The best all-inclusive resorts for your style

All-inclusive resorts are not created equally. While some offer the penultimate in luxury, others rely on quantity over quality. There are spa-centric getaways, family-friendly stays, and party-hearty atmospheres to be visited across the wide world of all-inclusives. With so many options, choosing the right resort for you and your posse can be a hassle. Luckily, Oyster has experienced all of the above and can point you toward the best of the best, no matter your style. Looking for a raucous pool scene? We’ve got it. Craving a secluded hideaway? We’ve unplugged there, too.  So sit back, relax, and prepare yourself for some fun in the sun — all while using our guide to select the all-inclusive that is right for your style:

If You Want: To Travel Like a Queen

Stay: Half Moon, Jamaica 

The luxurious Half Moon resort in Montego Bay has been a favorite of royals for decades.
 

Drawing everyone from Queen Elizabeth to 50 Cent, Half Moon strives for timeless, understated luxury in Jamaica’s Montego Bay. Stretching over 400 acres (including 2 miles of beach), the 230-room resort offers attentive service, quality cuisine, and seemingly limitless activities, such as golfing and horseback riding. A variety of all-inclusive packages can be purchased in advance which may include lodging, meals, alcohol, airport transfers, golf fees, and sports activities. With several levels to choose from, just about everyone can be happy.

If You Want: To Have a Romantic Getaway

Stay: Zoetry Paraiso de la Bonita Riviera Maya 

This gorgeous resort in Riviera Maya is perfect for couples.
 

With only 90 suites, the Zoetry Paraiso offers a romantic, wellness-centric experience in the Mayan Riviera. Suites may feature small bath-side gardens or private outdoor pools as well as comfortable furnishings and Bulgari toiletries. The pool area and beach are relaxed with double-wide lounge chairs (perfect for couples), and the on-site dining keeps the resort’s wellness theme alive with delicious, healthy meals. Included amenities not standard at most all-inclusive resorts, such as a “welcome” bottle of tequila, a daily bottle of champagne, a one-hour Catamaran sunset sail, three-times-daily maid service, and private chauffeured airport transfers, make this resort a standout among the area’s finest properties.

If You Want: To Get an Amazing Value

Stay: Riu Palace Paradise Island, Bahamas 

You get plenty bang for your buck at this Riu property in the Bahamas.

The Riu is the only Nassau hotel that offers all-you-can-eat food and all-you-can-drink, name-brand booze as part of its mandatory all-inclusive package. Considering the exorbitant cost of food and drinks at most other resorts in the Bahamas, the Riu can be an incredible value,depending on just how much you’re looking to drink, of course. Plus, the hotel offers a superb beach, large pool, tennis courts, and nightly entertainment.

If You Want: To Stay in an Eco-Boutique

Stay: The Caves, Jamaica 

The Caves offers a unique, eco-friendly atmosphere and is one of the best all-inclusives in Jamaica.

Unlike the great majority of all-inclusives, the intimate Caves eco-boutique features fresh, seasonal ingredients and inventive Jamaican-focused menus in Negril. Highlights include pumpkin ginger soup, saffron crabcakes served over spicy tomato salsa and drizzled with a herb-mustard vinaigrette, and rock shrimp simmered in a savory coconut sauce. And the setting — overlooking the sunset on the coarse rock cliffs or by candlelight inside a natural cave – is beyond compare, making the resort one of Jamaica’s most romantic escapes (the hotel is an adults only property). How does it maintain such amazing perks? Well, with high prices — but many would say it’s worth it.

If You Want: To Have an Adults-Only Romp

Stay: Desire Resort & Spa Riviera Maya 

Swingers are welcome at this naughty resort.
 

This all-inclusive, couples-only, clothing-optional resort is only for those interested in a somewhat raucous vacation — but as a 4-pearl resort, it’s a step above some similarly billed hotels. Desire caters to partying types with daytime activities (some more tame than others) and nightly parties, but there is also a nice pool with ocean views and a large Jacuzzi (that some claim can get pretty X-rated towards the wee hours of the morning). Guests can also check out the spa for an additional fee and, unlike at many other all-inclusive resorts, reservations are not required at the four restaurants.

If You Want: To Relax at the Spa

Stay: Marival Residences & World Spa, Riviera Nayarit 

Spending a day in this spa can transport you to a totally different country.

If you’re in the mood for a beach-lounging, party-hopping Mexican getaway, you can stop reading about the Marival Residences now. If, however, you’re look for laid-back luxury, residential-style suites, modern amenities, and an impressive array of all-inclusive features, this is the place to be. The main pool is large and sexy. The bars and restaurants on-site are ultra-chic. And a unique amenity: The property’s Melange Spa features eight massage rooms themed by nations, with interior design and massages to match — an intriguing spa concept not found at other area properties.

If You Want: To Party-Hearty

Stay: Viva Wyndham Domincus Beach, Dominican Republic 

The raucous activities never stop at this party-focused, amenity-laden resort.
 

This is a young party resort year-round, with hot Italian guests (Viva Wyndham is an Italian company) salsa dancing to live music by the bar, an all-day snack bar and all-night pizzeria (perfect for when the drunken — or whatever substance you’re able to procure — munchies hit), and white canopy beds on the stunning, soft-sand beach. Plus, fun activities such as free trapeze lessons from circus performers, racy adult games led by the enthusiastic staff (such as the Kama Sutra, a relay race in which guests have to form suggestive positions to break a balloon), theater performances, a late-night disco, and weekly trips to a local club will appeal to party-minded 20-somethings (and for our wild 30- and 40-somethings — age is just a number).

