With modern all-inclusive resorts dating back to the first Club Med location opened in Mallorca in the 1950s, the style and perception of this type of hotel have gone through multiple iterations over the ensuing decades.
The boom of all-inclusive hotels in Mexico and the Caribbean took place in the 1980s, as the lower cost of airfare began sending travelers with different budgets to the region.
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Large players in the space include Riu Hotels & Resorts, Iberostar, and Hyatt (H) through its Inclusive collection.
While each chain has a range of properties with different and increasingly high-end offerings, all-inclusives have in recent years become synonymous with a not-particularly-adventurous traveler looking to forgo authentic experiences for an easy vacation.
“Minimal stress” main reason Gen Z increasingly opts for all-inclusive resorts: Expedia
According to the trends report that Expedia (EXPE) published for 2025, this is starting to change with a new generation of travelers.
The travel booking platform dubbed the half of the 2020s that is yet to come “the all-inclusive era,” as 42% of the Gen Z travelers that it polled for the report named the all-inclusive as their favorite hotel type. Similarly, Hotels.com recorded a 60% increase in searches for all-inclusive properties compared to the previous year.
“Why is the next generation of travelers opting for all-inclusives?” Expedia writes in the Unpack '25 report. “Forty-one percent (41%) of Gen Zers say minimal stress is the top reason they are living in the All-Inclusive Era, followed by ease of booking (39%) and because it gives them a feeling of luxury (38%).”
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Generally classified as those born between 1997 and 2012, Gen Z has in recent years reached the age where they are booking travel independently of their parents. This is starting to shed light on travel trends the industry can expect to see in the coming decades.
One third of the young travelers polled in the survey also said that their opinion of all-inclusive resorts has improved in recent years.
Image source: Marriott
TikTok popularity and adults-only: the future of the all-inclusive resort in years to come
Many properties have received an unexpected boost from younger visitors chronicling their visits on TikTok.
In addition, adults-only all-inclusives are seeing particularly strong demand. Even travelers who reached adulthood just a few years ago want to try out a child-free resort experience, and hotel chains are increasingly investing in new locations to cater to them.
Mexican hotel chain Groupo Posadas has revealed plans to open an additional 1,300 rooms at various new all-inclusive hotels in the country by the end of 2025, while occupancy of existing resorts was at 76% throughout last year.
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Some new resorts to open in the region include the first all-inclusive luxury resort under Marriott International's (MAR) W brand with the adults-only W Punta Cana and the 229-room Fiesta Americana Nuevo Vallarta opened in June 2025.
Another new Groupo Posadas property, the Fiesta Americana Funeeq Punta Cana, is slated to opened in the fall of 2025.
Two more adults-only hotels — the Royalton CHIC Jamaica Paradise Cove and the Royalton Vessence Barbados — are among those that will open in the Caribbean region in 2026.
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Make a free appointment with TheStreet’s Travel Agent Partner, Postcard Travel, or email Amy Post at amypost@postcardtravelplanning.com or call or text her at 386-383-2472.
