Which is the best all inclusive resort? That's a great question and it's not one size fits all.
All Inclusive Video
Amenities at all-inclusive resorts vary greatly. There are literally thousands of all inclusive resorts to choose from which is why it is a great idea to work with a travel professional to streamline your decision. The more of your interests that you share with your travel expert, the better your experience will be. What would you like to do other than rest and relax? Using a travel professional can make your travel experience so much easier, wouldn't it be easier to talk with someone that has experienced it, or has friends or clients that have. Sandals guarantees the price on their website is the same price you pay using a travel agent. The value that a travel professional provides reaches far beyond the best resort for the best value, its all of the inside information about room views, dining, activities, meals, etc. A fellow travel professional recently made the comparison, I CAN file my taxes online, but I CHOOSE to use a tax professional because I don't even know what I don't know.
The top three areas I compare when choosing an all-inclusive resort is Meals, Drinks, and Water Sports.
Meals . . . Are all meals and snacks included? Room Service? Specialty Restaurants? I recommend an all inclusive that has multiple restaurants that offer ala carte meals (at no additional charge) with multiple ethnic food choices. Food is subjective. I encourage you to try different ethnic foods that you may not normally try at home. Since there is no additional cost, be adventurous, if you don't like it, there is always room service or stop in at another restaurant. Note: Ask if room service is included in your room category.
Drinks . . . Are all drinks included at all times of the day? Be sure to understand if sodas, wine and alcohol are included. Some may offer sodas, alcohol or wine during mealtime only. Others still may limit the choices.
Water Sports . . . Are motorized sports included in addition to non-motorized? Some resorts may list that water sports are available, but that doesn't mean its included.
Entertainment . . . If you are interested in entertainment, is that included?
Location . . . Is the resort in a remote area or near town center? Depending on your preference, sometimes remote is nice, but you may spend tons of time driving to your excursions. Is transportation to/from airport included?
View . . . Do you want view of gardens, ocean, beach, pool, mountains? Sometimes it may be confusing to know what your view will be, your travel professional can help you decipher which rooms have which views and what is optimal location.
Excursions . . . Which excursions are tourist traps and which are true adventure or immersion? It can be confusing choosing the best excursion, its important to share your interests and experience--if you routinely rent ATV and explore at home, you will not enjoy a guided tour on ATV with limited choices. It's important to know if you are most comfortable with guided tour or independent traveler. I recommend that you choose your excursions prior to leaving home, so that you can use all of your precious travel moments ENJOYING not trying to weigh options of tours.
Sand . . . White, black, volcanic?
Water . . . Carribbean can be calm and relaxing, while the Atlantic can be quite spunky.
Lagniappe . . . Are you bringing your family or looking for adults only? If you are looking for adventure, your friend's favorite resort may not be the best pick for you. What time of year is your vacation and what is temperature or crowd like at that time of year?
BEST VALUE: Plan early to get the best view and best flight times to make most of time in destination.