If You Want: To Have Fun with the Whole Family

Stay: Sea Adventure Resort & Waterpark, Cancun 

The little ones will love this all-inclusive — but parents won't be remiss, either.
 

This all-inclusive caters to families. Located near the tip of Puerto Juarez, it is just 10 minutes away from the downtown Cancun bustle on a (rather small) beach. However, the main draw here isn’t the ocean — it’s the many kid-friendly features, including the kids’ club with arts and crafts, waterslides, and the waterpark playground. While adults are far from Cancun’s main party strip, they can still enjoy unlimited drinks, lounge on the swinging sun beds, and attend nightly shows, such as the Michael Jackson tribute. Most meals are buffet-style, but there are also two specialty restaurants.

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Old money resorts: Where American royalty stay and play

Want to live like a Rockefeller on your next vacation? Or want a voyeuristic peek into the world of the rich and powerful? These iconic resorts across the country — from a Gilded Age Palm Beach estate to a Newport mansion to a Long Island Gold Coast castle — will make you feel like your blood runs blue.

The Breakers Palm Beach

The Breakers Palm Beach

There’s a reason The Breakers’ reputation precedes it. This 140-acre resort, first built in 1896 (and reconstructed in 1926), resembles a Renaissance palace, and it’s seen more than it’s fair share of American royalty over the years; Andrew Carnegie, J.P. Morgan, William Randolph Hearst, and various Astors, Rockefellers, and Vanderbilts have all walked the halls at this posh spot. No other hotel in Palm Beach can come close to matching the luxury found at this iconic property.

The Plaza, New York City

The Plaza, New York City

This New York hotel is synonymous with luxury, and has carved out a prominent place in 20th-century culture. Truman Capote threw his famous Black and White Ball here; in North by Northwest, Cary Grant was captured by spies in the hotel’s famous Oak Bar; and F. Scott Fitzgerald staged part of The Great Gatsby here. When The Plaza first opened its residences, Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt were the first to sign up.

Chatham Bars Inn, Cape Cod

Chatham Bars Inn, Cape Cod
 

The Cape has long been a cherished spot for the American rich to summer, and the Chatham Bars Inn has been drawing America’s wealthy and powerful since it opened in 1914: Past guests include Henry Ford, Henry Morganthau, and William Rockefeller. The true Cape-Cod style architecture is complemented by lovely interiors — upholstered wingback chairs, antique-style turned-leg furnishings, and seafaring decor.

Biltmore Coral Gables, Miami

Biltmore Coral Gables, Miami
 

Opened in 1926, the Biltmore is a timeless luxury hotel and a registered historical landmark. Before the stock market crashed in 1929, guests included the Duke and Duchess of Windsor and several Vanderbilts. The 150-acre property includes a 315-foot copy of the Giralda bell tower in Seville, Spain, and the largest swimming pool in the continental United States.

Oheka Castle 

Oheka Castle, Long Island
 

The North Shore of Long Island was once home to the estates of many of America’s aristocratic families — the Vanderbilts, Whitneys, Roosevelts, and Morgans, among many more — earning it the nickname the “Gold Coast.” Oheka Castle was the largest of these estates, and the second largest private residence in the entire country. Financier Otto Hermann Kahn hosted numerous parties at the estate during the 1920s (the Gatsby era) that were attended by royals and Hollywood celebrities. Today, Oheka Castle is a hotel with 32 rooms, and is used as an event space for high-profile weddings and galas.

Vanderbilt Grace, Newport

Vanderbilt Grace, Rhode Island

Built in 1909 by Alfred Gwynee Vanderbilt, the Vanderbilt Grace Hotel is an original Newport mansion. Today, it’s an elegant luxury hotel that retains the original architecture; the handsome brick building, the grand double staircase, and details such as wainscotting and crown molding add to the historic charm.

The Beverly Hills Hotel, Los Angeles

The Beverly Hills Hotel, Los Angeles
 

Los Angeles may smack of celebrities and new money, but Old Hollywood — when the likes of Cary Grant, Fred Astaire, Ingrid Berman, and Marilyn Monroe graced the silver screen — is another thing entirely. Dating back to 1912, the Beverly Hills Hotel is one of the grand dames of Tinseltown; almost every iconic actor of the Hollywood Golden Age passed through the “pink palace’s” hallowed halls. Today, the dignified hotel still sees its fair share of VIPs.

Fisher Island Hotel And Resort, Miami

Fisher Island Hotel and Resort, Miami
 

Originally built in 1925 by William Vanderbilt II as a winter estate, Fisher Island is a private island, residential community with a 45-room hotel. Peacocks freely roam the lush grounds, and the original Vanderbilt Mansion now houses two of the island’s restaurants, where tuxedo-clad waiters see to guests’ every wish.

Vineyard Square Hotel and Suites, Martha’s Vineyard

Vineyard Square Hotel and Suites
 

A century ago, Thomas Henry Chirgwin built a luxury hotel and called it The Colonial Inn. The inn had all the modern amenities guests at the time might have wanted — such as electricity and indoor plumbing. Since its opening, the inn has counted a number of celebrities among its guests, including Howard Hughes, John F. Kennedy Jr., and Jacqueline Kennedy. Today, the inn is known as the Vineyard Square Hotel and Suites, a modern luxury property on quaint Martha’s Vineyard, which remains a popular summer playground for East Coast notables.

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