Latest news with #allinclusive
Times
4 hours ago
- Times
Sometimes an easy family ‘fly and flop' is just what you need
For ages I've been wanting to take my four small grandchildren away, partly for the fun of it and partly to give my daughters a break. So where do you go that is going to please children who are aged between two and six as well as my grown-up daughters and partner, who are very 'foodie', and me, who is less foodie, more, er, 'cocktailie'. While I do a lot of solo travelling and dragged my own kids all over the world when they were small (India, Cambodia, Egypt, for starters) I remember them begging, 'Please, Mum, can we have a normal holiday with no artefacts?' So I knew for this trip we needed something as easy as possible. This is where a good all-inclusive comes in and the snobbery around them is silly. A break from shopping and cooking is a boon to parents of little ones. A place where everyone can eat and drink what they like without having to think about bills is relaxing. My experience is you get what you pay for, because I have done cheap all-inclusives where the food was inedible except for the roast dinners people had around the swimming pool alongside huge rum and coke floats at 11am. Yes, really. • More great all-inclusives in Mallorca The Iberostar Selection Albufera Park resort in northeast of Mallorca appealed to us because the flight is short. We were all excited. One of my grandsons told his mum, 'Tell Grand Suzanne not to take weapons to the airport.' Smart advice. One imagines the perfect family holiday but families are complicated and life happens. Or, worse, it stops. A couple of days before we were due to go my son-in-law's mother died suddenly. She was an amazing woman and integral to my grandchildren's life. We were all in shock. Do you go on holiday while grieving? What is the right thing to do? The little ones didn't understand, of course. It was obvious my son-in-law could not come, but could he join us halfway through the week? Everyone was brilliant. The hotel staff were understanding and I changed his flight with easyJet. I was amazed to get through on the phone and talk to a guy who was sympathetic to our plight. • Best beaches in Mallorca We arrived determined to make the best of it despite the sadness. Small children keep you in the present and my grandsons, who are five and six years old, were excited we were picked up by a minibus. The reception at the hotel is genius as there is a large slide for tired and fractious kids (keep that as a surprise). It's brilliant because it makes check-in fun. The resort had upgraded my room, but we wanted to be together as that was the point of the holiday. As it was, our 'family premium' room was big enough. A bunk bed arrangement in one part of the room with a sliding door and a big bed on the other side gave us what amounted to two bedrooms. We overlooked the main pool with its water slides and ladybird-style showers. Then there was the breakfast buffet, which is my middle daughter's favourite thing in the world. My eldest is not so keen on buffets and I don't get up for breakfast if there is coffee in the room, but the children adored it, ladling chocolate sauce on to potato waffles. Indeed, the food was pretty great all round. It was fresh and there was a huge variety, much of it cooked in front of you. Our favourite was the lunch beach grill restaurant, Tamarindos. Steak, chicken and fabulous sausages were barbecued there, and they offered beautiful salads too. The kids were happy with very good pizza and burgers, while the adults had lobster and paella. • What to do in Mallorca There are restaurants to book and it's nice to be served. The grown-ups tried the Greek (Kyknos) and Spanish (Martinete) restaurants but the food was not any better than the buffet. Apart from the main kids' pool, there are six other pools, which are calmer, and a superb beach. We all did different things at different times. My favourite was the rooftop pool, where you could help yourself to drinks and look out over the bay and Playa de Muro beach. It was peaceful and feels five-star luxe. As for booze, they knew how to do a proper margarita so I coped, put it that way. Much is designed around kids, especially small kids. There are trampolines and all kinds of activities. The swimming pool carpet was a hit, as were the giant Transformers appearing at dinner. Ours were too little for the kids' club stuff and I think kids' clubs require children who are extroverted. However, our lot were entranced by the shows. I know it's illegal, but I don't like Abba, never mind Abba imitators. Still, the children loved the acrobats and the 'I love the Nineties' night. • Mallorca's top family hotels We barely left the resort, but we did go up the road for pony rides. A Shetland pony is heaven if you're a three-year-old girl. And the Albufera Nature Reserve is nearby with the Balearics' largest wetlands. Oh, and we went on a boat trip from Muro beach into the bay and around the caves of Cap de Formentor with an hour's stop at Formentor beach — easy, as you can sit inside if the sun is too hot and there is a bar and snacks on board. But really you can do as little or as much as you like. My son-in-law eventually arrived and while sun and