The Ten Best All Inclusive Resorts. The Travel Insider Picks Our Ten Favorite All Inclusive Resorts

Compiling our list from client trip reports and our own on site visits, the Travel Insider shares our 2008 “Top Ten All inclusive Resorts.” Actually we cheated this year because we have included all 13 of Sandals Resort Chain’s resorts in our list. We couldn’t vote for just one, although the Bahamian resort topped our staff’s poll, so we decided to include the chain in our list. Our favorites are compiled from client and our own on site trip reports. Our list is updated annually. Remember it is purely subjective. We invite you to nominate your favorite all inclusive resort.

Click on the resort names for additional reviews of the properties from Tripadvisor.com.

Goldeneye Resort in St Mary Jamaica
We are James Bond fans and that certainly adds to the allure of this resort and our placing Goldeneye in our favorite resort listing. Ian Flemming’s Goldeneye is a Jamaican retreat built by "James Bond" novelist Ian Fleming in the 1950s. He spend nearly 20 winters at this idyllic spot and penned 14 of his famous "007" thrillers here. His hideaway is now available as a resort. Goldeneye is truly a magical place, providing simple luxury and casual comfort.

The resort is comprised of Fleming's original three-bedroom home along with four villas varying from one to three bedroom units. The entire property is available as one unit, or you may choose the main house or the individual private villas.

Having first fallen in love with Jamaica in the 1940s, Fleming built Goldeneye on a bluff overlooking a secluded cove. He once wrote, "Would these books have ever been written if I had not been living in the gorgeous vacuum of a Jamaica holiday? I doubt it".

Fleming also hosted many celebrities at his island retreat, including Errol Flynn, Elizabeth Taylor, Evelyn Waugh, Donald Sutherland, Cecil Beaton and Noel Coward, whose own Jamaican hideaway, Firefly, is nearby in Galina - now a museum. Sting wrote the song “Every breath your take” at Goldeneye. It has become a favorite of the likes of Johnny Depp, Jim Carrey, Harrison Ford, and Pierce Brosnan, not to mention supermodels Cindy Crawford, Kate Moss, Christy Turlington and Naomi Campbell. Bob Marley almost bought the home, but backed off at the last minute.

One of the reasons the celebrities flock to this resort is the privacy. Goldeneye’s main beach is private and uncrowded. Its soft white sand and warm crystal waters are simply incomparable. If you've ever dreamt of the perfect beach-absolute privacy and serenity-but thought that it couldn't exist in the real world, think again. Each villa is equipped with James Bond boxed sets and more premium liquor than you can drink in a dozen vacations.

A fantasy getaway. 007 allure. Privacy. Great food. A combination that makes Goldeneye one of our favorite all inclusive resorts.

The Sandals Chain
Sandals Resorts have been voted for the last 11 years, "World's Best", by travel agents worldwide. Sandals Resorts and Spas, started 25 years ago, when a savvy Jamaican business man, Gordon "Butch" Stewart, came up with an idea to create destination spots in Jamaica, and offer an all-inclusive environment. The idea was that once you arrive you can leave your worries behind. We think that Sandals does the all inclusive right over and over again. At Sandals everything is included with an emphasis on quality. The combination of location, top-class facilities and quality of service has made Sandals one of the most successful providers of all-inclusive holidays in the world. Each of the beachfront Sandals properties delivers a scope of activities, attention to detail and emphasis on luxury that results in the perfect holiday experience for couples or families.

Our favorite Sandals resort is the Royal Bahamian with its off shore island, seven pools, eight restaurants, butler service and Rolls Royce airport pickup. We believe the resort meets the demands of even the most discriminating traveler.

Secrets Excellence Punta Cana
Secrets has earned high ratings from our clients. Secrets is located far from crowds in a forest of seven thousand palm trees on a remote stretch of Punta Cana’s Caribbean shoreline. Secrets Excellence offers moonlit horseback rides on the beach, live stage shows featuring Latin American dance and music, and a casino. Secrets Excellence provides the perfect playground with two giant pools including swim-up bars and pool side meals under palapas. The world-class spa and fitness center give guests an opportunity to keep up their workout schedules and pamper their bodies. The resort has seven different restaurants with cuisines from around the world. Our clients especially enjoyed seaside candlelight dinners. The property is all suites with a four post canopy bed. World class spa. Adults only. Perfect beach. Our favorite, hammocks for two.

Iberostar Bavaro Punta Cana
Another all suites resort in Punta Cana that earns high rating from our clients and the Travel Insider Staff. A huge skeleton of a whale carved from wood, a wall which transforms into a waterfall, an old Chevy car - all part of the visual delights you'll see within an array of buffet and a la carte restaurants throughout the whole complex. And to top it off, a disco which is in theme of an old DC6 airplane, with the cone as the DJ booth, the wings as the bar counters. Arguably the best beach in Punta Cana, Bavaro Beach, with white sand and turquoise waters. Villas are set in gardens of tropical flowers, lagoons, and palms. Nine restaurants. Small casino.

Royal Hideaway Playacar Riviera Maya Mexico
Notes from one Travel Insider staffer’s recent visit to the resort. “Small resort just 178 rooms. Full activities program. Absolutely a first class property. Six ala carte restaurants. Extensive concierge service and pool side attendants. Our favorite, the champagne at check in. We recommend this resort for decompressing. Stunning beach. Absolutely five star food service. Classy and relaxing. The entire family is welcome but caters to couples.” Absolutely a distinctive property earning a place on our top ten all inclusive resort lists.

Franklyn D Resort Runaway Bay Jamaica
We always try to include a family friendly resort in our top ten list and the Franklyn D Resort wins our recommendation this year. This resort pioneered the vacation nanny. Your vacation nanny looks after you, your suite, and especially your children whom she will happily supervise all day FDR is a small, intimate resort. Children enjoy a sense of independence here even though they are never far from the attentive companionship of their vacation nanny, an activity coordinator or relaxed parental observation.

Our client’s almost always have had some concerns about the vacation nanny. However, they soon discover that FDR’s vacation nannies are competent, experienced and love what they do. They're warm and caring people who will accompany their little charges to all the activities at FDR such as swimming, painting or treasure hunts. Vacation nannies remove the worry factor from your vacation and allow you the parental freedom to take time to yourselves, rekindle romance or simply relax.

Whatever the resort lacks, it is not five star, the staff makes up for it. The resort has a special buffet catered to kid’s appetite. Decent adult food as well. Average beach. Some complaints from clients about the suite’s furnishing. But again the vacation nanny and staff make up for the shortcomings.





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