Whether you’re traveling with your kids, your extended family or some other combination of relatives, going all-inclusive makes the family getaway significantly easier.
And the best all-inclusive family resorts manage to combine the ease and comfort of the all-inclusive experience with a range of activities that manage to offer something for every traveler in your party, big or small.
That means everything from golf or foodie experiences for the adults to kids’ clubs, watersports and, yes, even Sesame Street adventures for the little ones.
Family vacations aren’t always easy, but at the right resort, they can be unforgettable.
Here are 10 all-inclusive family resorts to think about as you begin planning your Caribbean getaway. (Note: we included only traditional all-inclusive family resorts, not EP properties that offered all-inclusive options).
Grand Velas Riviera Maya No all-inclusive manages to tick off all the boxes and do so while delivering a full-fledged luxury experience like Grand Velas, particularly at its flagship Mexican Caribbean retreat. The suites are massive (because, let’s be honest, when you’re traveling with your family you need the space), there’s an impressive kids’ club, and, most importantly, the food is world-class — arguably the best of any all-inclusive in the region. And that goes a very long way.
Beaches Ocho Rios, Jamaica Sandals Resorts International’s family brand, Beaches, has turned the all-inclusive family vacation into an art form. Here, it’s all about ensuring that everyone in your group has fun: that means complimentary greens fees, an Xbox Play Lounge, included diving, a terrific waterpark and a unique Sesame Street experience that’s the only one of its kind in the Caribbean. (Yes, they’ll meet Elmo).
St James’s Club Antigua This Antigua standout set on a 100-acre peninsula makes you feel like you’re in your own private sanctuary, with six pools, two beautiful beaches and enough activities to ensure that you’ll never be bored (the watersports are particularly good). The Tranquility Body & Soul Spa is one of the best in Antigua, too.
Curtain Bluff, Antigua This is a rarefied experience, a luxury all-inclusive that makes you feel like you’ve temporarily received a family membership to an exclusive country club. Everything here is about quality, from the exquisite food to an old-school ambience that’s more about having adventures together than sitting on the beach with your phones out. It’s a special place, the kind where you’ll want to bring your family back every year.
Small Hope Bay Lodge, The Bahamas An adventure hotel for active families, this is one of the best-kept secrets in The Bahamas, a beachfront hotel in Andros where there’s a different kind of journey for every day of the week — and a communal, congenial atmosphere where all of the guests feel like a big family. A throwback to another time in Caribbean travel — and a wonderful one at that.
Dreams Tulum The Dreams brand is very good at harmonizing the luxury and the family experience, and we’re particularly fond of its Tulum outpost. And it’s really the best of both worlds: a spectacular beachfront resort with great food (and an oustanding kids club called the Explorer’s Club), but close enough to Tulum that you can get out and explore one of the Mexican Caribbean’s buzziest destinations.
Sea Breeze Beach House, Barbados Barbados’ newly reimagined all-inclusive is a wonderfully authentic, well-executed place to stay. Yes, it’s all-inclusive (with specialized amenities for adults and for families), but it also manages, uniquely, to cultivate an authentic Bajan experience. The food is great (and very child-friendly), the beach is even better and there are actually two kids’ clubs for younger and older children. And its location on Barbados’ energetic South Coast means it’s also a great jumping off point to explore the rest of the destination.
The Verandah, Antigua All-inclusive is an art form in Antigua, and the Verandah is one of the destination’s best family resorts, period. There’s an impressive array of activities from mini-golf to tennis to a protected bay that is perfect for watersports, and the sizable suites (and, yes, villas if need be) provide all the space — and views — you’ll need.
Sonesta Maho Beach Resort The Sonesta Maho, long St Maarten’s signature place to stay, has been dramatically transformed, and that means everything from crisply designed guest rooms (and a brand-new, bright aesthetic across the property) to the destination’s most impressive family offering, including a spectacular new Aqua Park, a “beach house” kids’ club and an interactive show. And for the adults, you have the action-packed scene in Maho and of course St Maarten’s outstanding foodie scene all in easy reach.
Club Med Buccaneer’s Creek, Martinique Maybe you’re not looking for the traditional family all-inclusive vacation. Then this is the place for you. Martinique is as fascinating and culturally rich as any destination in the region, and the Club Med Buccaneer’s Creek, one of the most venerable resorts in Martinique, is the perfect gateway to experience it. Yes, it’s all-inclusive, with the high-quality food you expect in Martinique and at Club Med; but it doesn’t feel like it. You’re here on the southern coast of Martinique, scuba diving, sunning, drinking a ti’ punch or renting a car and exploring, and the all-inclusive, well, feels like an afterthought.