Top 10 Craziest All-Inclusive Resort Amenities from the Last Decade

Last year, I was fascinated to learn that the concept of all-inclusive resorts that we know and love today began with Club Med in Majorca, Spain, over seven decades ago.

But as I discussed in a review of Club Med vs. Sandals, the very first Club Med (circa the 1950s) was far more rustic than the all-out crazy amenities and out-of-this-world locations you can find at all-inclusives today.

Back then, Club Med vacationers were singles, couples, and families with kids, who stayed in tents with no electricity and shared facilities. Boy, oh boy, how far we’ve come…

I had too much fun researching the Top 10 craziest all-inclusive resort amenities from the last decade. If you’re dreaming about an all-inclusive vacation that goes above and beyond, this list is for you!

Kudadoo “Fully Inclusive” Private Island in the Maldives (by Hurawalhi) Takes You Underwater

Kudadoo Maldives claims to “make everything under the moon available to you at any time,” offering “moments of magnificence” and the awards to prove it, including being named “best new luxury hotel” in 2018 by Luxury Travel Intelligence.

Here’s a glimpse of your all-inclusive vacation experience at Kudadoo Maldives:

• Unlimited spa treatments including a range of 60—90 minute massages and the “Lonu Immersion” chamber with 1,000-year-old Himalayan salts that are called the “world’s most healing”
• Unlimited watersports, including speedboat tours, jet-skiing, and parasailing
• 5.8 Undersea Restaurant (named because it’s located 5.8 meters below the ocean surface) is the “world’s largest all-glass undersea restaurant,” offering gourmet cuisine and direct views of the coral reef and sea life around you.

Kisawa Sanctuary on Benguerra Island in Mozambique Offers a Crazy Amount of Privacy

Kisawa Sanctuary offers true barefoot luxury on a desert island just under nine miles off the coast of East Africa, with a total of 740 acres of “forest, beach, and sand dunes.”

There are only 11 “bungalow residences” on the island, each with one to three bedrooms. Every thatched villa offers a private acre of land, including your own secluded stretch of beach, an infinity pool, and an electric mini moke to tour around.

Here’s a glimpse of your all-inclusive vacation experience at Kisawa:

• A 90-minute “welcome massage” is included to beat jet lag, and infrared sauna treatments or private Reiki treatments are extras available to you
• Homegrown ingredients, including local produce and freshly caught seafood, are used in main resort dining areas as well as 24/7 dining in the privacy of your villa
• Helicopter safaris, humpback whale watching (in season), and kite surfing lessons are available.

Swim Bareback in the Ocean With Horses on COMO Laucala Island in Fiji

Fly your own plane to COMO Laucala Island or hop on a resort-owned twin-engine turboprop to reach the resort and vacation in one of 25 “standalone homes suspended over lagoons, on hilltops, amidst rainforests, and beside the rolling waves.”

Each residence has a private pool and sundeck with an outdoor bath and elegant, Fiji-inspired interiors. Enjoy premium dining and drinks, including the Plantation House and Seagrass Lounge.

Here’s a glimpse of your all-inclusive vacation experience at COMO Laucala Island:

• Extensive watersports, including diving and ocean activities, with transportation on the resort’s 13 marine vessels
• Tennis courts, an 18-hole golf course, swimming (lap and lagoon pool), and a fully equipped gym
• All guests over eight years old can go horseback riding on the resort’s stable of horses, a crossbreed of Australian Thoroughbreds and British Clydesdales. Popular rides include a low-tide canter on Long Beach or even swimming “bareback in the ocean.”

Go andBeyond at the Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge in Botswana

Staying at the andBeyond Botswana Safari Lodge is unlike any all-inclusive resort by the sea — and not just because the ocean is nowhere in sight here!

The lodge has “exclusive traversing rights” over almost 56,000 acres of unspoiled lands fronting Botswana’s Moremi Game Reserve, with luxurious amenities like the massage room, state-of-the-art gym, private plunge pools, and fully stocked bars in your suite.

Here’s a glimpse of your all-inclusive vacation experience at andBeyond Botswana Safari Lodge:

• You’re invited to join the Sandibe chefs in an “interactive kitchen” to help make your own pizzas or gourmet burgers with fresh ingredients
• Take a helicopter flight for a scenic safari tour with complimentary use of Swarovski binoculars
• Enjoy big game wildlife encounters on foot or in a customized safari vehicle for day or night tours.

The World’s Best All-Inclusive for Leading Adventures at Pikaia Lodge in the Galapagos Islands

The luxurious Pikaia Lodge on Santa Cruz Island has been named the World Travel Awards’ “leading adventure hotel” twice. The lodge was built from recycled materials, is 100% carbon neutral, and is located between two inactive volcanos on a private reserve for giant tortoises.

Here’s a glimpse of your all-inclusive vacation experience at Pikaia Lodge in the Galapagos Islands:

• Barmen create world-famous cocktails with top-quality spirits, and the wine list features world-class vintages
• Meats and eggs are sourced from “happy farms” with no bird cages or growth stimulants used
• Full-day ocean cruises on a 145-foot luxury yacht for guests only
• Common wildlife encounters include Galapagos penguins, seals, colorful reef fish, and snorkeling tours to swim with “tame sharks.”

A Huge Six Acre Waterpark for the Whole Family at Nickelodeon Hotels and Resorts in Riviera Maya

The Karisma Resorts brand manages the Nickelodeon Resort Hotel in Riviera Maya. This “gourmet inclusive” family vacation includes ten restaurant choices, premium drinks for adults, and the super-cool Aqua Nick waterpark for everyone.