sea are not a cure for bereavement it was good to be together. • Read our full guide to the Balearics I had a terrific facial and a massage at the spa (treatments from £70), though the indoor pool is a bit underwhelming, but that's a niggle. The other niggle was the loudness of the shows. If your room is near the stage it's impossible to settle little ones to sleep as it's so noisy. It also seemed a bit much to have to have to pay for beach sunloungers (£18 a day for two), but these are, as I say, niggles. In our circumstances we could not have the perfect family holiday and we are far from a perfect family anyway, but it gave us some time out. The holiday fantasy is everyone gets on and no exhausted child has a temper tantrum. It's unreal, but the fact that each of us relaxed and had a few perfect moments at such a difficult time says everything about what Iberostar provides. The children even asked me if they could live there, so there you go … my grandparenting job was done. For Moore was a guest of Iberostar ( which has all-inclusive family rooms at Albufera Park from £246. Fly to Palma This article contains affiliate links that can earn us revenue By Siobhan Grogan Spread over low-rise buildings in a peaceful bay in the southwest of Kos, this all-inclusive hotel is directly on the beach in Lambi, with five pools, a mini-waterpark and a spa. There are seven restaurants including a gelateria and Greek taverna, plus swim-up rooms and suites with private pools for extra Seven nights' all-inclusive from £871pp, including flights, checked luggage and coach transfers A 20-minute seaplane ride west of Malé, Kuramathi was one of the first resorts to open on its own island in the Maldives's Rasdhoo Atoll in 1975 and has honed a winning fly-and-flop formula since. Waft between a mile-long sandbank lapped by the Indian Ocean, a beachside spa, a champagne bar, nine à la carte restaurants and a house reef, where the snorkelling is excellent. Details Seven nights' full board from £1,659pp, including flights ( Choose between seven outdoor pools or Portugal's longest golden sand beach at this five-star property at Praia da Falesia in the Algarve. There's no need to leave if you'd rather not, because this sprawling resort has 12 restaurants, a huge kids' club, a clifftop golf course, an impressive spa and rooms decorated in traditional Portuguese style with hand-painted tiled headboards and terracotta floors. However, the coastal town of Olhos d'Agua, with its waterpark, beach promenade and boat tours, is about a ten-minute walk. Details Seven nights' B&B from £626pp, including flights and checked luggage (
Daily Mail
14 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Cruise ship worker reveals whether 'all-inclusive' deals are REALLY worth it
It often seems like everything is included on a cruise. But first-timers might be shocked to learn that 'all-inclusive' doesn't necessarily mean they won't face a bill at the end of their cruise. Cruise crew worker, Lucy (@cruisingascrew), has warned cruise newbies that there are lot of things that are 'not included' in the initial package. In a YouTube video called 'Cruise Mistakes First-Times Always Make (Don't be that person'), Lucy reveals: 'An all-inclusive cruise is not the same as an all-inclusive hotel on land.' So what might not included in the price of a cruise? Food Lucy says: 'Yes, your food is going to be included in your initial cruise fare'. However, if the cruise has speciality restaurants, guests will usually need to pay extra to enjoy them. First-timers might be shocked to learn that 'all-inclusive' doesn't necessarily mean they won't face a bill at the end of their cruise Speciality restaurants are often themed and aren't included in the price of the cruise holiday. This isn't the case on every cruise line, and all speciality restaurants are included on Virgin Voyages. Drinks 'Once you're onboard, you are going to be prompted to buy a drinks package,' explains Lucy. Alcoholic drinks are rarely included in the price of a cruise package and guests can either pay as they go or opt for a drinks package. A drinks package may be better value if holidaymakers are planning to drink a lot while they're away. Wi-Fi Wi-Fi may not be included as part of your cruise package, explains Lucy. It can be really expensive to use data on a cruise as guests may cross through different countries as they sail. If you're planning to use the Internet a lot while away, it might be a good idea to opt for a Wi-Fi package. Gratuities Lucy says: 'You're also going to have to pay your gratuities at the end of the cruise which is something that a lot of new cruisers get surprised by. 'They do not even know that they're going to have to pay gratuities at the end of the cruise, but you will.' Tips are usually charged at the end of the cruise so it's important to factor in this cost to the overall price of the trip. Excursions Excursions aren't compulsory on a cruise and guests can choose whether they want to explore on their own or join a tour. Lucy says: 'If you decide you want to do an excursion in one of the ports, that's going to be extra.' Holidaymakers can book excursions before their cruise and this is sometimes advised as the most popular trips can sell out.
