The Best All-Inclusive Resorts for Families include a mix of energized spaces with pockets of peace. So, the waterpark with its high-energy kids will be on the opposite side of the resort from the adults-only spaces, which often include the spa. A bonus for a parent who needs a few hours to read a book in peace while the kids hit the water park hard.
Dining is a breeze at an all-inclusive resort. You’ll usually find a sushi or Tempanaki Table restaurant, an Italian place, and a Mexican option. There are swim-up bars and swanky after-hours cocktail bars, too. Most restaurants are included in your package, and there’s usually family-friendly evening entertainment.
Most activities are included, so non-motorized water sports are fun to try out at an all-inclusive resort. Guests can borrow a SUP board, go kayaking and even take a Sunfish sailboat for a spin.
Best All-Inclusive Resorts for Families in Mexico
Mexico is one of the top countries for all-inclusive resorts. Primarily, the Yucatan Peninsula, including Cancun and Tulum, is one area that most travelers know best. With its pristine white sand and turquoise water, paired with a large international airport. It is an easy getaway.
Another area to consider is Cabo San Lucas in Baja California Sur. This area is in a desert versus the tropical Yucatan Peninsula. Another difference is water sports; most beaches in and around Cabo San Lucas aren’t safe for swimming, due to the strong currents off the coast.
Bahia Principe Hotels and Resorts Riviera Maya
With 30 years of experience in hotels and resorts, the Bahia Principe Riviera Maya Resort offers a range of resorts from an adults-only luxury all-inclusive to a more value-minded resort perfect for families. Perched along the famed white sands and turquoise water of the Yucatan Peninsula, it includes four different resorts.
With 1,080 rooms, the Grand Coba Resort is the largest resort at the Bahia Principe Riviera Maya all-inclusive. Its expansive pool and waterpark make it the most popular with families. It is also the least expensive resort to visit.
It features 10 restaurants, including a food truck option. Guests at the Grand Coba Resort can visit the Grand Tulum for its beach.
Resort Review: Bahia Principe Hotels and Resorts Riviera Maya
Hyatt Ziva Riviera Cancun in Puerto Morelos
Near Puerto Morelos, the family-friendly Hyatt Ziva Riviera Cancun is a luxury all-inclusive that packs fun for kids while offering pockets of peace for adults.
This resort offers 438 suites across 11 buildings, some with swim-out rooms. The rooms are spacious enough for a pack-n-play and feature pull-out sofas. Each room offers a jetted tub plus a shower. Families will find lots of storage and a step stool for the youngest kids.
With nine pools at the Hyatt Ziva Riviera Cancun, each offers its own vibe, like the quiet adults-only pool where parents can snooze or read for a few hours. The main pool vibrates with energy, and guests will find a DJ, guided activities and cabanas.
In a corner of the resort, big kids will find a pair of waterslides overlooking the beach. A splash zone for the younger kids is steps away.
For parents looking to sneak away to recharge, the Zen spa offers an extensive hydrotherapy circuit with a cold plunge pool, redwood sauna and outdoor Dynamic Pool. The adults-only pool is also tucked away in the area.
The Hyatt Ziva Riviera Cancun offers adult enrichment classes, like Tequila tastings and sushi rolling. Then, add the kids club for those 4 to 12, and the kids can meet new friends. All of this is about an hour from the Cancun International Airport on a stretch of the Yucatan Peninsula’s pristine white sand.
Resort Review: Hyatt Ziva Riviera Cancun
Seadust Cancun Family Resort in Cancun’s Hotel Zone
Originally, the Great Parnassus Resort, when it opened, this property became the Seadust Cancun Family Resort for the last 15 years. Located next to the Iberostar Selection Cancun and across the street from its golf course, it is just a 10-minute walk from the famed Cancun sign along the beach. The Mayan Museum of Cancun is located next to the resort, and its ruins can be seen from the upper floors on the lagoon side of the property.
Greeting guests, the resort offers an indoor-outdoor lobby space with a gelato bar. Once registered, guests enter the Grand Avenue, or the Via Veneto, for most of the ten restaurants at the SeaDust Cancun Family Resort. All guest rooms are located in one building.
Primarily, the resort caters to families, though it offers several bars for adults. The second floor offers an adults-only pool and cabana area. For this reason, it is a favorite with large family groups.
Overlooking the beach, the family pool area offers three stair-stepped infinity pools lined with loungers, some with umbrellas. A separate wading pool is located in the area, and the pools are toy-friendly. The kid zone is located in the back of the property with a treasure island-themed water park, mini golf and the kids club for kids ages 18 months to 12 years old.
For a quieter adults-only oasis, the second floor offers a separate infinity pool with two large whirlpools. This area is serviced by a separate bar with poolside service overlooking the lagoon side of the Seadust Cancun Family Resort property.
This area offers open cabanas, dressed with large cushions that don’t require a separate reservation. During my stay, this area was less crowded than the main pool area.
