Best All-Inclusive Family Resorts

Staying at an all inclusive family resort can be a great way to enjoy a number of great family activities. In addition, for anyone wanting to prepare a strict budget for their vacation, a stay at one of these kid friendly all inclusive resorts for kids can help you know exactly how much money you’ll need for your trip.

There are a number of great all-inclusive resorts, in the Caribbean, New England, and in Mexico. Since we haven’t traveled to many, we asked some of the best family travel bloggers for their recommended all inclusive family friendly resorts. Note that many of these bloggers may have been hosted at these locations, but all opinions are their own.

Here are the best all-inclusive family resorts in the US, Mexico, and beyond, according to family travel bloggers. If you are planning on all-inclusive family vacation, check out these all inclusive resort tips.

Note: As always please review all current travel alerts and weather details before booking travel, including the state department guidelines, and make an informed decision. Safety and security issues change constantly. Bloggers’ experiences at these family-friendly all-inclusive resorts are based upon the time of their visit, and do not necessarily reflect the current situation.

Bloggers’ Best All-Inclusive Family Resorts

Jamaica Family Resorts: Best All Inclusive for Families

Sheri from Kidsumers recommends the Grand Palladium Lady Hamilton in Jamaica

Located on the beach of Jamaica’s north coast, the Grand Palladium Lady Hamilton is the newly renovated sister resort to the Grand Palladium Jamaica. The spacious Junior suites provide room for a family of six, making it perfect for larger families like my own.

With ten restaurants to choose from, there is something to please all of your picky eaters and they can accommodate special diet requests. The resort is home to Jamaica’s largest pool and a fun splash pad and waterpark for the kids to enjoy. When the kids need a break from their parents, they can escape to the kids club or the teen club for some supervised fun.

See her whole review here:http://kidsumers.ca/2016/04/grand-palladium-lady-hamilton-in-jamaica/

Suzanne from Tripsavvy recommends the Tyler Place Family Resort

One of the biggest misconceptions about all-inclusive, kid-friendly resorts is that you have to travel to Mexico or the Caribbean to find one. In fact, the concept of offering all-inclusive pricing at a family-focused resort was pioneered in Vermont at the Tyler Place Family Resort in the 1930s, and this resort has been perfecting the summer vacation ever since.

There is a reason why this lakefront family camp-style resort consistently boasts a return rate that’s off the charts: it’s a place that provides a true vacation for everyone in the family.

A typical day allows for kids to have fun with kids, grown-ups to have fun together, and also for families to spend plenty of quality time together. In my experience, the Tyler Place offers the best all-around family programming in America.

Read her full review on TripSavvy:https://www.tripsavvy.com/tyler-place-family-resort-vermont-3573712

I recommend Migis Lodge in Sebago Lake, Maine

Not all family all inclusive resorts are located outside of the United States. One of our favorite vacation spots is Migis Lodge on Sebago Lake in Maine. Meals, gratuities, and many lake activities (but not alcohol) are included with your stay, so families stay the whole day. The whole vibe is a fun summer camp feel, with a bit of luxury thrown in.

The food is delicious, and includes outdoor bbqs as well as indoor fine dining. Kids are welcome at dinner, but there’s also a kids’ club available at dinnertime, where the kids dine on the back porch of the main lodge.

Kids can also choose to sign up for kids’ club activities. A list is posted in the main lodge, and children can sign up for the specific activities they are interested in. Features include a fitness center, tennis courts, water sports, daily activities, and so much more.

Here’s my link on Family Travel Magazine – https://www.familytravelmagazine.com/migis-lodge-review/

Mexico All Inclusive Resorts

Akumal Bay Beach & Wellness Resort by Family Travel Magazine

We recommend the Akumal Bay Beach & Wellness Resort in the Mayan Riviera. This beautiful oceanfront resort offers gorgeous views, nice rooms, delicious food, and a large pool in a casual resort atmosphere.

We traveled there for spring break, with five other local families. It was the perfect relaxing place for a big vacation, because there was plenty for the kids to enjoy, and lots of great food for everyone. The kids loved getting their sushi lunch daily from the beachfront sushi bar.

As a wellness resort, there are also lots of great fitness activities, like yoga and pilates classes, aqua zumba, beach volleyball, and paddleboarding. There is also fabulous snorkeling in the area. We brought our own equipment, and saw a beautiful sea turtle.

Tamara from We 3 Travel recommends the Grand Velas Riviera Maya – one of the Best Family Resorts in Mexico

Picking a destination for a multi-generational trip can be challenging but we landed on the right formula with the Grand Velas Riviera Maya. With two kid’s clubs, a tricked out teen club, multiple pools, a gorgeous beachfront and endless activities, no one needed to worry about the kids having enough to do.

