all-inclusive boutique hotels? is that a thing?

October 7, 2018 6:07 PM

Hi! Looking to go on a very relaxing vacation in February: we are usually very adventurous travelers but want to do a bunch of nothing some place beautiful. And we are considering all-inclusive except ... I hate all-inclusive and mega-resorts?

Is there such a thing as non-cheesy all-inclusive? (Excuse my snobbery, but with all-inclusive I just imagine endless buffets and swim-up bars to get unlimited margaritas and fighting over lounge chairs and mid-life crises and all that.)

My dream would be something like a boutique hotel/B&B that's also all-inclusive w/excellent food someplace beautiful (and adult-only). We're coming from Southern California and also want travel to be pretty straight-forward, so Mexico is top of list but I'm open to most warm, beautiful beach locales. Thank you so much for any suggestions.

Thank you!!

posted by namemeansgazelle to Travel & Transportation (10 answers total)

This describes Boucan, formerly Hotel Chocolate, in St Lucia. We went and it was incredible.
posted by emkelley at 6:29 PM on October 7, 2018

When it comes to resorts, from my research, generally the more you pay, the more it will be like what you describe. I’d pick a location and look for the best-rated top-price-tier resort.

Even within a resort, the more you pay, the more it will be a boutique experience. We stayed at the Valentin Imperial Maya between Tulum and Cancun with a VIP package (not the best upgrade, probably second-best) and saw the not great stereotypes you describe but were to a large part insulated from it. Adjacent (with the advantages of a largeish resort) but not fighting for lounge chairs.
posted by supercres at 6:40 PM on October 7, 2018

Would you consider Miami? I know a great place. It’s not a resort but rather a huge villa with boating, beachfront etc. and you can get chef services. If you message me I can send you the link.
posted by leslievictoria at 6:46 PM on October 7, 2018

El Silencio Lodge in Costa Rica matches most of your requirements. It is a small resort up in the mountains in central part of the country. I believe all of the accommodations are separate units, so it's very private and quiet. The jungle surrounding is beautiful. It's not warm and beachy, though--it's at a higher elevation and there is a lot of fog and mist. It is also not all-inclusive, but the food is fantastic. There's lots of off-site recreation, and a small on-site zipline (we did not try it), and a spa. If you can be flexible on the weather and the all-inclusiveness, I would recommend the place.
posted by tybstar at 6:58 PM on October 7, 2018

I went to Pueblo Bonito Pacifica outside Los Cabos in August, and it was pretty wonderful. Pacifica is adults-only and is meant to be romantic and sophisticated. You do still get the odd random goofball here or there, but it's not tacky or "beach party." My boss gave me seven nights there as a bonus, so I don't know what the pricing situation is. If you do go, though, definitely get the all-inclusive for food/drinks.
posted by rue72 at 7:00 PM on October 7, 2018 [1 favorite]

Do a google saerch for vacation homes "staffed". Air Bnb, VRVO and Paradiso all offer a variety for $300-$2000/night. The price depends on the number of beds, local wages, who buys the food and also the level of staffing/ meals etc. Most share with other villas for things like drivers, chefs and maintenance and have one main cook/ housekeeper that lives nearby or in a separate apartment onsite. You can ask for extra staff, like a driver or baby sitter, a la carte. The staff tends to be mature, local and professional in long term positions, which is nice and really good about stuff like food allergies that resorts don't do well The properties do tend to skew towards larger parties but you should be able to find something if you're willing to share staff with other properties or pay more.

This is an example, not one I've stayed in but representative.
posted by fshgrl at 7:48 PM on October 7, 2018 [1 favorite]

Excellence Playa Mujeres or their sister property (much smaller, fewer restaurant options but still very nice) Beloved Playa Mujeres.

My husband and I are very adventurous travelers and eaters, but we love Excellence and go once a year just to have a vacation where everything is taken care of. The service is impeccable, guests are chill, and the food is great for all-inclusive. It's definitely not Michelin-star territory but there are some phenomenal choices. There are 9 restaurants and only one of them does a buffet, and it's ONLY for breakfast/lunch; everything else is a la carte.
posted by joan_holloway at 9:56 PM on October 7, 2018 [4 favorites]

I noticed there were several small places that offered this in the Puerto Vallarta/Sayulita area when I was researching a trip last winter. This one looked nice.
posted by lunasol at 10:34 PM on October 7, 2018 [1 favorite]

I feel like I could have made this exact post (except for the California part). We were also thinking about just doing a boutique all-inclusive next for the same reasons. We ended up not pulling the trigger and have rented a place instead in Guadeloupe, but before we did, this place in Mexico was top of the list: Blue Diamond Luxury Boutique Hotel
It checked off pretty much everything we were looking for: smaller, rooms seem more private, all-inclusive (but restaurants & cafés instead of buffets), different activities, adults-only, etc. I haven't actually been, so I can't fully recommend it, but it seems to be well-reviewed.
posted by Laura in Canada at 6:31 AM on October 9, 2018

I don't have any specific resort suggestions, but it has been my experience that being able to charge food and drinks to the room offers basically the same lack-of-stress as an all-inclusive setup, with a higher chance of getting quality food and drinks. Look for a boutique hotel with exceptional food on site, and then decide that you'll order whatever you want, whenever you want it. You're not leaving the property, so you don't have to choose a restaurant or carry cash.

In addition to avoiding the low-quality-high-volume food at an all-inclusive place, it might even be cheaper to pay a la carte. In my experience, the only people who seemed to be getting their money's worth at an all-inclusive resort were the ones who wanted to be drunk most of the time and/or gorging on surf-n-turf every day. But my style is more like a daiquiri every few hours and a metric ton of fresh guacamole with chips throughout the day, so YMMV.
posted by vytae at 10:52 AM on October 10, 2018