Resort Review: Seadust Cancun Family Resort
Sandos Caracol Nature Resort & Water Park in Playa del Carmen
Escape to Sandos Caracol Nature Resort and Water Park, an unconventional all-inclusive, family-friendly eco paradise in the heart of the Riviera Maya. Designed for explorers of all ages, the resort offers nonstop fun from sunup to sundown.
Start your getaway in the crystal-clear onsite cenotes, or kayak through mangrove-lined rivers as fish glide below and monkeys swing above. There’s an epic 29-slide waterpark for the active guests, too.
Kids and teens will love the fully equipped clubs, while the whole family can enjoy snorkeling, bike tours, a mini farm with rescued animals or cultural performances.
The Sandos Caracol Nature Resort and Water Park features 8+ dining options, sure to satisfy any palate. After a day packed with adventure, unwind in the Signature Eco Suites, thoughtfully designed for comfort with kid-approved bunk beds, making it the perfect place to rest, recharge, and do it all again tomorrow.
Grand Solmar Resort Golf and Spa in Los Cabos
Sitting on 1.2 miles of pristine Pacific Ocean beach, the Grand Solmar Pacific Dunes Resort Golf and Spa’s standout feature is its meandering saltwater lagoon, large enough to paddleboard and includes a zero-entry sand beach. With four additional pools, six jacuzzis and a mini waterpark with two slides and a rope swing, families spend their time outdoors.
Families can choose from a studio to one, two, three and four-bedroom suites and some rooms offer a Murphy bed and kitchenettes. All 145 rooms offer an ocean view and furnished balconies to enjoy the amazing sunsets.
Adults can recharge at The Spa by the Ocean, which boasts its own outdoor pool and oceanfront treatment cabanas. Golfers will want to pack the clubs since the on-property, 18-hole Solmar Links was designed by Greg Norman. It offers ocean views and was ranked the #16 golf course in Mexico.
For guests wanting to shop or take a boat excursion to the Cabo Arches, daily bus transportation is available from the Grand Solmar Resort Golf and Spa to its sister resort, Grand Solmar Land’s End. It’s about 45 minutes from the Los Cabos International Airport.
Resort Review: Grand Solmar Golf and Spa
Hacienda Encantada Resort and Residences in Cabo San Lucas
Perched above the rocky shore on the Sea of Cortez, the Hacienda Encantada Resort and Residences shines with a sense of
The main pool is centrally located with a swim-up bar, and the adjacent La Pergola restaurant is perfect for lunchtime eats. In the area, kids will find a splash pad, the kids club, a playscape and an enclosure with rescued sea turtles. Other outdoor amenities include a putting green and sports courts like volleyball and pickleball. There is also an outdoor fitness area and a biking path through the resort’s grounds.
The Hacienda Encantada Resort and Residence’s adults-only pool is a luxurious escape perched above the crashing ocean waves below. The tiered infinity pools offer loungers and a swim-up bar, serving poolside nibbles and lunch.
For adults searching for a wellness break, the Milagro Spa features a redwood dry sauna, a steam room and a whirlpool to use before treatments. The standout feature is its open-air Hydrotherapy Pool overlooking the dramatic coastline with vaulted ceilings, reminiscent of a Roman Bath. Guests can also join El Temazcal, a Mesoamerican sweat lodge, during their visit.
The resort offers an array of restaurants, from its outdoor breakfast at Las Marias to poolside dining at La Pergola to the Tequila Museum and the adjoining El Eden. The Hacienda Encantada Resort and Residence prides itself on its culinary offerings, like a guided Tequila tasting or the melt-in-your-mouth churros.
Located 30 minutes from the Cabo San Lucas International Airport, Hacienda Encantada Resort and Residence offers a shuttle service to its sister resort, next to the Cabo Marina, for shopping and boat excursions.
Resort Review: Hacienda Encatada Resort and Residence
Marina Fiesta Resort and Spa in Cabo San Lucas
Overlooking the bustling marina with a combination of sailboats, mega yachts and clear-hulled panga boats, the Marina Fiesta Resort and Spa offers travelers a lot of amenities at an excellent price point. This three-diamond property is centrally located and steps from shopping and boating excursions, along with restaurants and bars.
With its three pools and seven restaurants, the Marina Resort and Spa offers an all-inclusive plan that makes vacation planning easy. An on-site spa, along with boating excursions just steps away, this Cabo San Lucas resort blends relaxing with fun.
The Main Pool offers a pair of whirlpools along with a shallow area that kids often play in. There is a sunning ledge in the main pool as well. Surrounding the pool, find loungers, some of which are covered.
Then, in another part of the resort, the adults-only pool offers a swim-up bar. The kids’ area is tucked away and features a kids club, a splash pad, a pirate-themed waterscape and a playscape with swings. There are even kid-sized loungers next to the adult-sized loungers.
Resort Review: Marina Fiesta Resort and Spa
Best All-Inclusive Resorts for Families in the Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is another country known for its beaches and warm hospitality. There, travelers will find expansive all-inclusive resorts with some of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean.
