Planning an all-inclusive holiday no longer guarantees automatic savings. Due to post-pandemic price changes, rising food costs and the emergence of dozens of new resorts in Mexico and the Caribbean, travellers can end up overpaying thousands of dollars if they book by the old “rules”.
According to experts, the main way to cut the cost of a 2027 holiday is to understand how resorts set their rates and to use their pricing policies to your advantage. Travel specialist and NerdWallet expert Sally French emphasises that the general rise in restaurant prices (around 3.5% per year) makes all-inclusive stays more convenient for budgeting, as most expenses are known in advance.
One of the less obvious ways to save is to consider adults-only resorts. Using the example of the two “sister” hotels Secrets and Dreams Playa Mujeres, French notes that in her analysis of 150 comparable rooms on different dates throughout the year, the adults-only Secrets resort, which had recently been renovated, actually turned out to be cheaper, while the family-oriented Dreams was roughly 4% more expensive. The expert explains this by saying that couples without children have more accommodation options and can be more active in choosing between offers, whereas families with children have fewer options, which affects prices.
You can also save extra by choosing hotels during their opening period. New resorts are keen to fill rooms and quickly gather reviews, so they often offer discounts of around 25% during “grand opening” promotions, especially in the adults-only segment. To catch such deals in time, experts advise subscribing to e-mail newsletters and social media pages of major hotel chains. New properties are appearing most actively, in particular, in regions such as the Riviera Maya in Mexico and the Dominican Republic.
Another savings strategy is to use reward points and package deals. Sally French points out that some hotel chains waive resort and service fees if the booking is made entirely with reward points. For example, for stays in standard rooms under the Hilton Honors programme, including at Hilton all-inclusive resorts, such fees are not charged. Under the World of Hyatt programme, resort fees are also not levied on all award stays, including at the Secrets and Dreams brands. At the same time, at Marriott and IHG, additional daily charges may still apply even when paying with points.
Before transferring accumulated points between programmes, experts recommend carefully reading the terms and conditions: different redemption categories apply to all-inclusive stays, some free night certificates do not work there, and an extra supplement may be charged for more than two guests in a room.
A separate question is how to buy air tickets: together with the resort as a package, or separately. French notes that sometimes bundled packages from services such as Costco Travel offer significant savings thanks to bulk purchasing and closed-member fares, which can be combined with additional bonuses. However, for travellers who actively use air miles or have attractive offers from airlines, booking flights and hotels separately can sometimes work out cheaper.
Experts advise not to focus only on the initial tour price, but to analyse the cost structure: the timing of the resort’s opening, potential discounts, loyalty programme terms and package deals. With well-planned arrangements, a luxury all-inclusive holiday in 2027 can cost significantly less than it might appear at first glance.