According to a JLL Research Hotels & Hospitality research, demand for all-inclusive resorts surged after the pandemic. (Photo : by Cauayan Island Resort / Unsplash)
According to a JLL Research Hotels & Hospitality research, demand for all-inclusive resorts surged after the pandemic. The study found that suddenly, many travelers desired stress-free, simple-to-plan trips, ideally with a health focus.
Travelers realized at that point that the all-inclusive resorts of the past, which were renowned for serving cheap alcohol and emphasizing quantity over quality, had changed.
According to JLL, the share of "upper upscale" and luxury resorts in the Dominican Republic increased from 31% in 1990 to 47% of all all-inclusive resort supply as of 2022. The percentages are much greater in Mexico, where in 2022, more than half (55%) of the country's all-inclusive resorts were upper upscale and luxury properties.
Rates at all-inclusive resorts, which were formerly seen to be a reasonably priced vacation option, are also rising and have already surpassed levels seen in 2019.
Under names that guests would not often identify with all-inclusive resorts-from DoubleTree to Westin and The Luxury Collection-Marriott and Hilton have also made inroads into the market.
From more opulent rooms to exclusive resort benefits, resort operators have improved the all-inclusive experience.
A "Unique" suite at the oceanfront Lopesan Costa Bávaro Resort Spa & Casino in the Dominican Republic offers enhanced accommodations, a personal butler, and access to a private beach.
Club Med established "Exclusive Collection Spaces" at a few resorts that offer extra amenities to guests, including in-suite continental breakfast, personalized transfers, evening champagne, and, as the name suggests, access to special resort areas. One of these, Club Med Tignes, is a 2022 opening for a ski resort close to the Italian border.
The company's "Exclusive Collection" consists of six resorts in the Maldives, Mauritius, Italy, and France. Prices at its Valmorel Chalet-Apartments, a ski resort in France, begin at $2,475 per person in June and go up to $4,250 per person in December, citing the company's website.
For its most upscale rooms, Sandals, an all-inclusive adults-only resort operator in the Caribbean, offers butler service. On its website, it states that butler services include unpacking guests' luggage, scheduling dinner and spa appointments, serving cocktails at the beach, and completing room service orders quickly.
With its March 2024 opening, Sandals Saint Vincent and the Grenadines unveiled a brand-new accommodation category: the 1,248-square-foot Vincy overwater two-story villa. After a 55% rack rate reduction, a seven-night stay for two adults with butler service at the end of June will cost $22,505.
The Sandals Royal Curacao and Sandals Royal Bahamian are offering visitors who stay a week in a butler-serviced suite a $250 coupon to dine at restaurants around the island in response to criticism that all-inclusive tourists don't see much outside the resort. To get there, a convertible Mini Cooper is also given to them.
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