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Travel + Leisure
6 days ago
- Travel + Leisure
This Adults-only All-inclusive Resort on Mexico's Isla Mujeres Is One of the Best New Hotels in the World
Marriott Luxury Collection's first all-inclusive resort was named to T+L's 2025 It List of the best new hotels of the year. A long list of activities allows guests to explore the island and learn about its ancient roots. Boga, the resort's main restaurant, serves elevated Mayan and Yucatecan flavors. The guest rooms and suites are spacious and airy, and feature private balconies and natural materials like tropical wood paneling and stonework. The hotel's location—along the island's tranquil southwest coast—brings a sense of serenity (a rarity in this part of the Yucatán) and excellent sunsets. I was in a downward dog position when I noticed the school of little silver fish darting beneath me in the water. This was the daily yoga class held at Almare's dock, and in the cracks between planks of wood, I could see the celadon shallows of the Caribbean Sea. I had arrived at the new resort on the island of Isla Mujeres, Mexico, a day earlier, having been dropped off at the same dock after a 25-minute ride from Cancun on the hotel's 42-foot catamaran. Eight miles away in the distance, the popular vacation metropolis was barely visible, its concrete towers and sprawling all-inclusives a grey smudge on the horizon. The two settings couldn't be more different, even in cosmic terms, as I learned from Enrique Solari, Almare's general manager. The coastline of Cancun and the Riviera Maya faces east; Almare, on Isla Mujeres's western side, faces towards the setting sun. 'The island Mayans were different from the earth Mayans from the rest of the peninsula,' Solari explained. 'Isla Mujeres stands looking at things the opposite way. It allows for many of our visitors, after experiencing the activities and the parties of the Riviera Maya, to come to a place where they can look more introspectively and actually spend time with more of the Mexican culture without leaving the Cancun area.' Opened in November, Almare, the first all-inclusive entry from Marriott's Luxury Collection in Mexico, offers a fresh approach to luxury vacations in this region: this is not the kind of all-inclusive where you bake all day on the beach and eat from a buffet at night. A daybreak walk arranged by the hotel takes guests to the rugged cliffs of Punta Sur, the island's southernmost point, steeped in Mayan history, where Mexico's first sunrise takes off from. Golf cart rentals—the preferred way to get around the island—are easy to book at reception, as are boat trips on various vessels. On a recent Friday, I splayed out on the netting of a sailing catamaran with a michelada in hand, before diving into the waters off of Playa Norte, the island's main white sand beach crowded with palm trees. While the island can be lively, with Corona and lime bars that are best enjoyed in small doses, Almare offers a respite. In pockets around the hotel—on a daybed along its private sliver of beach, dining on the rooftop as a local flutist performs, in the golden-lit lobby bar where I took a nightly digestif—the tranquility returns. On the dock, my yoga teacher Maru noticed it, too. 'I normally play music in class,' she told us one morning, 'but the sounds of the birds, the wind, and the water right here, I thought, were enough.' Keep reading for a full review of Almare, A Luxury Collection, All-Inclusive Resort on Isla Mujeres. Oceanfront views and balcony from inside a Grand Suite bedroom. Ione Green Productions/Courtesy of Almare, an All-inclusive Luxury Collection Almare's 109 guest rooms and suites are light-strewn and sand-toned, with modern decor that pulls influence from local techniques without feeling folksy. Many of the walls are plastered with chukum, a protective resin used by the ancient Mayans that adds a wispy texture to the concrete. 'It gives you this velvet sensation that I find very warm in the hotel,' Galo Rosas, a principal at Design Positif, an interior firm that collaborated on Almare's renovation, told Travel+Leisure. My second-floor room had a large whirlpool tub and beautiful travertine surfaces in the bathroom. Its broad balcony sat just above the beach club, with the water a stone's throw away. 