Accommodations include swim-up suites into the resort’s main pool or a penthouse king suite with an oversized balcony and an infinity plunge pool with an ocean view. You can also book a “Signature Suite” with a private butler featuring your favorite Nickelodeon character!

Here’s a glimpse of your all-inclusive vacation experience at Nickelodeon Resort in Riviera Maya:

• 24-hour in-room dining for everyone with kid-friendly touches like comfy child-sized bathrobes and adult pleasures like the relaxing NÁAY SPA
• First-of-its-kind suites at “Nick Resorts” include the Lair Suite, your family’s luxurious, private “shell” designed for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle fans with dining options including private pizza parties
• In between visiting the “Slime Spot” for a coating of Nickelodeon Slime, all resort guests receive early access to Aqua Nick waterpark, which includes “dizzying slides at Soak Summit Tour,” lazy river rides, an in-park restaurant, and a watering hole for adults.

More Than 200 Experiences Await You at Hoteles Xcaret Including Unlimited Ferries to Isla Mujeres

Hoteles Xcaret in the Cancun, Mexico area are three luxury properties trademarked as “All-Fun Inclusive.” The Hotel Xcaret Mexico property has earned a 5-diamond rating from the AAA, with 900 suites spread across five Casas.

Casa Tierra offers family-friendly beach activities, and Casa Viento is poolside near the family and kids’ clubs and a restaurant with a candy station. Casa Agua caters to adults with its volcanic stone jacuzzi and the Muluk Spa, enclosed in a natural cave.

Here’s a glimpse of your all-inclusive vacation experience at Hotels Xcaret Mexico, Hotel Xcaret Arte, or the boutique hotel La Casa De La Playa:

• Multiple dining options by Michelin-star-rated chefs
• Artisan cocktails in the Sky Bar, a wine list curated by a world-class sommelier, and the one-of-a-kind Bodega, “a mezcalería and tequilería where the fiesta lasts until dawn”
• Hundreds of vacation experiences, including full access to the Mexican Caribbean’s best theme parks for snorkeling, whitewater rafting, ziplining, tours on a Mexican gondola, underground cave tours, monster truck driving, kayaking, and catamaran tours.

Your All-Inclusive Vacation Can Include Swimming With Whales at Fort Young Hotel in Dominica

Fort Young Hotel is located on Dominica’s “Nature Island” in the eastern Caribbean Sea. You won’t find mega-resorts in Dominica; the unfussy, boutique Fort Young Hotel claims to be the only truly all-inclusive property on the island.

The luxury is in rainforested mountains, waterfalls, hot springs, and world-class diving from Fort Young’s dock. Popular packages include three meals daily, snacks, and house beverages for stays of four nights or more, and the “island included” option with daily excursions.

Here’s a glimpse of your all-inclusive vacation experience at Fort Young Hotel in Dominica:

• Breakfast buffets feature omelets and “classic creole salt fish,” with juices from locally grown, freshly squeezed fruits. A la carte lunches are long and lazy at Fort Young’s waterside restaurants, and candlelit dinners are unforgettable at Palisades
• “Island included” excursions to Trafalgar or Middleham Falls with freshwater lake and hot springs, Indian River and Cabrits National Park, or Roseau Market and Emerald Pool
• Bucket list vacations include an “extraordinary adventure” to swim with a local population of sperm whales, a curated all-inclusive package with limited spots available.

Fowl Cay Resort in the Beautiful Bahamas Will Get Your Motor Running

Located in the fabulous Exumas chain of Bahamian islands — close to the famous “swimming pigs” — Fowl Cay Resort offers six private oceanfront villas that accommodate two guests up to six guests.

Each villa comes with its own golf cart to tour around the resort, and the crazy-good amenity here is your own private powerboat to explore the gin-clear ocean waters around the Exumas. Powerboats are 17 to 18 feet long, and unlimited fuel is included.

Here’s a glimpse of your all-inclusive vacation experience at Fowl Cay Resort in the Exumas:

• Villas have kitchens that are kept continually stocked with drinks and food to prepare whatever meals you wish to make, and guests are served unlimited food and premium drinks 24/7 in the Hill House Restaurant
• Professional fishing gear is included, as well as non-motorized watersports gear like kayaks, Hobie Cats, SUPs, lifejackets, and full snorkel gear
• WiFi and Satellite TV are located in each villa, and daily housekeeping is included.

Your All-Inclusive White Desert Vacation Takes You About as Far South as You Can Go

For many people, an 8-day / 7-night “luxury adventure” with White Desert can only be considered a bucket list vacation if you have buckets and buckets of cash… because the price per person starts at $105,000!

That crazy amount of money takes you from your departure point of Cape Town, South Africa, on a five-hour flight to Antarctica, where you’ll walk among a colony of 28,000 emperor penguins, followed by another flight taking you to the South Pole that few people ever see.

Here’s a glimpse of your all-inclusive vacation experience with White Desert in Antarctica:

• Each “South Pole & Emperors” departure is limited to 12 guests on private jet charters that are carbon-neutral
• The “luxury camp” called Whichaway features six heated “polar pods” with a “wash area and toilet” and a communal area with a lounge, library, and dining room serving gourmet international cuisine and the finest South African wines
• Activities include walkabouts with the penguin colony, exploring ice tunnels, ice climbing, and rope walking, and relaxation includes massages and a polar sauna.