides straight into the Indian Ocean) and toes-in-the-sand beach houses come with a help-yourself maxi-bar restocked daily with champagne. A 60-minute massage is also included for honeymooners staying four or five nights (with extras added the more nights you book), as well as film screenings on the beach under the stars (00 960 665 8423; theozencollection.com, seven nights from £6,250pp including speed boat transfers).
In the Caribbean, Sandals has been synonymous with all-inclusive since it launched its couples-only concept in Jamaica’s Montego Bay back in 1981. It now has 17 romance-heavy resorts across the islands – from overwater villas in St Lucia to a two-level infinity pool in Curaçao. For its latest offering, though, the group returned to its heartland Jamaica with Sandals Dunn’s River. Sandals prides itself on its hefty inclusions, which stretch to scuba dives and rounds of golf, and here there are also constellation-spotting sessions with a stargazing concierge for guests staying in the Coyaba Sky Villas, which have telescopes and bathtubs on the rooftop terraces. Look out next spring, too, for the new Sandals Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (0800 597 0002; sandals.co.uk, seven nights from £1,989pp including transfers).
Fellow classic of the genre Club Med has incorporated some of its smartest resorts into its Exclusive Collection by Club Med brand. The Seychelles offering is set on a 500-acre private island, with clear-bottomed kayaks and stand-up paddle boards to borrow, plus yoga hikes and group sailing lessons included (03453 676767; clubmed. co.uk, seven nights from £1,740pp).
On Antigua’s south coast, Curtain Bluff underwent a multi-million dollar renovation this summer, refreshing suites and adding a new infinity pool and wellness area. There are only 72 rooms and suites here, giving it a boutique feel. The food re-writes the all-inclusive rulebook, with the likes of bento boxes delivered to cabanas on the sand, grilled lobster at beachside Sea Grape and indulgent French menus at Tamarind. This is the place to toast life’s most momentous moments (0800 051 8956; curtainbluff.com, seven nights from £4,450pp).