Are you ready to tackle a trip with you, the kids, AND the grandparents? It might feel overwhelming, which can lead you to looking at all-inclusive options to keep everything happy and relaxed.
Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic is a hotbed for tropical all-inclusive resorts in a range of styles and budgets. We chose a well-known brand for five days. We splashed out on a two-bedroom for four of us, and another room nearby for my in-laws. This was a “middle-to-high end of the road spot” that was well equipped with many amenities and included standard meals, house liquor, water activities, access to kids club, and shows/entertainment throughout the day.
It worked well for our crew because:
- Location-wise the DR is a direct four-hour flight on JetBlue from Boston
- I knew this resort had things for little ones, fun activities for my spouse and I, and plenty of options to keep my in-laws entertained too
- This property offered award redemptions. So we were able to book one of the rooms (and all our flights!) on points
I hope this can give you a bigger picture of what it can be like to do an all-inclusive vacation and what’s happening behind the scenes. I asked ALL the questions so you won’t have to do it yourself.
Overall? We had a pretty good time. The kids loved it. I’m glad we had the experience. But as a professional traveler, I also have a LOT of thoughts.
The good news: All-Inclusive can make things easy breezy
As soon as we arrived at check-in and got our bracelets, that was all we really needed to do to start having fun. Restaurants were open and ready, the bars were stocked, our room had lots of nibbles, and the activity board was freshly updated. There is an app that offered more information and the ability to order room service too.
There were options for shows, games, exercise classes, and so much more planned every day. If you wanted to go off-resort, you could book excursions right through the resorts (albeit at a premium).
On site is a kids club for drop-off care during the day. And you can make reservations at some of the higher-end restaurants to plan out your stay further. You do have to reserve these dining options in advance, but our hotel status helped us get tables. There was always a buffet option available. It was tasty with a diverse selection of dishes all day.
I see the appeal for sure! If I’m less interested in experiencing a new place and simply hope for some sunshine and strong drinks, this is a good choice for a trip. There’s nothing wrong with wanting a full break. This is especially clutch if you have the kids in tow and your older parents/in-laws too.
The good news: Certain types of travelers are perfect for the all-inclusive style
I didn’t see a sad face among the ‘young’ crowd that were partying at the resort. They all happily took shots every color of the rainbow, frolicked in the foam parties at the pool, and got glammed up for dinners and shows out. Overall they are respectful, if not a bit rowdy, but our room canceled out most of the noise.
So many families were super friendly and open to chatting with me about why they chose an all-inclusive resort for their vacation. Many came from large groups and found it fun to all be able to eat together, be within walking distance from all the pools and beach, and even meet up for the live music at night as a crew with ease.
The party-goers seemed to have the most fun, as did the families with slightly older children: that was the sweet spot. Kids maybe 8+ years old loved the resort most because the kids club offered them a chance to meet other children, the waterslides were plentiful and the activities close by is great for a little freedom.
While we had a good time with my two small children, I’m still in the phase of having to keep eyeballs on them at all times.
The bad news: All-inclusive are rarely consistent
One night I had the best steak of my life: perfectly prepared and so full of flavor. The next day I ordered a Cuban sandwich, and it came without the pickles, cheese, mustard, or ham. So, a dry pork loin on a bun.
The room we had was very clean, bright, and had so much room to spread out. On the other hand, the fire alarm went off in our building at least 3-4 times during the stay. I don’t know if it was faulty or triggered by mischievous guests.
An employee saw me struggling with my toddler and a take-out plate. I was trying to sneak back to the room because my husband was there with the other kiddo who was sick. This staff member quickly swooped in. My things were carried across the resort for me, and we chatted in Spanish about our children happily. I gave him a tip, of course. But the bar nearest our hotel had a really grumpy server who I also tipped generously. He seemed annoyed when I’d ask for a smoothie for the kids, or ignore me all together if I wanted anything that wasn’t already in the blender.
I don’t take any of this personally, but it made for a jarring experience to never know what you were going to get. That’s the opposite I expected to feel at an all-inclusive resort!
The bad news: All-inclusive are really hard to do successfully
You think you can just let the resort do all the heavy lifting when it comes to entertainment, food, and general upkeep of the property. But with so many moving parts at an all-inclusive, it can be tricky for the staff to keep up with everything. This can be due to the massive size of a resort, or simply because guests at all-inclusive create more work. People leave lots of trash around because food and drinks are always flowing, making it difficult to keep up with the aesthetic.
The bad news: Little kids are tricky travelers everywhere
Families looked a little worse for wear, but especially those with young children. I get the appeal of an all-inclusive with small kids (mine are 4 and 2), but I won’t be returning until they’re older. Here’s why:
- My little ones don’t eat much. A muffin in the morning is good enough.
- They also aren’t old enough for a kid’s club quite yet, so we needed to supervise at all times and didn’t get to use that perk.
- The kids’ nighttime entertainment didn’t begin until 8 PM, which was already past the kids’ bedtime. For us, regular sleep is key to avoid meltdowns and tantrums, so we often had to skip out on the fun because they were too young.
I think back to a trip with my then two-year-old to Costa Rica. We rented a holiday house right near a beach with a gentle lagoon. We grocery shopped for most meals and went out when convenient. For us as a multi-generational group that’s fairly laid-back and independent, I think we will stick to vacation a la carte. My husband and I alone love an all-inclusive, so we’ll do it again when our kids are older (or if we escape the kids for a trip all together!)
Bonus bad: Tipping needs to be streamlined
It can feel good to slip the bartender an extra $20 to have him take care of you all day by the pool. But many countries don’t have standard tipping. They might not be treated as well. Others might not want to tip, because they’ve already ‘paid’ for everything. It’s the wild west. Many all-inclusive resorts have combatted this with tipping ALSO included in the quoted rate. I would choose that 100% next time to avoid the awkwardness and inconsistency of the gestures we had to navigate all week.
So, what can you do to best prepare for an all-inclusive vacation with the extended family?
If you still want to dip into the world of all-inclusive resorts, there are plenty of ways you can be ready for the unexpected and ensure your time traveling will be as fun as possible.
- Ask ahead of time what the group wants to do. Set a few expectations ahead of time such as, how many meals you want to eat together. Or, if you plan to be by the pool all day or try something off the resort.
- Pack per day. I had outfits planned daily to take some of the guesswork away in the mornings. I also made sure everyone had multiple bathing suits from being in the water all day, every day.
- Bring medical essentials (and all the sunscreen!). There’s often access to medicine and sundries on resort, but at a premium price. Not only did I bring the standard painkillers, I also brought things to combat bug bites, upset tummies, and other uncomfortable ailments. I brought a thermometer and kids medicine too.
- If you have kids or like to nibble all day, bring some snacks. These resorts often won’t offer things like candy, chips, or other small treats unless you pay extra for them. Same goes if you have picky eaters: a protein bar or a few familiar things at home might lead to more adventurous eating later.
- Know ahead of time what to do for emergencies. This resort had a medical station on-site and a hospital close by. We also had travel insurance for the whole group.
- I know Spanish enough to explain an issue, which might come in handy too if traveling to a place that doesn’t speak your native language. It’s always a great idea to at least know pleasantries in the local language, it often goes far for requests and just being a good human.
PS: This post was NOT sponsored and just a regular trip I took with my family. As always, wether hosted or not, my options and perspective is my own.
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