'When you step out on the balcony, you feel almost like you're on a boat because you're so close to the sea and the contact is so direct,' Rosas said. Almare also has seven impressive duplex suites with private sea view plunge pools and the 1,485-square-foot presidential suite, which has an oversized marble bar and a tropical wood dining table perfect for entertaining. It was easy to forget that Almare is all-inclusive with its dining spread out over seven stylish spots, each offering à la carte service. I started my mornings at Botanik, the all-day cafe, for an espresso and a gluten-free cookie, before a full breakfast at the main lobby restaurant, Boga. The morning menu here is filled with Mayan-inspired dishes, like papadzules, a hand-pressed tortilla stuffed with lobster and poached eggs and drowned in green salsa. For lunch by the pool, I ordered from The Breeze's menu, which has the kind of snacking plates you want while reading a magazine: guacamole, ceviche, or a poke bowl. The day I was at sea on a charter boat, the hotel packed a box lunch with a chicken baguette from Botanik, fruit, and a chocolate oblea, a delicate Mexican wafer treat. The beachfront AlPaso food truck serves up bites, bowls, and smoothies. Courtesy of Almare, an All-inclusive Luxury Collection During my visit, I enjoyed dinner at Seasalt, the rooftop restaurant with a more relaxed menu, and downstairs at Boga. Both have great service and are the kind of places where you'll linger long enough to get hungry again. My favorite dish was a tender short rib chilmole, a regional sauce blackened with charred tortillas, that I had at Boga. There's also AlVento, the palapa bar on the beach with a signature dark rum cocktail; AlPaso, a beachside food truck; and the intimate lobby bar, perfect for a nightcap. Guests can spend some time in the ocean in one of the resorts available kayaks. Courtesy of Almare, an All-inclusive Luxury Collection The hotel offers a full schedule of daily activities listed in their app. They range from wholesome—coconut painting on the beach—to emboldening—new friends were made at the mezcal tasting. A sunset barbecue, usually held weekly, was especially memorable. On a westward-facing table set up on the beach, chef Carlos from Boga passed out the ingredients to prepare tikin xic , the island's signature fish dish: fresh filets of mero, a local grouper, along with spices, sliced vegetables, and achiote paste, a peppery blend of dried seeds that looks like wet clay. With gloved hands—the achiote can stain—we dusted the fish with salt, pepper, and garlic, and coated it with the paste. After a quick pass on the grill, the earthy tikin xic was returned to our table as dinner, just as the sun dipped below the horizon. Excursions, including to the incredible Underwater Museum of Art just off shore and the nearby uninhabited island of Isla Contoy, a national park, are available to book on-site. The hotel also has a well-equipped fitness center, a spa, and two pools—one on the rooftop and one just off the beach, complete with a swim-up bar. A relaxation area at the ALMA Spa. Ione Green Productions/Courtesy of Almare, an All-inclusive Luxury Collection Almare has a large spa with an extensive list of services, including a 50-minute shaman consultation. There is also a full hydrotherapy circuit—steam room, sauna, whirlpool, and cold plunge —along with a set of soft cocoon chairs with warm water running through them meant to simulate the sensation of being in the womb. I had a 60-minute detox and lift facial with volcanic glass and activated charcoal that left my skin looking 'movie star' good (my boyfriend's words, not mine). There is one ADA-certified room at the hotel. Almare's renovation was conducted with sustainability in mind. The beams around the resort were made from recycled materials, the lighting is LED, and a special HVAC system was designed to reduce water use. Drinking water is provided in Tetra Pack cartons, and guests are gifted an Almare-branded water bottle to refill at fountains throughout the resort. Lounge chairs lay around the Seasalt Roof Top Pool. Courtesy of Almare, an All-inclusive Luxury Collection Almare is located near the less-touristy southwest side of Isla Mujeres, resulting in exquisite sunsets. It's next door to La Casa del Tikinxic, a beachfront grill rumored to have popularized the island's signature tikin xic fish dish. A 10-minute drive—or a 30-minute walk—will take you to Punta Sur, the island's southernmost lookout with a sculpture park that honors local history. Playa Norte, a lively public beach, and Calle Miguel Hidalgo, a hub for the island's nightlife, are about a 15-minute drive. Taxis are available for hire, though many people rent golf carts. Cancun's international airport is the closest to Isla Mujeres. From there, I took a car service arranged by the hotel to the Renaissance Cancun Resort & Marina in Puerto Cancun. At the Renaissance, I was escorted to the slip where Almare's private twin-engine boat was waiting to whisk me and other guests to the hotel. Almare is part of the Marriott Bonvoy program, so members can book a stay with points and receive special rates, as well as room upgrades, late checkout when available, and free spa services for guests at certain status tiers. Nightly rates at Almare, A Luxury Collection, All-Inclusive Resort, start from $774. Every T+L hotel review is written by an editor or reporter who has stayed at the property, and each hotel selected aligns with our core values.
