All Inclusive = boring buffets, right? Not anymore. If you’re the food lover at the table, snapping your dish for socials before anyone can tuck in, this one’s for you. These handpicked places feature fine-dining options, à la carte restaurants and even Michelin-starred chefs – talk about a budget hack… it’s already paid for when you pick All Inclusive.
So, check out these foodie stays that will deliver more than Uber Eats ever could, or head straight to our best deals to book.
The Fives Beach Hotel & Residences
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
One of the best things about travelling is eating the local food – it just is – and nowhere does Mexican like Mexico (shock). The Fives Beach Hotel & Residence is a five-star beauty on Playa del Carmen. Step from the pool to the beach in seconds and lay out under the palms or make the most of that Caribbean sun and get your tan on. There’s a double infinity number but also six other swimming spots, all with their own bars, too. The spa is also incredible. There are 11 treatment cabins where you can indulge in a massage overlooking a cenote.
But for the food… There are 11 restaurants. Arezzo’s an Italian with an open kitchen to watch the chefs at work, Breeze Burger’s a great pick for an outdoor lunch or Chechén & Chakáh is the Mexican one. You’ll be greeted by Rosa herself at Casa de Rosa – pay her a visit for a proper foodie experience, learning pre-Hispanic cooking techniques you can take home with you. Then, of course, there’s the international buffet and another à la carte, as well as Thai, pizza, French, sushi and Caribbean options – and we’ve not even started on the bars.
The swim-up ones by the main pool are the star or Cantina 1910 is an adults-only fave for mangrove views and tequila tastings to the sound of a real mariachi band. You can sip from a coconut on the beach, take a seat at the Gin Bar, or refresh with a smoothie at the Natural Bar. One thing to know about this place, is that it’s got a wine cellar with more than 110 different labels to try – literally, why leave? In the evenings, the plaza comes alive with live music to complete the set-up.
Grand Palladium Lady Hamilton Resort & Spa
Lucea, Jamaica
How hot can you handle? Jamaica’s the land of all things spice, so Grand Palladium Lady Hamilton Resort & Spa in Lucea even puts on traditional jerk chicken from a little hut by the beach every afternoon. Tuck in on your towel on the beach because you’ll be staying right on the sand here. Plus, the hotel partners up with its next-door neighbour, Grand Palladium Jamaica Resort & Spa to offer you even more restaurant, bar and pool options.
There are five swimming pools here and the main one is only the biggest in the whole of Jamaica. It’s got four whirlpools and a swim-up bar, then there are adults-only pools with in-water loungers and built-in hot tubs. Another is known as the chill one, which is off to one side, and there’s a splashpool for kids with slides and fountains. You can get active with volleyball, basketball and football, as well as watersports down by the beach. Book in for some me-time at the spa or down at the sports bar, where you can still catch the next match while you’re away.
Now, for the main event, the 11 foodie spots. The line-up here includes three international buffets, the little jerk chicken hut on the sand and seven à la carte restaurants. You can go for Mexican, Asian, Indian, barbecue, Italian, seafood or local. Most of these spots have tables outside, overlooking one of the pools and some put on live music. The cocktails are flowing, too. The Infinity Saloon Bar has sea views and shows, or you can sip in front of an open-air, live performance at the Theatre Bar. With two hotels’ worth of places to pick from, we bet you can’t try them all…
Ikos Andalusia
Estepona, Spain
Menus designed by Michelin-starred chefs? Say less. Ikos Andalusia is a five-star special in Estepona along Spain’s Costa del Sol. Guests here get reserved sunloungers down on the sand-and-shingle beach, multiple pools with sea views and an epic spa that’s fitted with a sauna and steam room. It’s not just your food and drink that’s included here either, you can take the canoes and pedalos out on the water for 20 minutes for free each day and get involved in other activities, like beach volleyball, pilates, yoga and tennis.
If you fancy exploring the local town, Estepona’s just a 20-minute drive from here, where there are plenty of tapas bars – and before you think that sounds like a waste of an All Inclusive stay, this hotel has a dine-out scheme. This means you can eat out as part of your package at some places, too. Or, you can stick around for the nine restaurants right here. You’ve got one buffet, then a Greek place called Ouzo, Fresco, the Italian and Provence, the gourmet one, which all have Michelin-curated menus. The best of the best are cooking for you every evening, so you can bet you’ll need to book a table in advance… They serve both lunch and dinner though, so there’s plenty of chance to get your tastings in and tick an award-winning meal off your bucket list. There’s still an Asian restaurant on offer, the Beach Club and Spanish place to try, too. Kids are catered for everywhere, with special menus and the focus is always on the freshest, locally sourced ingredients.
Most of these places have a dress code, so that’s no flip-flops allowed, unfortunately, but you can do it for the Michelin meal… There are also nine bars to match and live music performances, theatre shows and movie nights taking place throughout each week.
Nana Golden Beach
Crete, Greece
It’s all gyros, Greek salads and heaps of tzatziki on the island of Crete. Nana Golden Beach is right on the coast in Hersonissos, complete with sea views, bougainvillea-filled gardens and two private coves. On your way to the water, you pass the main pool, which features a terracotta-topped swim-up bar and there are four more dotted around the place, as well as your own waterpark. There’s even a five-star PADI dive centre here, offering different courses to take you to the nearby reef.
On land, you can work up an appetite with some five-a-side football, beach volleyball or knocking up a game of tennis on the courts at the hotel’s very own Nana Tennis Academy. The kids’ playground might sound like a bit of an anti-climax after all that but there are three levels to the climbing frame for little ones to tackle. While they’re busy on the monkey bars, you can check out the spa…
Hungry yet? Now, for the eight restaurants. Artemis is your classic buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner and then the rest are all à la cartes. Poseidon is for fine dining or there’s Azzurro for Italian, Nami for Asian, Zorbas for Greek, Umi for Japanese, Thalassa is Mediterranean-style or there’s a steak place, too. You can dine at three out of these seven options per week and book your table via the hotel’s app. There are also five snack bars if you don’t want to leave the pool for long and plenty of bars to pick from. There’s Ammos Beach Bar, a music bar and an adults-only spot for sweeping sea views.
TUI BLUE Grand Azur
Marmaris, Turkey
TUI BLUEs are known for their foodie set-up – enter, TUI BLUE Grand Azur in Turkey’s buzzing Marmaris. Restaurant options here range from Eastern Mediterranean fine dining to live cooking stations. It’s listed as a foodie highlight, so you can expect all kinds of flavours. Levante is the boujie spot, so you can book a table here for a four-course dinner once per All Inclusive stay. Or, you can watch the chefs cook up your food live in the main restaurant. They do local and regional dishes and cater to veggie and vegan options, as well as dietary needs, too.
From May to October, the beach bar is open and serves beer, local wine and soft drinks down on the sand or there’s also the pool bar if you’re more of a lounger person. One more bar is inside, and you can order all the All Inclusive cocktails you like from 10am to midnight. The swimming pool situation is an indoor and outdoor number, and the spa is something else. The BLUEf!t® programme includes Aqua Fit, HIIT, yoga and pilates classes, then you can head to the Finnish sauna, steam bath and ice fountain. Book in for a massage in one of the treatment cabins or go for a traditional hammam. Plus, the beach is right there. Marmaris is an absolute picture of waterfront living. So, even though you’re All Inclusive, a walk along its strip of seafood restaurants and pretty old town is a must.
Now, it’s time to fill your belly from our full range of All Inclusive holidays.
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Author: Lily Owen
Last updated: 18/09/2024
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