The only thing better than family beach vacations are beach vacations that come with everything included so you don’t have to waste precious time worrying about childcare, cooking or grocery shopping, or hunting for a new place to eat dinner every night. Family vacations, in other words, where you can just kick back and relax with your crew. And for a vacation like that, you can’t go wrong at any of the world’s best all-inclusive beach resorts.
Best all-inclusive beach resorts in the world
From both coasts of Mexico to Jamaica, Fiji, Costa Rica, and beyond, the best family-friendly all-inclusive beach resorts in the world go the distance with inclusions like kids clubs and plenty of interesting dining options, as well as included activities like scuba diving, snorkeling, yoga, cooking classes, and even trapeze school. Here are my picks for the best family-friendly all-inclusive beach resorts around the world.
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1. Beaches Negril Resort and Spa
Negril, Jamaica
Sheltered from big waves and lapped by seas the same color as a screensaver’s version of paradise, Seven Mile Beach in Negril, Jamaica, is your front yard when you book an all-inclusive vacation at Beaches Negril Resort and Spa. And when I say all-inclusive, I really mean it here. Vacations at Beaches Resorts come with cruise ship-style unlimited dining at 11 onsite restaurants that range from Italian and Mexican to Jamaican jerk outposts; unlimited liquor, beer, and wine; free water sports that even include SCUBA diving and snorkeling trips; and much, much, more.
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Kids club access is also included throughout your Caribbean vacation at Beaches Negril (complete with certified nannies), and the beach resort puts on a nonstop array of daily and nightly entertainment that might include a variety show or Sesame Street parade. The property itself is totally geared for families to have fun on and off the beach, with sprawling lagoon-style swimming pools, a pirate-themed water park, an Xbox gaming lounge, and a dedicated teens club. Do make time to get off property, though, especially to visit Negril’s West End to see the nightly cliff-diving antics at Rick’s Cafe.
2. Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach Golf and Spa Resort
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Do you have the type of family in which one person loves golf, another just wants to relax at the spa or with a yoga class, and others get their vacation fix via endless hours by the pool? There’s a Cabo San Lucas all-inclusive beach resort for that. And one of my favorite among the seemingly endless all-inclusive offerings in Baja California Sur’s beachy paradise is Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach Golf and Spa Resort.
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While the golfers in your gang are playing a round at the legendary coastal course, Quivira, kids can stay busy with pool games and arts and crafts at the kids club or join the grown-ups for bingo, dance lessons, or Spanish classes. The wide sweep of sandy beach is gorgeous to play on even though swimming isn’t permitted here (and in most places around Cabo) due to the steep drop-off and currents.
Among the all-inclusive amenities at the Sunset Beach property are 10 included restaurants and bars, six swimming pools, kids and teens clubs, a playground, tennis, and volleyball. If you fancy a break from the resort’s many pools to enjoy a beach day where everyone can safely swim in the water, catch the complimentary resort shuttle to sister resort Pueblo Bonito Rose for a fun day in the tranquil waters at El Medano Beach.
3. Fiesta Americana Condesa Cancun All Inclusive
Cancun, Mexico
With a prime spot on the sparkling Caribbean Sea among the seemingly endless properties of Cancun’s Hotel Zone, Fiesta Americana Condesa Cancun checks all the boxes for traveling families. Included in the resort’s all-inclusive rates are overnight accommodations, well-appointed guest rooms, and suites with balconies overlooking the massive outdoor pool and sweeping beach. Families on all-inclusive beach vacations here enjoy access to the 12+ restaurants on property ranging from casual to fine dining, so there’s something to make even the pickiest eater open wide.
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While there’s plenty of family fun to be had on the beach directly in front of the hotel, you might be just as tempted to pass your time enjoying the impressive system of interconnected pools that wind their way through the property. The zero-entry pirate ship beach pool and waterslide area are perfect for toddlers and babies.
For parents, there’s plenty to do while the youngest kids are taking a break from the sun at Fiesta Kids Club and the older set are gaming at the Teen Club. Parents enjoy nightly entertainment like regular live music at the property’s theater, and for those who truly want to unwind, the Miiluma Spa offers spa treatments like massages and facials. You can even join a margarita-making class and learn to mix (and taste) three uniquely Mexican cocktails.
While the endless culinary options and jam-packed activity schedule is top-notch, what really sets Fiesta Americana Condesa Cancun apart from other all-inclusive beach resorts is its dedication to sharing Mexican culture with visitors (the chain is Mexican-owned). Every Wednesday by the activity pool, the resort’s staff dresses in traditional clothing and performs Mexican songs and dances as part of the weekly Mexicana party. Mexican treats like warm churros and caramel apples are a big hit with kids.
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Also on Wednesdays, the beach resort hosts an absolutely enormous buffet of Mexican specialties. And make reservations for the Mexican Dinner when you arrive, because it’s sure to be a highlight of your stay.
