The first foray for the Ikos brand outside Greece has raised the bar for Spanish all-inclusives, offering menus by Michelin-starred chefs, premium drinks and activities like paddle-boarding, yoga and golf, all on tap. There’s massage for ‘deluxe’ guests in the spa, where you’ll find a lovely hammam, Anne Semonin treatments and an adults-only pool. There are five other swimming pools, around which this low-rise white-wash hotel is clustered in 21 acres of gardens along the beach. Kids’ clubs include tailored offerings for all ages, from four months to 17 years (free from four years old).
The food available spreads across nine restaurants, two of which are Michelin-starred, with menus drawing from cuisines across Greece, the Med’ and Asia, accompanied by a 300-strong wine list. Then there’s the ‘dine out’ programme where dining at a choice of restaurants in Marbella and Estepona comes at no extra charge. Just an hour from Malaga airport, and a short bike ride along the promenade to the pretty town of Estepona, this is a well-located resort should you decide to step beyond its luxurious confines. Borrow one of the electric Tesla cars (complimentary for a day) to explore nearby Marbella or the hill town of Rhonda.
Rooms and rates: Cool contemporary décor, whites and neutrals characterise rooms, which have complementary mini bars and Nespresso machines. There are family rooms and suites sleeping four to six and some doubles are interconnecting. From £343 per night based on two people sharing a double room.
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More info: Ikos Andalucia
Creta Maris, Heraklion, Crete
Nestled along the dazzling Aegean coastline, Creta Maris is a family-friendly hotel which takes a local and sustainable approach to all-inclusive catering. Despite its sprawling size, the hotel has the unique advantage of never feeling busy around the numerous pools, restaurants, or private beach. In fact, the hotel gives the impression of a traditional Greek village with white-washed houses, cobbled streets, tucked away plazas and an abundance of plant and flower-life.
Creta Maris underwent an extensive renovation and opened two new restaurants in 2023, Mademi which is an à la carte Cretan barbecue restaurant specialising in local meats, such as flame-grilled steaks or perfectly prepared lamb kebabs. Mademi is set with uninterrupted views of the crystal-clear sea, it’s worth booking your table in time for the sunset. Right next door you’ll find Alatsi, an adults-only seafood restaurant with the same uninterrupted sea views, the menu is packed full of local seafood, but the sea bream served with fennel, celery, grapefruit and coriander oil is a must try.
The Lounge bar is another brand-new adult-only addition to Creta Maris, situated on a large outdoor terrace, you’ll find excellent table service, swinging cocoon chairs and an extensive cocktail list, the drinks are beautifully presented, and the bar stocks a variety of premium spirits. The same drinks are also served at the main bar where guests can comfortably sit around tables with children and card games.
Creta Maris is home to another five restaurants all with their own unique ethos and style, so it’s easy to stay for a week and dine somewhere new every night. Pithos is an organic Cretan restaurant which has a traditional wood oven and only uses produce grown in their own kitchen garden or by local farmers who take part in their sustainability programme. The restaurant lets the quality of the ingredients do the talking, the dishes are beautifully balanced and simple.
Snacks and drinks are on tap from the lavish breakfast buffets until bedtime and you’ll find fresh fruit smoothies, homemade ice creams, Greek salads as well as all the children’s favourites such as hot dogs, waffles, crepes and slushies at the various snack points and close to the hugely popular waterpark. You can take your pick of restaurants to visit for lunch, you’ll find a wide range of beautifully prepared salads, homemade tzatziki, plump olives, homemade breads and a wide range of local seafood, meats and cheeses.
The generosity of the all-inclusive experience lasts until the moment of departure, catering for late-night flights. There’s a dedicated shower and changing area for checked-out guests, ensuring that the pools, beach, and restaurants remain at your disposal till the very end.
Rooms and rates: You can choose from white-washed villas with balconies, to family rooms or adjoining apartments to villas with private pools. Rates start from £185 per night based on two people sharing.
More info: Creta Maris
Sandals, Grenada
Sandals gives you the chance to soak up the Spice Isle on their adult-only all-inclusive resort, situated on Grenada’s gorgeous coastline at Pink Gin beach. Designed for couples, this large resort features warming fire pits, private pools and beautiful secluded areas for enjoying each other’s company. Guests can also try out a variety of land and water sports all included in the price of their stay, and make use of five pools, one of which includes a swim-up bar. There is also access to the state-of-the-art fitness centre, and spa featuring Caribbean-inspired treatments using natural regional products. With a large selection of room types, there is something to suit every couple. With stunning ocean and inland views, all rooms are spacious and equipped with a patio or balcony area. Sandals’ top rooms also come with their distinguished butler service, plunge pools and spacious living areas.