Daily Mail
20-06-2025
- Daily Mail
Hotel review: XO Cape Arnna, Turkey
It's an understatement to say the Turkish coast's fanciest new all-inclusive resort, XO Cape Arnna, opened with a splash. In fact, the weather was so bad when I flew to Dalaman for the opening weekend that our plane got diverted to Bodrum, and much of the time I spent there was set against the backdrop of pouring rain. Its testament to the excellence of this resort, however, that this didn't put a dampener on our experience. In fact the facilities, restaurants and rooms were so good that we hardly noticed the uncharacteristically rubbish weather at all. Rooms and facilities The massive hotel is divided into two sections: one side family-friendly (The Resort), the other adults-only (The Club). With a one and a five year old in tow, I was in the kid-focused area of the hotel, and our family room had two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a balcony, plus lots of clever built-in storage. As you'd expect from a brand new hotel, the rooms were exceedingly modern and swish, with huge beds, fancy toiletries and curtains that opened at the press of a button. The one fact I cannot get over is that the hotel has 37 swimming pools. THIRTY-SEVEN! Including, as we discovered when it was pouring with rain, two indoor heated pools: a shallow one for toddlers, and a full-size pool for kids and adults. There is also a very futuristic kids' club (which opens until 11pm), an outdoor playground, football pitches, watersports facilities and a full-on water park (with enormous slides for big kids and adults, and a smaller zone for littlies). Food and drink I have never seen an all-inclusive buffet more extensive than the one at XO Cape Arnna; I'm pretty sure the butter station had around 30 options alone. At breakfast there were fresh juices made to order, omelettes with any filling you could wish for, a lavish salad bar, any type of bread or pastry you could ever dream of – basically a cornucopia of options, and it was the same for every meal. If you can possibly pull yourself away from the buffet (at Mad Med), there is also an array of restaurants across the resort; tuck into Turkish cuisine at Kafi, pizza at Cucina dei Cugini, sushi at Sun Tzu or steak at adults-only The Duchess. The all-inclusive deal entitles you to one dinner at each restaurant (except the buffet at Mad Med, which is unlimited). Perhaps most exciting was the on-site patisserie, Clementine. My kids were in their element heading for a post-dinner ice cream at this enticing café, while I was equally excited to visit the chocolate counter for a few slabs from the Willy Wonka-esque selection. Hotel highlights As well as the food and pools, the spa area is worth a shout-out. The staff were super-friendly, and there was an authentic hammam, as well as Himalayan salt rooms. The massages here are not to be missed. Should you want to keep up your fitness routine, there's also a gym that would rival most high street workout spaces. Elsewhere you can book in for lessons in yoga, pole dancing, trapeze and padel. What to do nearby Okay full confession - we were only at the hotel for a long weekend, so we didn't actually make it away from the resort. However, the town of Fethiye comes very much recommended, and we would have visited had we stayed for longer. Best for XO Cape Arnna is an excellent hotel for families with kids - I'd go back! Rates start from £300 for the adults-only Club and £470 for the Resort. It's open all year round. For more information, visit the website here. To get more of what you love from your favourite Sunday supplement, follow us on Instagram (@youmagazine), Facebook (YOU Magazine) and X (@YOUMagSocial).
Condé Nast Traveler
16-06-2025
- Condé Nast Traveler
8 Best All-Inclusive Resorts in the Caribbean For Families, Couples, and Friend Groups
Zip in seven minutes by boat from the mainland and you've tumbled into a quiet world of warm trade winds and water so clear you can see starfish nudging around at the bottom. Undoubtedly one of the most luxurious all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean, Jumby Bay is a 300-acre private island that lures the well-heeled who want their paradise washed down with slick service and sand so powdery it's sieved daily. The new ocean view suites with pools and more rooms are fab for families—crisp and fresh, the pinnacle of seaside living in a Nantucket-meets-Provence style. Sweet staff appear with fruit kebabs and a scoop of mango sorbet when you least expect but most need it, and not only remember your name but also how many ice cubes you take in your vodka tonic. Everyone is on the all-inclusive plan here, so there's a relaxed feeling to the place. You can do whatever you want (waterskiing, windsurfing, wakeboarding, and snorkeling excursions) wherever you fancy, eat in all the restaurants, and drink as much Champagne as you desire. Once bitten, you just can't keep away.
