As a travel planner at Marvelous Mouse Travels, one of my areas of expertise is booking all-inclusive vacations.
There are a lot of resorts out there with different tiers and offerings, so it’s easy to get tripped up if you’re new to booking them. And if you’re spending a few thousand dollars for a weeklong getaway for two, you want to ensure you’re getting your money’s worth.
Here are the biggest mistakes people make while booking all-inclusive vacations — and how to avoid them.
Jumping into searching for resorts before thinking about what you want
When choosing an all-inclusive resort, it’s important to consider your dream vacation before you even start looking online. Determining a trip bucket list will greatly help to narrow down your search.
I encourage clients to think about things like their budget, nonnegotiable amenities, ideal locations, flight accessibility, desired room features, and resort size.
Limiting your search to tropical destinations
Many popular all-inclusive resorts are in tropical locations, but there are also some great options in places like Canada, Europe, and Japan.
Club Med offers all-inclusive resorts worldwide. One of its newer offerings is Club Med Québec Charlevoix, which offers an all-inclusive ski experience in the winter and an adventure experience in the summer.
Booking the cheapest room at the cheapest resort
In all-inclusive travel, you truly get what you pay for.
Value properties often struggle to provide quality food options, comfortable accommodations, and adequate service. I recommend focusing searches on properties with a rating of at least 4.5.
Although entry-level rooms are the least expensive, booking them can also come at a price.
The cheapest rooms can have views of the parking lot or construction sites. Or they’re located on the ground floor, which can get musty in humid, tropical climates.
You can often upgrade to a better room for a minimal extra cost, and I think it’s more than worth it. If you’re really on a strict budget, shorten your trip by a day or two to allow for a higher-quality experience.
Taking your kids along every time
There are many great kid-friendly, all-inclusive resorts, but taking an adults-only trip is so much fun.
Grab your friends, family, or significant others to rewind for a few days without the kids.
On one kid-free trip to Le Blanc Spa Resort in Cancún, my husband and I appreciated the time we spent reconnecting, unwinding, and unplugging from work and family responsibilities.
Completely ruling out hurricane season
Booking a trip to the Caribbean or Mexico in summer and fall (hurricane season) carries some risk, but prices are usually significantly lower than at other times of the year.
The weather can be gorgeous, and there’s no guarantee your trip will be affected by bad weather. For example, my husband and I honeymooned in the Caribbean in the fall, and the weather was some of the best I have ever had on a vacation.
If you’re concerned, definitely keep an eye on the weather and add travel insurance to your booking.
Forgetting to research the food
One of the best parts of an all-inclusive vacation is enjoying the all-you-can-eat cuisine and top-shelf drink selections.
Spending up to a week at a luxury resort with mediocre food can be an unenjoyable experience. When reading reviews, pay close attention to comments about food quality.
I love the food and drinks at Palace, Sandals, and Beaches resorts and often recommend them to my clients.
Booking an ocean-view room
One of the biggest disappointments I hear from clients is that the view from their room didn’t live up to their expectations.
Some resorts are more liberal with their categorization of partial-ocean-view and ocean-view rooms — maybe you can see a sliver of blue through the trees if you crane your neck.
If you want to see the beautiful blue of the sea from your balcony, you generally need to book an oceanfront room.
Trusting your friends’ recommendations implicitly
Your friend might have impeccable taste, but that doesn’t mean their favorite resort meets your style or needs.
One of my clients might love a resort, but another may not enjoy the experience at all. For example, your friend may love lounging by the pool, but you prefer beachfront activities. Maybe they’d rather have mindblowing cocktails, while your priority is being served first-class dinners with bites from around the globe.
Remember, finding the resort that’s right for you is a very personal process.
Not booking with a travel planner
Sure, I’m a little biased, but hear me out: Choosing the right destinations and resorts for your all-inclusive vacation can be daunting.
In Mexico alone, there are hundreds of lodgings to choose from.
Most travel planners offer complimentary services (we get commissions from hotels and other bookings), which can greatly reduce the headache of planning your trip.
I always look for the best pricing and make sure to support my clients before, during, and after their vacations so they can relax.
As an agent, I also visit resorts to vet them for my clients. Reading online reviews can be helpful, but they can also be confusing, so I like being able to make personal recommendations.
This story was originally published on May 4, 2024, and most recently updated on January 26, 2026.
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