There are ten speciality restaurants on the resort. Head to Butch’s chophouse, serving up juicy steaks and fresh seafood. For an authentic Caribbean experience try out Spices, with its tropical surroundings, exceptional wines and spirits and warming hospitality. Expect dishes that make the most of what the island is famous for – nutmeg and cinnamon. All restaurants are included in your stay at no extra cost. At night, take in the energy of the rhythmic celebrations at one of six hotel bars always serving up premium liquors.
Rooms and rates: Sandals pricing is dynamic but starts from around £2,109 per person for a Lover’s Lagoon Hideaway Junior Suite for a seven-night stay. Prices for premium rooms start from £3,599 per person for a South Seas Grande Rondoval Butler Suite with Private Pool Sanctuary on an all-inclusive basis for a seven-night stay. Price includes all-inclusive accommodation, butler service and 24hr room service, return economy class flights with British Airways from London Gatwick Airport and resort transfers.
More info: Sandals Grenada
Club Med, Val d’Isère, France
The French resort brand has elevated its practised all-inclusive offering to include the new Exclusive Collection, opened in 2023 in the Dominican Republic, Mauritius, Cefalù in Italy, Val d’Isere in France, and the Seychelles. Here, all-inclusive trills include champagne at 6pm, room service breakfast and poolside service, some destinations with private pool suites.
Along with offering an exceptional ski experience in winter, the Val d’Isère resort is a surprisingly good bet for a summer break. Free from Europe’s coastal humidity and peak season crowds, this Alpine escape has a sizeable spa with outdoor whirlpool, and indoor pool plus pristine lakes to swim in, along with biking and hiking trails to explore the meadows and peaks of the surrounding Vanoise National Park, along with yoga classes. Children from 4-17 years old have complimentary club access where activities include mountain biking, treetop ziplines and camping under the stars.
Food is French and effortlessly high quality. Dine at the resort’s two restaurants or two bars, focused on local ingredients from the Savoie region and nearby Italy, with a wide selection of wines available from local Alpine producers. Or step out to learn about local cheese-making at nearby Ferme de l’Adroit.
Rooms and rates: Replete with wood and warm colours, rooms have balconies with mountain views, slippers and robes, and plenty of own-brand toiletries. Family rooms and suites sleep three to five people. A week’s stay in summer starts from £2,812 for a deluxe room with balcony sleeping two; under fours stay free.
More info: Club Med
TRS Ibiza Hotel, Ibiza
One for adults only, this is the place where grown-up denizens of Ibiza’s party scene come to kick back and be waited on hand and foot. Yes, uber chic serviced villas and chef-led fincas are still go-to Ibiza retreats but, set right in San Antonio, the TRS resort launched in 2022 has upped the game for the island’s all-inclusives. Signature Level, the top tier all-inclusive category, allows participating guests the option to dine out in select Ibizan agroturismos – hip beach clubs and sushi bars island-wide – along with giving them access to events at such institutions as Ushuaia Ibiza Beach Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel Ibiza and Hi Ibiza. It also gives this category of guest their own sun lounger and hammock spot in resort VIP areas, such as the Gravity Sky Lounge, free spa access, a complimentary mini bar re-stock every three days and premium beverages, plus early check-in and late check-out.
On site, restaurants range from Gaucho serving Latino-Iberian grills, the Ibizan-style Helios with a classic beach club-style menu of salads and small plates, while Capricho is the elegant all-day dining spot with a sun-dappled terrace and show kitchens serving international food, both buffet and à la carte. Cava, Campari and cocktails seem to be permanently free-flowing throughout. DJs play discreet sets around the infinity pools, while the eighth-floor rooftop pool and cocktail bar is the spot for sundowners and laid-back live music where line-clad staff in blend seamlessly with neutral tone décor.
Rooms and rates: There are 378 rooms (53 of which are dedicated to Signature guests) from standard to deluxe, plus swim-up suites. Décor is all blonde wood and whites with splashes of colour from contemporary Spanish artists. Espresso machines and full-sized bottles of toiletries are included. Double rooms from £311 per night.