The flavors of the Caribbean are on full display, and guests can learn more about the coffee, cigars and chocolate crafted on the island. DR is another resort destination that benefits from a large international airport.
Top Things to Know Before Visiting DR
Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana on Playa Juanillo
Located on a five-acre parcel of Juanillo Beach, the Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana is part of the gated Cap Cana community in the Dominican Republic.
The Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana features 375 suites, including 46 swim-up suites on a 40-acre site with its adults-only sister resort next door, Hyatt Zilara. Adults can move between the resorts, perfect for multi-gen getaways or celebrations.
With seven restaurants, foodies can indulge, including the Blind Butcher. It’s a speakeasy restaurant where you enter via a retro refrigerator into a dining room with Bossa Nova vibes and a South American-inspired menu. Using all the senses, diners sip on cocktails that smoke, watch as cooks flambe tableside and sample desserts with edible gold and Pop Rocks. In between courses, diners enjoy live entertainment, like vocalists, musicians and dancers that move throughout the decadent space.
Its outdoor spaces feature an infinity pool with cabanas and the Canapolis Water Park with a lazy river, five slides and a grotto. Juanillo Beach is one of the top beaches in DR and boasts sugary white sand with shallow beach entry, perfect for water sports, like on-site kayaking and SUP boards.
Adults can sneak away to Zilara’s cenote-inspired Larimar Spa, a 26,900-square-foot wellness area. It offers a hydrotherapy circuit, 14 treatment rooms and an outdoor oasis lagoon, complete with waterfalls and a dynamic pool.
Best of all, the Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana is just minutes south of the Punta Cana International Airport in the Dominican Republic.
Best Beaches in the Dominican Republic
Hilton La Romana, an All-Inclusive Family Resort in Playa Bayahibe
For travelers who desire a vacation away from the vibrating resorts in Bavaro, the Bayahibe area is perfect. Hilton La Romana, an All-Inclusive Family Resort, offers guests a quieter area with a certified eco-conscious resort near Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic.
The Hilton La Romana features two resorts side by side. The Hilton La Romana sports a waterpark with three water slides, a lazy river and a separate splash area for the little kids, all in one area.
This resort focuses on enjoying the outdoors, and non-motorized water sports are included, like snorkeling, kayaking and windsurfing. The private swimming beach offers palapa-covered loungers within a protected cove.
The Hilton La Romana features four outdoor pools, and one includes the Las Palmas swim-up bar. Additionally, there is also a pizzeria next to the pool for al fresco lunches.
Guests will also find four pickleball courts with two clay tennis courts. The kids and teens club includes indoor and outdoor activities and gaming. Just for the adults, Hilton La Romana, an All Inclusive Family Resort, has a casino.
The Hilton La Romana features six restaurants and eight bars on-site. From South American cuisine at the Ausangate to the Moustache, with a French menu with tropical flavors, families can sample diverse cuisines during their stay. To dine with a sweeping view of the ocean, The Grill is the spot with open-air seating.
The Hilton Adults All-Inclusive is located next door and boasts Balinese beds floating on their infinity pool with a swim-up bar. Both resorts are close to the Punta Cana International Airport.
Top Excursions in DR
US Resorts for Families
If the kids don’t have passports, no worries. There are resorts in the US with a beachy vibe. These are resorts only, and don’t offer all-inclusive pricing that covers meals for your entire stay.
Southernmost Beach Resort in Key West FL
If you’re dreaming of a serene, beachside escape, look no further than Southernmost Beach Resort in Key West, Florida. Located on the quieter end of Duval Street, this resort features three pools, four bars, and a signature beachside restaurant. Key West is the antidote to busy everyday life.
With warm tropical breezes, sunsets that paint the sky pink, and turquoise water, the Southernmost Beach Resort makes for a memorable trip. In Key West’s Historic District, guests can explore while using on-site cruiser bikes.
The resort’s activities include yoga classes, live entertainment, and unique activities, like cocktail tastings and painting classes. The Southernmost Beach Resort is the ideal home base for all types of families, whether you want to unwind or wind up in one of Florida’s beloved vacation destinations.
Sheraton Kauai Coconut Beach Resort in Kauai, Hawaii
The Sheraton Kauai Coconut Beach Resort invites travelers to slow down and soak up Kauai’s natural beauty. It’s a relaxed, oceanfront home base centrally located on the Garden Isle’s eastern shore.
Starting with sunrise walks along the shoreline or afternoons floating in the oceanfront zero-edge infinity pool, guests can enjoy their stay at the resort. Or bike the eight-mile scenic coastal path into the charming town of Kapa‘a for an authentic island outing.
Guests can deepen their connection to Hawaiian culture through immersive experiences like hula dancing. Enjoy Hawaiian language lessons, lei making, and the thrilling Luau Ka Hikina for the spirit of aloha.
Comments are closed.