4. Spice Island Beach Resort
Grand Anse Beach, Grenada
For families looking for upscale all-inclusive beach resorts on one of the Caribbean’s most beautiful islands, the boutique Spice Island Beach Resort on Grenada is a real find. Surrounded by lemon, almond, and sea grape trees, the property has 64 beachfront suites stretching across eight acres of Grenada’s stunning Grand Anse Beach. If you’re looking to splurge, the Seagrape Beach Suites offer guests their own plunge pools and double hammock sets perfect for soaking in all the natural beauty around you.
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The beach here is the main attraction, and Spice Island’s all-inclusive rates include use of everything you need for water sports, including snorkeling gear, Hobie cats, sea kayaks, and paddleboards. A full-day children’s program for kids ages three to 12 is included in the rates. And the property also has a dedicated family-friendly oceanfront outdoor pool.
What the resort’s dining options lack in quantity they make up for in quality: The more formal Oliver’s, and the casual, toes-in-the-sand Sea and Surf Terrace and Bar serve fresh seafood and incorporate fresh island spices like ginger and nutmeg into many dishes and drinks.
5. Grand Velas Riviera Maya
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Smack on the white sand beaches of Playa del Carmen, the spectacular Grand Velas Riviera Maya is ideal for an all-inclusive luxury family vacation south of Cancun on Mexico’s Riviera Maya. The resort’s 539 all-suite accommodations (some with dreamy ocean views and private plunge pools) and eight specialty restaurants sprawl across more than 200 lushly landscaped acres of mangroves and winding pathways.
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There’s plenty of family fun to be had on property, but the beach shines as the ultimate showstopper. The resort’s all-inclusive rates include use of snorkel gear, paddle boards, and guided kayak tours of the surrounding area, too. If you’re more the pool type, relax at one of three pools where, unlike at some all-inclusive beach resorts, you won’t find an activities director with a megaphone gathering participants for a watermelon-eating contest. While there aren’t any fountains, geysers, or spraying water to entice the kids, the zero-entry area of the pool is a perfect place for the little ones to explore.
The guided family friendly ecological bike tour of the property is fun to do together, and your kids might leave with a new appreciation for the area’s native plant and bird species. The daily kids programming at the Grand Velas is geared toward children ages five to 12 and stays open until 10:00 p.m., allowing parents the chance to enjoy a relaxing grownup dinner. The kids club activities include the usual arts and crafts and story time stuff, as well as beginner Spanish lessons. For your teens ages 13 and up, the teen center is the spot to gather for a game of billiards or to chill with some music while making new friends.
6. Grand Solmar Pacific Dunes Resort, Golf and Spa
Los Cabos, Mexico
The Mexican company responsible for bringing electricity to Los Cabos in the 1970s when it was a sleepy fishing village now has seven all-suite resorts that attract families for carefree vacations in Baja California Sur’s biggest travel destination. Among the newest to open in the Grand Solmar portfolio is Grand Solmar Pacific Dunes Resort (formerly called Grand Solmar Rancho San Lucas), which offers enticing all-inclusive packages for families to stay in standard hotel rooms or multi-bedroom suites, all with full kitchens and overlooking a wild and pristine private beach where migrating whales pass just offshore from January through March.
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Guests can choose from the European plan or all-inclusive rates; the latter includes daily kids club, all meals, a culinary experience for the grownups (tequila tasting, anyone?), and shuttle service to the six other sister resorts. But with the onsite twisting waterslide, pools for kids and grownups, swim-up pool bar (and did I mention the kids club with movie nights and piñata making?), you’ll be hard-pressed to pull yourself away from this experiences-rich all-inclusive beach resort.
7. The Westin Reserva Conchal
Playa Conchal, Guanacaste, Costa Rica
Set on 2,400 acres along Costa Rica’s North Pacific Riviera, The Westin Reserva Conchal makes for an ideal home base while exploring the country’s many natural wonders. This all-inclusive beach resort offers villas, guest rooms, and suites with private balconies and terraces, waterfall showerheads, and comfy beds. In addition to an appealing stretch of beach, the resort has a freshwater free-form pool that’s one of the largest in Central America, while its tennis courts, golf course, and fitness center can help you work off the meals you’ll enjoy at the resort’s restaurants serving everything from Latin to Asian specialties.
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Kids ages four to 12 can spend time at The Westin Kids Club, where activities might include arts and crafts, video and board games, outdoor play time, or eco-hikes around the resort grounds. The theater area hosts a family-friendly show each evening, and the resort helps guests plan visits to spots like Palo Verde and Rincon de la Vieja National Parks. Book a Bunk Bed Family Jr. Suite and get access to the Family Lounge with special activities and a dedicated family concierge.
8. Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort Fiji
Savusavu, Fiji
If your family is the kind that can’t spend enough time on the water—snorkeling, scuba diving, kayaking, surfing, or just bounding along a palm-fringed private beach—it’s worth the trek to this incredible beachfront all-inclusive eco resort on Vanua Levu island in Fiji. Regularly lauded as the top family resorts in Fiji and recognized as one of the best all-inclusive beach resorts in the world, Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort Fiji has a resident marine biologist and does the kids camp in a big-learning way.