More info: TRS Ibiza
Daios Cove Luxury Resort & Villa, Greece
Cut into a craggy cliff overlooking the deep curve of Mirabello Bay, this chic retreat in north-eastern Crete comes with its own private beach and villas secluded in swathes of olive groves. Built from the rocks excavated from the cove it sits in, this 290-room, low-key, rustic-luxe resort has a boutique atmosphere and family-friendly attitude. Among the myriad activities it offers, scuba diving, sailing and water-skiing up the excitement stakes. The spa centres around an indoor saltwater infinity pool with sea views, but also includes a hammam, all manner of places to steam and sauna, and high-tech facilities such as cryo and hyperbaric oxygen chambers. The creche accepts infants from four months for an extra charge, while the inclusive kids’ club caters to those aged four to 11. There’s also an outdoor family pool and hang-out area for teens.
Local produce is the cornerstone of all menus across the resort’s five restaurants and two bars. Health-conscious families can enjoy fresh, tasty dishes from the a la carte restaurants, all created by a nutritionist and holistic consultant. For something more indulgent, award-winning cocktail creators The Clumsies have devised a menu of craft drinks to accompany light bites from the hotel’s Ducasse Conseil team. Elsewhere, there’s informal Mediterranean dining at Taverna and Pangea, while the new RHO restaurant focuses on plant-based fine dining menus and offers farm-to-cup tea-pairing experiences. A lively calendar of events includes cooking courses and the annual Culinary Journeys series, which brings guest chefs from top restaurants around the world to cook for guests.
Rooms and rates: All-inclusive rates are available for guests booking suites and villas, which comes with such luxuries as free room service and mini bar restocks. Two- and three-bedroom family villas are kitted out with everything imaginable to keep infants and kids safe and happy. The creche accepts children from four months at additional cost; kids’ clubs are free from four years upwards. Deluxe junior suite for two adults and one child for from €696 (£598) per night.
More info: Daios Cove
Hillside Beach Club, Turkey
Something of a trailblazer for smart all-inclusives on the Turquoise Coast of southern Turkey. Here you’ll find the likes of Sundia by Liberty Exclusive, Club and Hotel Letoonia and Club Tuana – all-inclusive resorts that feel more like chic villages or boutique hotels, where good food is front and centre. And they have Hillside Beach Club to thank for the winning formula. Founded in 1994, terraced into the forested cliffs that rise dramatically out of impossibly azure waters around the town of Fethiye, this 330-room resort has been studied by Harvard for its record return bookings rate. Guestrooms are stacked up the hillside, an amphitheatre-like arrangement around the bay, main restaurant and pool. Get in shape to access clifftop rooms and treetop spa, with paths, steps and wood bridges winding through the pines, or take the funicular. Paved walkways connect the main hub to the resort’s other beaches and restaurants. This is a rural retreat, but complimentary hotel shuttles run to Fethiye should you want to explore; excursions aboard a traditional Turkish, two-masted, wooden gulet boat access hidden beaches.
There is an almost endless choice of complimentary sporty activities on water or land, which three different age-ranked children’s clubs make the most of – other services for families include very decent children’s menus, a ‘baby park’ (play area), an outdoor theatre with daily events, buggies and a babysitting service. For all ages: take coffee roasting lessons, cookery courses and cocktail-making workshops. Food takes in a family style al fresco Italian restaurant, the club Pacha (12 years +), plus various venues offering excellent Turkish and Mediterranean menus with plenty of veggie, gluten-free and healthy options.
Rooms and rates: Decked in tranquil neutral tones, almost all rooms have sea views, family style come with a large terrace and a separate single room. Those higher up the hillside are away from resort hubbub. Organic lip balms, hair bands and turquoise string friendship bracelets boost the generous toiletries range. One week from £2,560 for two adults and one child.
