An all-inclusive resort is a good idea if you want to focus on activities with your kid(s) and have a central location. You can also place a limit on having to make “vacation decisions,” which can be so helpful with all the decisions you already have to make with a baby!

All-inclusive resorts have your meals planned and ready for you, and they usually have some add-on activities or excursions that you can do as a family. Each package is different and could also have tiers for certain things.

Also, many all-inclusive resorts have “babysitting” for children over a certain age. Some of our friends have taken their resorts up on this so that they can have time to themselves. What a time!

Why go to an all-inclusive with a baby?

A few big reasons come to mind for a lot of parents who are traveling with a baby. So many all-inclusive resorts are family-friendly, and market themselves to families. Check out the reasons here for why to go.

Stress-free

For many parents, an all-inclusive resort is the most stress-free way to travel with a baby. All you really have to do is get to the hotel (after you book), and then your nightly accommodation, food, drinks, entertainment and access to amenities is paid for and ready for you.

Airport pickup services

Most all-inclusives even have services that will pick you up at the airport, right from your flight. This helps with the stress of having to look for a taxi when you land, when you’re bogged down with all your baby stuff like the car seat, stroller and luggage!

Warm climates and tropical destinations

Many all-inclusive resorts are located in warm climates or tropical places, and make great destinations to explore in the sun with a baby. Of course, this is an amazing way to escape the winter cold, darkness and snow if you live in a place that gets a proper winter climate!

Other families and babies

If you choose a family-friendly resort, there will typically be other families with young children and babies, and it is a nice way to “not be the only people with a baby.”

It’s also great for being social, if you’re the type who likes to make friends while traveling (that’s us!).

What to consider when choosing an all-inclusive resort vacation (with a baby)

There are excellent and well-known reasons that families opt for all-inclusive resorts when traveling with a baby or toddler. In addition to those, check out what to keep in mind, if you haven’t thought of the considerations here.

Price

All-inclusive resorts are typically not cheap, and when traveling with a baby, you’ll likely want to go to a resort with great reviews, vetted by other families.

Note: The bright side is that when you book an all-inclusive in an international location like Mexico, you can usually get a better bang for your buck and score some great value.

Minimum age for babysitting amenities

While many all-inclusive resorts that categorize themselves as “family-friendly” offer babysitting services, there is often a minimum age, like 18 months, or 2 years.

Type of room

If you have already learned that you don’t like to room-share with a baby when you travel, opt to book a suite, or a hotel room with a place where the baby can sleep, separated from you. Often, these are readily available, as are “swim-up” rooms or rooms with private pools. This is also really nice if you’d want privacy with your baby, or access to a pool when the hotel’s pool hours are over.

Similarity to a cruise

An all-inclusive resort is similar to a cruise ship vacation, but you’ll get tons more space in your hotel room and there’s no sea sickness! It can be a “happy medium” choice if one parent is really into cruising, but the family wants to take a shorter trip.

Asking for recommendations

As all-inclusive resort vacations are incredibly popular for families with babies and toddlers, make sure to ask around friends, family and parent groups online for recommendations. Our friends with your children are full of recommendations already, from having started staying at all-inclusive resorts as soon as they were ready to travel with their babies.

Proximity to medical services

Do a little research about the proximity to medical services. Or if the resort has any type of first-line medical services, that’s a plus. Contact your booking agent, travel agent or the hotel’s booking staff to learn about this in regard to babies and emergency services.

Distance from home (available flight paths)

It may seem obvious, but how easy are the travel days to and from the resort?

The resort might seem perfect, but how is the flight to get there? Is it too expensive? Are there crazy layovers, like layovers that get in at nighttime and depart the next morning, leaving not much time to rest? Don’t forget about flights because they are part of the equation.

Cancellation policy

What is the cancellation policy? Things happen and if you’re unable to go because of illness or something else, you don’t want to be stuck with a package that you can’t actually use.

You can consider trip insurance as well. With either approach, familiarize yourself with the policy so you have a backup plan if you need to make adjustments.

Baby amenities

Check for cribs and high chairs. It’s another thing that might seem obvious, but it is an important step in your booking. Photos and reviews should help, and you can also send a quick note to their support to ask what they have to accommodate your child. If there is a “search” option within available reviews, search with keywords like “baby,” “crib” or “toddler.”

How to vet an all-inclusive resort (Is it family-friendly?)

Remember: not ALL resorts in the world are family-friendly. We suggest looking at photos on the website, reading reviews, going off word-of-mouth or trusted recommendations, and getting all the info you can, before booking.

Here are some additional tips:

  • Avoid resorts known for “spring break” (March), bachelor/bachelorette parties and adult partying (noisy neighbors, parties that take over the pool, loud DJs, hotel bars that could be underneath your hotel room).
  • Read reviews online and ask for referrals from friends. Use keyword search options like “Family,” “Baby” and “Toddler.”
  • Peruse photos on Google Maps reviews: do the photos have families with young children or babies?
  • Ask around in family travel Facebook groups for experiences from real parents who have traveled to all-inclusive resorts in recent years. We recommend groups like Families Love Travel and Families Who Love to Travel (groups like these!).