The Best All-Inclusive Caribbean Resorts for 2015
Fodor's Travel: By Kathleen Squires
A stay at an all-inclusive resort packs in plenty of convenience: Pay just one upfront price, and you don't have to worry about racking up extra charges for food, drink, and entertainment while on vacation. Add in a beachside setting, and it’s even easier to leave your cares behind. There’s a host of brand-new all-inclusive resort options cropping up throughout the Caribbean—and the Caribbean-fronted shores of Mexico—right now. Here are our 10 picks for some of the hottest properties to hit in 2015. Get ready to relax—when everything's paid for in advance, there's no need to fret.
Hyatt Zilara Cancún
Where: Mexico
This adult-only all-inclusive prides itself on lying along the widest stretch of sand in Cancún's hotel zone. The Zilara also holds Cancún’s only ocean-view spa, an eco-holistic facility boasting water-themed services such as a steam hut, sauna, cold-plunge pool, waterfall features, and dual-temperature whirlpools. The 288 rooms include balconies with hammocks, and another unique amenity: “Magic Box” room service, which appears without the slightest disturbance. When dining on property, the options span Mexican, tapas, and Chef’s Plate, an exclusive restaurant reserved for certain room categories.
Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor’s Cancún Travel Guide
Chic Punta Cana
Where: Dominican Republic
Live like island royalty on Uvero Alto Beach by booking the 3,500-square-foot Chic Mansion at this brand new-resort. The stylish, two-story house holds six bedrooms, a private pool and Jacuzzi, fire pit, barbecue, pool table, wine cellar, and fully stocked premium bar. You won’t be denied any luxury in the other 323 units either, many of which include terraces and pools. Eight dining venues take guests on a global journey, from Japan to Morocco, and there’s even an oxygen bar, in addition to five other tippling spots. Reserve a cabana around the private pool area and enjoy personal waiter service, a stocked bar, and satellite TV.
Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor’s Dominican Republic Travel Guide
Melia Nassau Beach
Where: Bahamas
The only upscale, all-inclusive resort in Nassau’s multibillion dollar luxury development, Baha Mar (a vast resort complex that will be giving Atlantis a run for its money), the Melia (formerly the Sheraton) went through a $19-million renovation itself. The newly unveiled 694 rooms are the first part of the project to debut to the public. In addition to lovely Cable Beach on the property, look for waterfall features and hydrotheraphy tubs set amidst a lush garden landscape. When the entire Baha Mar project is complete in spring 2015, it will also be home to the Caribbean’s largest casino, a professional golf course, and a high-end shopping complex.
Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor’s Bahamas Travel Guide
TO READ MORE: By Kathleen Squires
A serial traveler who often lets a country’s cuisine dictate her itineraries, New York City-based writer Kathleen Squires has visited all seven continents and over 60 countries, with stints living in London, Tokyo, and Buenos Aires. Her work also appears in The Wall Street Journal, Details, Saveur, Cooking Light, and National Geographic Traveler.
