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Having stayed at more than 30 adult only all inclusive resorts including Secrets, Couples, Sandals, Iberostar Grande, El Dorado and more, I am frequently asked which is the best.  All of these resort groups are quality brand name chains.  All have multiple locations in the Caribbean and Mexico with newer and older resorts, bigger and smaller hotels, simpler and more luxurious settings.  All have special features that may be on your wish list and all offer a range of room categories and price points with varying amenities and services.

So what if your destination is flexible and money is no object?   Which is the best adult only all inclusive resort?  I still don’t have a quick answer because it’s like naming a favorite restaurant.  My favorites are Italian, Mexican and Thai but you may be a steak or sushi person and choosing the best is difficult because they are totally different. That said, there are some broad generalizations I am willing to make about adult only all inclusive resorts  -

• El Dorado, Secrets and Iberostar Grande are best for single adults, adults traveling with friends,  multi-generational families with adult children and couples that find PDA’s a bit much.
• Sandals Resorts are best for a romantic getaway, honeymoon or destination wedding with a couples only format and large selection of islands, resort locations, room styles and prices.
• Sandals Resorts include the widest range of motorized and non motorized watersports, land sports, resort activities and evening entertainment.
• Couples Resorts include more off resort tours.
• Iberostar Grand has more organized group activities and a higher rate of participation.
• Iberostar Grand has the most opulent lobbies and grounds and their pools compete with Sandals’ fantasy pools for best in class.
• All of these resorts are beachfront but not all beaches are created equal, so again, it’s important to be specific.  Each of the chains has resorts with great and not so great beaches.
• All of the resorts have specialty international restaurants and a high standard of food quality and presentation and all but Secrets offer dining options with and without reservations.
• In bars and lounges all of these resorts include alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages with top shelf brands available.  All include house wines and beer with bottles of wine available for purchase.
• Iberostar Grand has the most luxurious entry level rooms with shared butler service, jetted soaking tubs and more.
• Rooms at Secrets are contemporary in styling and we love the “Secret box” for do not disturb room service delivery.
• Rooms and suites at Sandals Resorts are  more traditional in decor and range from standard hotel rooms to beachfront villas and “to die for” millionaire suites with private pool and butler
• Rooms at Couples Resorts can be minimalistic although we love the plantation suites at Couples Swept Away and every room has what you need to be comfortable.
• Room service and in room bars vary widely within chains and even room categories. Only Sandals includes full size bottles of liquor, wine and champagne plus beer, soft drinks, mixers, fruit juice and water in concierge rooms and butler suites. Standard rooms include soft drinks, water and juice. Couples allows you to personalize a minibar with a selection of liquor, wine and beer but quantities are restricted and champagne is not an option. Secrets includes beer, soft drinks and water in every room and Preferred Club rooms add alcohol but no wine or champagne. Iberostar Grand offers a selection of wine and liquor in airplane sized bottles plus beer, soft drinks and water.

Hopefully this gives you a starting point to find the best all inclusive resort for your tropical honeymoon or adult only vacation. For more detail, please read our individual resort reviews of Secrets, Couples, El Dorado and Sandals Resorts. Then call or email if you’d like help choosing the best resort for you and we’ll talk about your wish list and priorities.  I’ve been to all the popular destinations and stayed at almost all the resorts and can help you find the perfect spot!

Because I’ve been to all the Sandals Resorts numerous times and written several articles about how to choose the best Sandals Resort for an adult only all inclusive vacation, I get lots of emails and calls asking my opinion.  Lately, a number of inquiries have referenced a web site which ranks Sandals Resorts from best to worst.  So I found the site, read the list and decided it was time to update my own guide to finding the best Sandals Resort.

First let me say there is a lot of helpful information on the web and Trip Advisor is a fabulous tool when used properly.   With Trip Advisor you are clearly reading one individual’s opinion, each resort review is dated, you can identify trends (and throw out glaring exceptions), and you can somewhat qualify the author’s experience by reading the review carefully and within context.   Unfortunately that isn’t the case with the aforementioned best to worst Sandals list and while I agree with some statements about individual resorts, I disagree with an equal number.

The author of the rank ordered list is anonymous and should you wish to ask a question or request further information, you will find your email undeliverable and no phone number to call.  The printed Sandals Resort reviews are merely a summary of traveler opinions without the individual perspective, date or context.  And frankly that means everything helpful is missing!

The “deals page” mentions 2010 and 2011 as a good time for a discount and links to a dead web site.  Plus the concept of offering the best price on Sandals Resorts is completely misleading as Sandals sets its own specials and promotions and guarantees the same price through all distribution channels, online and human.  Period, over and out, guaranteed in writing!

Most importantly, a list of this sort is out of date the moment it’s printed and with Sandals Resorts this happens even more quickly.  Two new resorts, Sandals Emerald Bay and Sandals Royal Plantation, opened since the list was published and both would be top contenders for “The best Sandals Resort” in my opinion.  Another long time favorite, Sandals Dunns River, is no longer a Sandals Resort because necessary renovations were not agreed to by the owner and Sandals refused to renew their management contract.   Still another resort, Sandals Grande Ocho Rios, has been transformed in recent months with the infusion of tens of millions of dollars and is now Sandals Grande Riviera and Golf Club.  For all intents and purposes this is a new resort with remodeled rooms, additional restaurants and new, very chic beach club.

As I write, Sandals Grande St Lucian is undergoing a huge expansion and will soon offer the Caribbean’s first overwater bungalows.  A new pool area, new restaurants and additional bars are also part of the expansion.  Sandals Whitehouse has announced plans for a golf course and nearby all inclusive Beaches Family Resort and the list goes on and on….

So why write about the best Sandals Resorts?  Because there are a huge number of people who want help choosing the best Sandals resort for their vacation and I answer questions about Sandals all inclusive resorts every day.  But to be helpful I’ll want to know your wish list, your style, your travel timeframe and your budget before suggesting the best resort for a romantic honeymoon or adult only all inclusive vacation.  That’s because there is no “best resort” for everyone but there is a best resort for you!

That’s’ also why Sandals has a specialist program, lists Preferred Agencies on their web site and recognizes the top travel agents every year as “Best of the Best”.  With 13 adult only all inclusive resorts on five Caribbean islands, and prices from about $300/night for an entry level room to more than $1500/night for an over the top butler suite, it can be overwhelming to choose a resort and room category.  But we’ve been to all the resorts and it won’t cost a penny extra to have the help of a Sandals Resort specialist.  So please call, email or book online.  Sandals guarantees the lowest price available and we love to spoil our clients!

P.S.  The same philosophy applies to selecting the best resort in Bora Bora or the best vacation package in Tahiti, choosing a honeymoon resort in Fiji or selecting the best all inclusive resort in Mexico.  We publish resort reviews on all these destinations and regularly write and post pictures on favorite resorts.  So subscribe to our RSS feed or check back regularly.  Happy travels!