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Called the Bula Club for Kids, the beach resort’s kids club is included in the resort’s all-inclusive rates and offers all kinds of nature-oriented programming for kids to learn about Fiji’s impressive marine life (you’re in the soft coral capital of the world here). Better still, kids under five years old are assigned a dedicated nanny during your stay, while those between the ages of six and 12 get their own “buddy” to show them the ropes of the Fijian good life.
That leaves parents free to head out scuba diving and snorkeling, hit the resort spa for traditional spa treatments (if you’ve never been wrapped in banana leaves, this is the spot!) in one of the open-air spa bures, or take an excursion to a private island for a picnic lunch. Among the included family-friendly activities at the Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort are guided reef walks with the marine biologist, glass bottom boat rides, and kayaking.
9. Club Med Bali
Bali, Indonesia
If you’re never experienced a beachfront all-inclusive stay at a Club Med resort, you’re missing out on some of the best-organized family travel adventures out there, in a resort setting that really caters to travelers of all ages with its quirky brand of fun (and staff from all over the world). Narrowing down which all-inclusive Club Med to visit is the hardest part, since the resorts are spread all over the planet and are found in some of the world’s most sought-after destinations, everywhere from Cancun to the Maldives.
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The Club Med Bali is one of our favorite all-inclusive beach resorts for a holiday with the whole family—and not only because it’s located on one of the dreamiest islands in the world (there truly is no place like Bali). The 391-room property stretches across one of the loveliest beaches in Nusa Dua in southern Bali, and the all-inclusive rates get you access to a kids club with entertainment for kids all the way up to age 17; exquisite restaurants including an Asian-fusion outpost called The Agung; a constant stream of activities for kids, grownups, and families (opt in or out as you choose); and dedicated pools for different ages, among the many other amenities.
As if being in Bali on the beach wasn’t enough, the resort’s included activities range from archery lessons and golf school to yoga classes and the brand’s signature Flying Trapeze School, where the entire family can learn to strap on a harness and fly high above the coconut palms. The kids programming is exceptional at Club Med and goes from morning ‘till night, and parents are often surprised by how independent their children become over the course of their vacation—so don’t be surprised if you get a “thanks, but I’m going to hang out with my new friends,” from your littles when you try to tear them away from the kid-centric resort activities.
10. Club Med Punta Cana
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Having recently completed a $36 million renovation, Club Med Punta Cana makes my list of the best family beachfront all-inclusive resorts by setting the gold standard in catering to vacationing families. Situated on the Atlantic coast of the Dominican Republic (and only 10 minutes from the airport in Punta Cana), this Club Med fronts a white sand beach with calm waters perfect for swimming with even young kids.
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The property is large and spread out, with a wide variety of rooms and suites (more than 550) for guests to choose from. The most impressive accommodations are the waterfront suites. And unlike some all-inclusive family resorts, Club Med’s food is consistently excellent, and you have three restaurants and several bars to choose from here, including the atmospheric Indigo Beach Lounge, perched right at the edge of the Caribbean Sea.
Club Med Punta Cana’s three pools are a hit with kids, especially the small water park with slides and sprayers that will keep them busy for hours (and tuckered out later). You’ll find all the typical sporty Club Med fun here—including beach volleyball, kayaking, water polo, aerobics, and snorkeling—as well as the top-notch kids club included in the all-inclusive rate. Families traveling with teenagers have the opportunity to experience CREATIVE by Cirque du Soleil, and guests can participate in all elements of the circus—testing their talents on a flying trapeze, tightrope, acrobatic bungee, and more.
11. Atmosphere Kanifushi Maldives
Lhaviyani Atoll, Maldives
For a truly once-in-a-lifetime travel experience, bring the family to Atmosphere Kanifushi Maldives. Just a 30-minute seaplane ride from the international airport of the Maldives, Atmosphere Kanifushi is located on the Lhaviyani Atoll, a narrow stretch of land surrounded by the impossibly turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean that are perfect for snorkeling and diving. With 132 standalone overwater and beachfront suites, this all-inclusive beach resort brings the Robinson Crusoe island experience to life, with decadent effect.
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To get the full experience, you’ll want to reserve the “Platinum Plus” package for five-star access to onsite dining (there are three restaurants offering a variety of international fare), activities, and water sports. For children ages four to nine, the kids club offers endless craft activities and even cooking lessons keep the littles busy. Your older kids can join you for any of the resort’s daily scheduled activities, including mocktail-making lessons and volleyball games.
For certified SCUBA divers and would-be ones, too, the PADI dive center can arrange training certifications and dive trips to the various legendary dive sites on the atoll—they’re an additional fee option that’s not included in the all-inclusive rates, but well worth the splurge since you’re in one of the most famous places for underwater views in the world.
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Additional reporting by Janet Malin.
