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Exclusive All-Inclusives
Margaret Jaworski July 24, 2007PAGES: 1 2
Pay just once for a luxury vacation
Blame Linda Hamilton. Long before her star turn in Terminator 2, the actress appeared in Club Med, a made-for-TV homage to the all-inclusive experience. The 1986 film immortalized the time-dishonored hallmarks of the brand: Speedo and bikini-clad singles looking for love, cookie cutter accommodations, beads for booze, limbo contests, cafeteria-quality food, and the trademark nightly sing-along.
In fairness, Club Med and its progeny, the Sandals and Couples Resorts, now have upscale properties that cater to the more affluent while continuing to attract millions of cost-conscious consumers every year.
Still, what these resorts don't usually attract are the super-rich.
See our slideshow of 10 exclusive all-inclusive resorts.
Until fairly recently, to these moneyed travelers, the idea of vacationing at an all inclusive resort held little appeal and even less cachet. High-end hoteliers held an equally jaundiced view. Fearing tackiness by association, some of the world's swankiest resorts that were all-inclusive by necessity—an African safari camp in a remote location or a secluded private island getaway—concealed their true identity.
But now, nearly 60 years after Club Med introduced the concept, the all-inclusive has evolved from déclassé to desirable. A new generation of luxe all-inclusives is wooing the once cynical jet set with posh accommodations, lavish amenities, gourmet wining and dining and a standard of service that rivals the toniest resorts. And the well-heeled are taking note.
"Over the past two or three years, I've seen roughly a ten percent increase in the number of my wealthy clients interested in luxury all-inclusives," says Becky Veith, a Virtuoso travel agent based in Edinboro, Pennsylvania, who specializes in Caribbean all-inclusives.
"What's happened in this market is similar to what transpired in the cruise industry," says Lalia Rach, Associate Dean of NYU's Preston Robert Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism and Sports Management. "People can now cruise at various levels of luxury; the same thing has happened on land."
The levels of luxury range from posh to princely with prices to match. Amenities at the most exclusive of the new resorts go far beyond in-room Jacuzzis, Italian linens and designer toiletries. These properties boast a multitude of complimentary extras ranging from giant plasma screen TVs, fully loaded iPods, Bose sound systems and wireless Internet access to in-room aromatherapy, 24-hour room and concierge service and gourmet restaurants presided over by local culinary stars.
"We're definitely raising the bar for luxury all-inclusive properties," says Fernando Garcia, Managing Director of The Royal in Playa del Carmen on Mexico's Riviera Maya. Guests booking the resort's top tier suites earn extra perks such as free international and domestic calling and a spin in a BMW Mini Cooper.
See our slideshow of 10 exclusive all-inclusive resorts.
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