Why I Skip the All-Inclusive Resorts
The difference between staying somewhere and actually experiencing a place
In many popular destinations, the default option has become an all-inclusive resort. In Europe, people flock to Spain. In North America, we equally venture south: to Mexico. As I wrote in my travel book, the opposites always seem better: Mexico sounds fancy for European travellers, while Spain may be the more exciting destination for North American. Both destinations are just another place to go.
No matter where you end up, all inclusives follow a similar recipe: big buildings, (maybe) private beaches, (definitely) buffet restaurants, and (always) wristbands that (with any luck) let you order drinks all day without ever reaching for your wallet. Except when they ask for a tip on every order.
For many tourists, that setup is perfect. You land, get on a shuttle, and disappear into a resort bubble for a week of sunshine and relaxation. It almost doesn’t matter where in the world you are. I’m not here to judge: there’s nothing inherently wrong with an all inclusive vacation. A trip to a comfy bubble can be a great vacation.
It’s just very much not how I like to travel. Being trapped in a luxury prison, away from civilization, needing an “excursion” to experience local culture? No thanks.
The strange architecture of resort bubbles
During my recent trip to Tulum, I noticed something that perfectly captured the difference between two very different styles of travel.1
Driving along the coast from Cancun to Tulum, I passed many mega resorts. They all had one thing in common: massive gates guarding the entrance, and high fences lining the property. Some even had electrified barbed wire running along the perimeter. It must be nice once you get in and get your wristband, but from the outside, these “resorts” look more like a prison complex than a beach getaway.
It makes you wonder if the resorts are designed to keep people out, or keep them in. Everything is designed to face inward. Pools, restaurants, entertainment, activities. The entire experience is built so guests never really have to leave.
Which, of course, is the point of staying at an all-inclusive. If you never leave the property, you’re eating every meal there, drinking every drink there, and booking every activity through the resort. It’s not necessarily a bad thing. But it creates a strange reality where you could be almost anywhere in the world and not notice much difference.
Pizza, pasta, and the illusion of travel
One of the things that intrigues me about these large resorts is the food. You fly halfway across the world to Mexico, and the buffet proudly features… pizza and pasta.
Some resorts have ten “different” restaurants on the property, with menus designed to be as internationally neutral as possible. Nothing too adventurous, or unfamiliar.
The result is a vacation that’s comfortable, predictable, and safe. It’s also strangely disconnected from the place you actually traveled to. Again, you could be anywhere in the world and not notice much of a difference other than the stamp in your passport.
Why I chose a small luxury hotel instead
For my Mexico trip I intentionally selected the opposite of an all-inclusive experience. I picked a small luxury hotel in Tulum, featured on FoundersCard. I prefer a curated selection over the thousand+ options on travel sites like Expedia.2 The hotel was quiet, beautifully designed, and even provided bicycles to encourage guests to explore the surrounding. The daily happy hour with free food and cocktails by the pool got me close enough to an all-inclusive experience.
Within a short ride I could reach cenotes, beaches, local restaurants, ruins, and the national park. Instead of spending the week moving between the pool, buffet, and bar, the whole area became part of the experience. That’s the kind of travel I enjoy.
Staying somewhere smaller creates freedom. You’re not locked into a schedule of buffet hours. You’re not trying to “maximize the value” of an all-inclusive package by making sure every meal happens on the property. If you feel like riding into town for tacos, you go. If you want to explore a quiet beach or grab a drink somewhere unexpected, you can.
Adventure is surprisingly simple, but rarely happens when you spend the entire trip inside a resort compound. For me, the joy of travel comes from stepping outside the bubble.
Travel vs vacation
There’s a subtle difference between travel and vacation. An all-inclusive resort delivers a vacation, with comfort, convenience, and predictability. For many people that’s exactly what they’re looking for, especially if you just want to unplug for a week and don’t really care where in the world you are (as long as the sun is shining).
But travel is about something different. It’s about freely experiencing a destination instead of observing it from behind the walls of a property designed to keep you contained. Those little moments are what make a trip memorable.
I dislike feeling at home when I am abroad. ~ George Bernard Shaw
Whether you prefer travel or vacation, is personal. What feels like a dream vacation to one person might feel limiting to someone else.3
For me, the joy of travel comes from stepping outside the bubble. I want to see the streets. Taste the local food. Talk to the people who live there. Explore the beaches and ruins and parks that exist beyond the resort gate.
Sometimes that means trading the convenience of a buffet for a bit of curiosity and adventure. And in my experience, that trade is almost always worth it (either way, bring at least Tums, Gravol and Advil, just in case).
Get Into Action
If you’ve ever felt like travel could be something more than simply booking a resort and following the crowd, that’s exactly what I explore in The Freedom Project: Travel. The book is about unlocking more meaningful travel experiences, learning how to explore destinations with intention, and designing trips that feel less like a packaged vacation and more like a real adventure.
If you’re ready to go beyond the book and see how I book free airfare and luxury hotels at a fraction of the cost, get yourself a free preview to my Travel Revolution online course today. I’d love to have you on board.
Further reading
My trip was scheduled to depart only days after the Puerto Vallarta incident. The timing wasn’t great. Part of what made me pause was the style of trip I had intentionally chosen. Instead of booking an all-inclusive resort, I had selected a small luxury hotel in Tulum. Full story here.
Last time I arrived in Paris, the city of light and love, it was horrible. After a great train ride from Amsterdam, and looking forward to a few relaxing days in Paris I arrived at the wrong hotel. There turned out to be two hotels, with exactly the same name. Thanks, Expedia. Full story here.
What is the difference between going on holiday and traveling? Full story here or check out my bestselling travel book.