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THE MAINSTREAM APPEAL OF ALL- INCLUSIVE RESORTS .
By HARVEY CHIPKIN
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All-inclusive resorts have become allpervasive . Major brands have lined up and made significant investments in the segment , with the properties becoming more diversified by region , by price category and by market appeal . It has been a long road to get to this point . Scott Berman , a longtime hospitality consultant who is now an independent board director , has worked with all-inclusive operators for decades . As he tells it , it was Club Med that pioneered the category with its small “ clubs ” around ski resorts going back to the late 1950s .
With the coming of Sandals
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and SuperClubs in the 1980s , Berman continued , upscale allinclusives in Jamaica impressed developers with higher margins than traditional resorts and economics that were easier to forecast . That drove expansion elsewhere in the Caribbean and , ultimately , Mexico .
An inflection point occurred in 2021 , according to Alejandro Rodriguez del Peon , VP of marketing and public relations at Blue Diamond Resorts . It was in that year that Marriott International and Blue Diamond announced a partnership , showcasing the strength of collaboration to drive immediate market presence . Shortly after , Hyatt Hotels Corp . acquired
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Apple Leisure Group , bringing several established all-inclusive brands into its portfolio . Hilton followed suit by establishing its own all-inclusive division , underscoring the potential for growth through internal brand creation .
Adam Stewart , executive chairman of Sandals International and the son of Gordon ( Butch ) Stewart , the company ’ s pioneering founder , said that Sandals “ is proud to have played an instrumental role in elevating the all-inclusive experience .” Sandals , an originator in the space , helped pave the way for many of hospitality ’ s most wellknown brands to enter this space with confidence .
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18 hotelsmag . com Jan / Feb 2025 |