Travellers are spending US$20,000 upfront to never see a bill on holiday

THE ultimate holiday this summer is time off from thinking about how much things cost. 

Bookings for all-inclusive resorts are surging this year. Their appeal lies not only in getting a deal or the ease of planning, travellers say, but also in the relief they provide in a time of economic anxiety. 

“You don’t have to think about anything,” said Rob McMahan, a sales director at a footwear and apparel company in Newport, Rhode Island. 

After spending a week in April at Hotel Mousai Cancun, an adults-only boutique resort, he and his wife booked two more trips there this year and next.

The Mexican five-star resort bills itself as an “evolved” all-inclusive: For US$6,000, McMahan’s week-long stay included a private butler who was available for any questions, requests and reservations. This, in addition to hydrotherapy, whiskey tastings and all the usual trappings of a high-end resort.

A week in the master suite this summer goes for US$20,000, all in. 

But the real luxury for the 60-year-old is that unlike his recent trips to Europe, the experience offers an escape from looking at bills that only seem to be going up.

“It’s truly a vacation,” he said.  

As airfare, hotels and dining out get more expensive, even travellers with money to spend are gravitating toward trips with fixed costs and fewer financial surprises.

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Searches made on Hotels.com from Jan 1 to Jun 1 for all-inclusive stays are up 70 per cent from last year. Hyatt said that its all-inclusive resorts in the Americas were 84 per cent occupied the first three months of the year, near full capacity and up from a year ago.

Bookings at the most popular all-inclusive resorts with luxury travel agency Fora have more than doubled since last year. The travel agency said that all-in resorts cost about US$250 less a night than the popular European beach destinations it books for clients.

Getting an upgrade

But the appeal for travellers isn’t just the inflation hedge. Once associated with buffet lines and bargain packages, more all-inclusive resorts are offering affluent travellers a high-end escape. 

Marriott last year said it was expanding its portfolio to meet rising demand for “stress-free travel”, including the opening of several Luxury Collection properties this year.

At Paraiso de la Bonita in Mexico’s Riviera Maya, guests can take a helicopter to the resort and unwind with saltwater and seaweed treatments at the resorts open-air thalasso spa.

At the Almare resort on Isla Mujeres – accessible only by private boat – guests can start the morning with sun salutations alongside the turquoise Caribbean waters.

In 2027, the epitome of luxury, the Ritz-Carlton, is planning to open an all-inclusive in Cancun.

“The customer expectation has changed, they want something more high end that includes pampering and caring,” said Jan Freitag, the national director of hospitality analytics at CoStar, a commercial real estate analytics firm. 

Many all-inclusive resorts have begun upscaling their offerings, stocking bars with top-shelf liquors and adding fine dining, he said. 

Playing the part

Justin Schuman likes to “cosplay being rich” for a few days.

“Being uber-wealthy provides a great deal of ease, security and access,” he said. “What else sounds just like that? An all-inclusive resort.”

In December, the 34-year-old actor from New York City spent several days at the Excellence El Carmen resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

The sprawling five-star adults-only getaway has four pools, eight international dining options, 11 bars and 24-hour room service. Prices range from US$356 to US$727 a night for the beachfront honeymoon suite with a private rooftop terrace.

Schuman was tempted to book another all-inclusive trip when he saw a flash sale for flights to Cancun, but decided to wait.

All-inclusive resorts have long appealed to families by promising a holiday that everyone can enjoy. 

That’s the draw for Jonathan Sale, a 38-year-old surgical robotics professional in Chelmsford, UK, who has two children, aged five and eight. On their last trip, they stayed at two all-inclusives in Sri Lanka over 10 days for £7,000 (S$12,048).

“It just makes you more relaxed because you know what you’re paying, you know the bill,” he said. 

In some cases, luxury all-inclusives end up costing more than comparable hotels. That, however, doesn’t bother Sale, who said paying a little more up front allows him to relax. “It takes out all the rows about money.”

Getting hooked for more

For Jasmine Lewis, a mother of two from Dallas, Texas, an all-inclusive gives her the opportunity to be the one waited on hand and foot, something she is willing to pay up for. 

The fraud analyst wakes up most days and worries about what to cook, the kid’s homework and keeping the house clean.

But at the Le Blanc Spa Resort Los Cabos, she had the butler unpack bags, book dinner reservations, steam her dress and draw up a bath at the end of the day. It cost her around US$4,200 for a five-night stay.

She enjoyed the experience so much, she has two more booked later this year: four nights at the Dreams Vista Cancun Golf & Spa Resort and a five-night trip to the Hilton Tulum Riviera Maya. 

“It’s nice to have other people cater to you,” she said. “For a lot of people, that’s not a part of your everyday life.”

But for a few days, it can be. BLOOMBERG