More info: Hillside Beach Club
Cap Maison, St Lucia
The Caribbean Windward island is a golden ticket for gourmet all-inclusive resorts, including East Winds, Jade Mountain and Sugar Beach. We’re singling out Cap Maison, in a spectacular clifftop location above Smuggler’s Bay at the island’s north, for its hacienda style and culinary excellence. For an all-inclusive resort, ‘the Cap’ has a boutique feel, with an honesty bar by reception, a clifftop swimming pool and just 49 rooms, suites and villas. There are wine tastings at Rock Maison, a decked bar at the base of the cliff which zip-wires its vintages down from the hotel. Cliff at Cap, above, is the open-air spot for both fine dining and breakfast, with a panoramic sea view backdrop. Expect French-Caribbean fine dining – with signature dinner dishes including ceviche of reef conch and ahi tuna with a mango balsamic jus; kurobuta pork belly with razor clams and squid served with a coconut foam. Even the beach bar, The Naked Fisherman, has culinary clout with contemporary seafood dishes as its central offering. Executive chef, UK ex-pat Craig Jones has been at the helm since 2008. He hosts a regular guest chef series that recently saw Saint Lucian-born, two-time MasterChef Canada alumni and finalist Marissa Leon-John join the kitchens.
Rooms and rates: Lead-in garden view rooms are cheery, if modest, with hand-painted Mexican tiles, wicker furnishings and jalousie shutters; villas are spacious enough for families but, overall, the resort’s atmosphere is quite grown-up. There are complimentary water sports a-plenty but no dedicated kids’ club. Family offers at select times of the year include up to two children under 12 staying and dining for free, and rates include three hours of free babysitting. Summer season rates are around £452 per room, per night, and children under 11 eat free. Stays of three nights or more attract better rates.
More info: Cap Maison
Palmaïa, Quintana Roo, Mexico
The Riviera Maya has become something of a nexus of high-end, food-focused all-inclusive resorts. There’s Nizuc Resort & Spa, with superb pan-Asian and Indo-Chinese menus, and Tulum is shortly to welcome Mexico’s second Nobu Resort (the first is in Los Cabos, another top spot in Mexico for luxury resorts with great food). But we’re shining a spotlight on Palmaïa, an elegant wellness retreat just outside Playa del Carmen, for its bounty of vegan food and a spa based around a natural cenote. The Architects of Life programme includes beach and rainforest rituals such as cacao ceremonies, tai chi, sound-healing therapy and meditation, while a Waldorf Academy-led kid’s club programme aims to get youngsters to swap digital screens for outdoorsy activities immersed in nature.
Jungle-backed and Caribbean-fronted, this green and serene spa hotel has dedicated villas, pools, menus and programmes for families, and areas for those travelling without children. Plant-based menus are found across all four restaurants, from the Mexican fine-dining LEK to El Caminante food truck, as well as in-room 24-hour dining, plus some fantastic healthy breakfast dishes, smoothies and baked goods on offer each morning.
Rooms and rates: All 243 suites are ocean-front, some with swim-out access to the resort’s four infinity pools, others set among the mangroves. Sustainable and vegan principals at the forefront, so bathroom products are 100% biodegradable and not tested on animals, furnishings are leather-free and bedding is feather-free. From £891 based on an ocean-front queen or king suite sleeping two.
More info: Palmaïa
Kudadoo, Lhaviyani Atoll, Maldives
When it comes to upscale all-inclusives, the Maldives mined, set and cast the gold standard. And this exclusive 15-villa floating retreat is perhaps the most opulent of them all. While no doubt pricey, part of the Kudadoo’s shining appeal is that absolutely everything is available at any time pretty much anywhere you want it. As a captive audience in the far-flung ocean-bound Maldives, some travellers may find this affords peace of mind. Standard all-inclusive rarities, such as unlimited spa treatments, private yoga sessions, all water sports including scuba, excursions and all manner of gourmet food are on tap. There’s the very freshest sashimi and tropical fruits as you’d expect but you can also count on a very impressive cheese cellar, fine wines, spirits and champagne. Guests are also free to dine, inclusive, at nearby sister resort Hurawalhi, along with the much-photographed 5.8 Undersea Restaurant (although additional charges do apply there).
Add to this the intuitive service of your private butler and you’ve got the sort of five-star experience found at any of the world’s best landmark hotels. This isn’t a family hotel in the traditional sense, but children will want for nothing with butlers on hand to conjure a roster of activities to entertain their small charges, plus a kids’ spa and, of course, tailored food menus.
Rooms and rates: Barefoot luxury with wooden, stilted overwater villas topped with sloping Japanese ryokan-style roofs, indoor-outdoor bathrooms and generous decks with a private dining space, swing sofas and private pools. Doubles from £2,500 per night.
More info: Kudadoo
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