What Does the New Normal for All-Inclusive Resorts Entail?

As a result of COVID-19, we are now adapting to what many are calling the “new normal.” As we navigate this new normal, our travel agent partners have shared concerns from their clients with the most common question being: “Will our experience be affected?”

All-inclusive vacations are the epitome of relaxation and pampering, making them unlike any other vacation experience. It is a feeling many of us have been craving from the early days of quarantine, and as our countries begin to open, we are finding that many people are ready to hop on a plane for that all-inclusive travel feeling.

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What exactly is the all-inclusive travel feeling?

To me, it is more than an experience. It is the feeling of walking down the jet bridge to get on the plane knowing you are about to spend days in paradise, overindulging and having your every whim taken care of. It was perfectly described in a meme I read during quarantine as “the feeling you have after spending all day in the sun, and knowing that all you have to do next is go back to your amazing room and get ready for a night out.”

We recently welcomed the first guests at our Mexico hotels, and the overwhelming feedback has been the same – “We were greeted like rock stars.” “Our family felt safe during the entire stay.” “Every employee was genuinely happy to be there.”

All-inclusive travel, although with some enhancements in our cleanliness, will overall continue to prompt that same feeling for guests. As industry leaders in entertainment, we are committed to continue providing the world-class experience our guests have come to expect during their all-inclusive vacations.

Yes, there will be venue modifications to allow for appropriate social distancing, but, nonetheless, the shows will remain the same. Despite the minor adjustments to in-room dining services and amenities, our room product remains the same. Guests can definitely expect to find those breathtaking tropical views from their balconies as they swing on the hammock for an afternoon nap.

On the other hand, while we have had to eliminate certain staples such as self-serve buffets, we have replaced these with new a la carte breakfast and lunch menus. More than anything, these changes should be seen as enhancements to the all-inclusive travel experience.

The same applies to weddings. As leaders in the destination wedding market, we have spent a great deal of time during this pandemic continuing to make our couples’ dreams come true. We have been fortunate to retain almost every wedding we had confirmed at our hotels, as couples were looking to continue with their plans for a later date once all of their guests felt safe to travel.

Through all of the different travel obstacles we have endured, we have found one thing to be certain: destination weddings in a way are recession-proof. Group sizes change, but we find that couples will do anything to have the exact wedding they have imagined. This could mean the return of elopements, 10-30 guest weddings or even 80-100 guest South Asian weddings (considered “small” for that market segment).

The overall consensus from couples is the same – they want to make sure the most important people in their lives are able to make it. Close friends and family will almost always travel for these special occasions, and we look forward to welcoming them.

We promise to continue adapting to the “new normal” in ways that amplify the vacation for our guests. Personally, I will continue counting down the days until I get to have that all-inclusive travel feeling again.