Family All Inclusive Resorts

Family all inclusive resorts are ideal vacations for busy families because really, they are a no-brainer. Generally, with a few exceptions, all inclusive resorts for families are found on the most beautiful tropical beaches of the Caribbean and Mexico. At an all inclusive resort, all of your meals, snacks, drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), activities, entertainment, tips and taxes are ALL INCLUDED in the price of your hotel room. In many cases, airport transportation and roundtrip airport-hotel transportation is also included in this price. As far as activities and entertainment, most family all inclusive resorts offer day long activities like sports, games, non-motorized water sports, specialized kid's clubs and nightly entertainment. Non-motorized water sports often confuses people. Non-motorized water sports includes activities like snorkeling, small sail boats, kayaks, boogie boards...water activities that do not have a motor. Some resorts do require a refundable deposit to insure that borrowed equipment is returned properly. All you have to do is walk up to the water sports center, ask for your equipment and off you go. There would be extra charges for activities like jet-skiing, water skiing, and diving because these activites include equipment or boats that have motors. Now for a bit of travel industry jargon... all inclusive resorts can be booked as an all inclusive VACATION PACKAGE, which includes airfare for your family. For families who want to make their own airline reservations or have plenty of frequent flyer miles, all inclusive resorts can also be booked as a LAND ONLY package. A land only package would mean your airport transportation and all inclusive hotel stay would be included in the price.

One question we're often asked is, "Why aren't there more family all inclusive resorts located within the United States?" Honestly it's a matter of economics. The cost of labor and supplies in the Caribbean and Mexico make it cost effective and profitable for hotels to operate all inclusive programs there. These costs in the United States would make all inclusive resorts far too expensive for most families to afford. This is why there are no all inclusive resorts in Hawaii. There are plenty of hotels and resorts located in the U.S. as well as Caribbean and Mexico that are listed as EP or European Plan hotels. EP means either no meals are included or perhaps a continental breakfast may be included. Many EP hotels do offer meal plans that can be added for an additional fee. Again, in the brochures it will usually read MP for Meal plan Offered. Be sure to read all the fine print because each hotel has different rules about what is or is not included in their meal plans. Sometimes, resorts and hotels will offer promotional packages...like a family week, which usually will include specific activities or limited food. Every hotel and program is different so again... read all fine print.

One of the best features of an family all inclusive resort vacation is the price. All inclusive resorts are surprisingly affordable without any left over surprises. Parents know exactly what the total cost of their family's vacation will be up front before they leave home. The only extras will be souvenirs, items of a personal nature or perhaps a bit of sightseeing. By comparison, cruise vacations often appear to be far cheaper on paper. People often forget to calculate in extra charges, like $50 per person per week for soda cards, bar tabs, at least $10 per day, per person for tips and gratuities, ship board activities and port excursions. In the end, parents can be shocked by their credit card bill when they check out at the purser's office. Parents can also have sticker shock when it comes to food bills in and around theme park locations. Families often think renting a vacation home at the beach or in the mountains will make for an affordable vacation. Factor in the price of gasoline and food, not to mention the time and aggravation of prepping, cooking and cleaning. Food always costs more in and around desirable vacation destinations. Mom and Dad end up doing all the chores, babysitting and entertaining. What began as a cheap vacation, ends up not being a vacation at all for the folks who usually needed a vacation the most. In the end, even with airfare calculated in, family all inclusive resort vacations tend to be cheaper with much less aggravation in the long run.

More often than not, parents search the internet and get totally overwhelmed with the amount of vacation choices out there. One question heard time and again is...."Which is THE best family all inclusive resort?" The true answer is, there really isn't ONE best family all inclusive resort. The correct answer is "The one that is best for your family!" Every all inclusive family resort has a different personality. Some are very loud and active while others are very laid back and relaxed. In the same way, families have unique personalities too. Some are active and love to be on the go while others want to kick back and just spend time together. Families have different life stages too. The perfect resort for a family with a 2 year old might be a nightmare vacation for a family with a 15 year old. Just as families change, so do resorts. Management and refurbishments change the vibe at a property. This is why it's often best to work with a travel agency that specializes in family vacations. You'll want to work with a family vacation specialist that has actually visited the resort they are recommending to your family.  It's the job of a good travel agent to play matchmaker...finding the best family all inclusive resort that perfectly fits the needs, wish list and personality of your family.