The kids in our group, which ranged from seven to fourteen, had no problems keeping themselves entertained. For some, have the included snacks in the mini-bar refreshed every day and the ability to order room service pizza as often as they wanted was all they needed to be happy. For the adults, we were glad to have found an all-inclusive that actually has decent food.

With options ranging from Mayan cuisine to Italian, and even some “adults only” fine dining, we were able to enjoy our meals and not worry about added costs. The rooms are very large, and include an outdoor patio or balcony space. For families with younger kids looking for the most stimulation, or those wishing to be close to the beach, I’d suggest the Ambassador building.

If you are looking for a quiet retreat, then the Zen is a good choice (and just a short shuttle to the beach.) Just make sure you leave time to enjoy the spa — it is the best I’ve ever experienced and the signature water journey is not to be missed.

Dana Freeman from Dana Freeman Travels recommends the Marival Resort in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico

Marival is a large luxury all-inclusive beachfront property conveniently located just 15 minutes north of the Puerto Vallarta Airport. With a friendly staff, modern amenities and tons of activities it is no wonder so many families choose to vacation here. The lodging choices at Marival are diverse ranging from standard hotel rooms all the way up to spacious 3 bedroom suites. There is no shortage of things for families to do at the resort.

There are four pools, including a kids pool with slides and a pirate ship, plus you will have access to kayaks, boogie boards, windsurfing and sailing, however, motorized water sports equipment and off-site expeditions are extra. On land play tennis, go rock climbing, play mini golf, bocce or shuffleboard. There are two kids clubs. One for kids ages 4-12 and a teen club for young adults ages 13-17. You can tell Marvial is focused on keeping families happy and playing together.

During check-in, kids 12 and under receive a welcome bag which includes a map, designed as a scavenger hunt, to help familiarize them with the resort. For each new area the discover they will get a stamp in their passport that earns them a reward at the end. Parents are encouraged to participate with their children helping them to earn double the reward points for doing so!

See her full review here: http://www.danahfreeman.com/all-inclusive-resorts-are-they-right-for-you/

Eileen Gunn from FamilesGo! recommends the Grand Bahia Principe on the Riviera Maya

The challenge at all-inclusive resorts is that they can get a little repetitive. Same beach, same pool, same buffet every day. Grand Bahia Principe on Riviera Maya is four resorts that overlap on one property and guests can move between them, which provides some welcome variety.

Families tend to stay at the Coba resort, which is back from the beach but has the biggest pool with a graduated entrance and a colorful water play area. It also has the biggest buffet restaurant and is close to the kids club. It was not the best kids program we’d ever encountered but there was something each day to lure my daughter out of the sun for an hour. An evening pirate party allowed us to slip in a kid-free dinner (just about), and a poolside birthday party for the club mascot was an excuse to break out a piñata.

To mix things up we would go to the buffets at the oceanfront Akumal or Tulum resorts for lunch and visit to the beach and their pools after. We considered a snorkeling trip but were able to spot enough fish off the beach that we didn’t bother. It’s the sort of place that is good for a group because you can easily do nothing or find activities if you want them. We most  enjoyed a colorful poolside parrot show one afternoon. We also took a guided bike ride and nature walk through the jungle adjacent to the resort, which we recommend.

The buffets had a good mix of Mexican and American food, and really good ice cream with flavors changing daily. There were a half dozen table-service restaurants and we could make reservations at three during our week-long stay. Though they were all a nice change from the buffets our favorite was Tequila, a Mexican restaurant at Tulum. If you go make sure to order the flaming Mexican coffee, just to watch them make it!

See her full review here: https://www.familiesgotravel.com/2015/02/resort-review-grand-bahia-principe-riviera-maya/

Amber from Global Munchkins Recommends the Hard Rock Cancun

Families looking for unique resort offerings that cater to every age will fall in love Hard Rock Cancun. This all-inclusive resort offers some of the best family activities we have come across including a Music Lab that teaches kids how to mix music, learn how to play an instrument, or film their very own music video. The Little Big Club featuring little ones favorite characters like Angelina Ballerina, Bob the Builder, Barney, and Thomas the Train.

Plus, the resort is located on the most beautiful strand of beach in Cancun, they have amazing pools, and their food is top notch. Not to mention the giant hot tubs in the rooms, kid-sized rock star robes and 24-hour room service. This is one resort that should be on every family’s bucket list.

Here’s her full review: http://globalmunchkins.com/destinations/travel-abroad/7-reasons-hard-rock-cancun-rocked-vacation/

Kirsten Maxwell of Kids Are A Trip Recommends the Finest Playa Mujeres

For families looking for the perfect all-inclusive luxury property in Cancun, look no further than Finest Playa Mujeres. Situated in a private complex with its two sister properties, Excellence and Beloved, Finest has a family friendly vibe you won’t find at the other two adults-only properties. Finest has twelve swimming pools, a kids’ club with extensive activities for all ages, and a secluded beach. All of the rooms feature modern decor and many include private patios and pools.

The dining options range from casual to formal, offering dishes that range from local specialties to gourmet French cuisine. Quite possibly the best thing about the resort is its staff. Everyone always wears a smile and wants to ensure your vacation is a success. That’s not something you find very often.

The Best All Inclusive Family Resorts: Caribbean

Colleen Lanin, Founder/Editor of TravelMamas.com Recommends Beaches Negril

The seven-mile beach at Beaches Negril is a stunner. You might have a hard time, however, convincing your kids to leave the pools at this Jamaican resort. Waterslides, fountains, a lazy river and swim-up smoothie bar delight pool-loving families. Young children will adore character meals and bedtime tuck-ins with their favorite Sesame Street personalities like Cookie Monster and Abby Cadabby.

What’s more, mom and dad can relax at the spa or on the golf course while children attend clubs just for them. Kids clubs are separated by age for babies, toddlers, pre-teens and teenagers.

Included in your daily rate are: accommodations, meals and snacks, wine and spirits, scuba diving, water sports, kids clubs, live entertainment and WiFi. Do I highly recommend this all-inclusive resort? Ya mon, I do!

For more information: https://travelmamas.com/beaches-negril-family-friendly-caribbean-fun/

Corinne from Have Baby Will Travel Recommends Two Resorts

Beaches Turks & Caicos

Beaches Resorts are pretty much the creme de la creme of family-friendly all-Inclusive resorts, and their Turks & Caicos property is truly the jewel in their crown. They have a wide variety of room and suite options, their food offerings are second-to-none, and their (included) baby and toddler care programs feature activities with beloved Sesame Street characters. A stay at Beaches Turks & Caicos requires a (very) healthy vacation budget, but the number of repeat guests suggests it’s very worth it.

Holguin Beach Resort

A family vacation in Cuba (in the traditional sense) is not yet an option for most Americans but, for decades, Canadians (and Brits, and Europeans) have been flocking in droves to the island’s many All-Inclusive beach resorts. Cuba is safe, clean, and incredibly welcoming of families with children of all ages (especially babies and toddlers).

Memories Holguin Beach Resort is located in the Guardalavaca area in the northeast part of the island, and its glorious beach, awesome pools, incredibly caring staff (with an included kids club for ages 4-12), and very limited access to wifi create the perfect atmosphere for a relaxing and fun family vacation.

Robin from Luxe Recess Recommends Little Saint Simons Island

Little Saint Simons Island is unlike any all-inclusive family vacation in the United States. It occupies the tiniest portion of a privately owned island that has been left undeveloped as a nature preserve. Less than thirty guests share the island with a few staff members and resident naturalists ready to show your family turtle egg nests in the expansive beaches or show dolphins in birds kayaking around the perimeter salt marshes.

Guests dine together family-style with all food and wine included. As much of the food is grown on the island’s local garden as possible, and the kids will enjoy the menu. The chef still took a few special requests to have our kids’ favorites on hand if the dinners didn’t please, but they did.

Families can spend their days swimming in the pool, kayaking, biking along the beach, and learning from the dedicated staff.

See her full review here on Little Saint Simons Island.

Sue Rodman of 365 Atlanta Family Recommends Georgia’s Greyfield Inn

Nestled among the live oaks, down a sandy drive where feral horses keep you waiting as they munch rogue shoots of grass is the Greyfield Inn, a modern beach destination in Georgia that was built for the Carnegie family, and whose decedents still run it today. Many of the Inn’s decorations and furnishings remain from when the family vacationed here at the turn of the century, making it just as much a museum as a hotel.

Peruse the library for first edition books, then relax on the porch swing to read them. Venture out on a jeep tour to learn about the Island’s (and the Carneigie’s) colorful history. Greyfield is the only hotel on Cumberland Island, which is a designated National Seashore, meaning lots of wildlife, including the feral horses. Children are welcome in the summer months, especially for the annual family camp, but this gracious Inn is best enjoyed with adults.

Here is a link to her full story: https://365atlantafamily.com/greyfield-inn/#.WXdiA9MrKgQ