It’s not that ‘all-inclusive’ was ever a bad phrase. But the likelihood of any seasoned traveller hearing those words and immediately wanting to book a trip would have once been slim to none. Largely because the term previously conjured up little plastic wristbands, lurid coloured cocktails and some sort of water-aerobics-class schedule set to the dulcet tones of Nineties dance music.
Mercifully, things have moved on somewhat, and 2026 looks set to be the year that all-inclusive hotels hit their stride in a serious way — with Gen Z leading the charge in appetite for a holiday where every detail is taken care of. The difference now is that people aren’t looking for a way to save on meals, but, instead, are craving meaning and connection: places with a strong sense of story, culture and emotional resonance.
According to Michelle Ford, General Manager of Namia River Retreat in Hoi An and CEO of Lumina Wellbeing, the shift has been driven by a change in what travellers want. ‘Guests are looking for more than unlimited dining. They’re seeking experiences that help them slow down, reconnect and feel well again,’ she says.
Vietnam has emerged as an unexpected leader in this space. The country’s deep-rooted wellness traditions and famously warm hospitality have created fertile ground for a new kind of all-inclusive, one that blends cultural immersion with restorative practices. At Namia, for instance, Thuoc Nam, a traditional Vietnamese herbal philosophy, is woven into each day’s rituals, from gentle yoga to meditative treatments, and every guest receives daily spa treatments included in their rate. It’s this golden thread of holistic hospitality that underpins Namia’s approach: the belief that hospitality should be transformative, not transactional.
The resort’s concept is rooted in what Ford describes as ‘a love letter to Hoi An’. Every element, she explains, has been ‘carefully and intentionally selected’, then brought to life by a predominantly local team who share their hometown through bicycle rides, conversations and everyday moments that feel personal rather than performed.
This isn’t just about free-flowing cocktails served straight to your sunlounger and endless excessive buffets. Instead, the all-inclusive offering has diversified, and participation in everything on offer is key. Wellness — often an optional extra elsewhere — is seamlessly woven into the stay at Namia, where there is ‘100 per cent uptake’ in spa and wellness experiences, simply because they are included and gently integrated into daily life. As Ford notes, ‘There’s a beautiful, restful slowness that settles over the resort’, as guests begin to sleep better, move more freely and reconnect with themselves.
That desire for depth over distraction explains why all-inclusive hotels are not only more popular than ever, but better than they’ve ever been, too. From tailored Nordic adventures at Eleven Deplar Farm in Iceland to guided meditation practices at Bawah Reserve in Indonesia, guests have an increasingly attractive menu of options to pick from, leaving little doubt that the all-inclusive stay has become the new benchmark of true luxury travel. Browse some of our favourite hotels that take hospitality to a whole new level below.
CEYLON TEA TRAILS
Hill Country, Sri Lanka
What’s included? A menu tailored to your preferences, pre-dinner cocktails and canapés, all soft drinks and some alcoholic drinks, butler service that includes unpacking (plus daily laundry and ironing), a tea-factory tour and various games such as croquet and billiards
‘I was up anyway’, says our butler at 4am when we appear in the hall ready to climb Adam’s Peak in time for sunrise. He’s there to surprise us with a picnic (and unwittingly crush us with guilt) to snack on as the mist lifts in the valley we’ll be travelling to.
This sort of thing is precisely why Ceylon Tea Trails, in the heart of Sri Lanka’s historic Hill Country, is one of the country’s most special hotels; a place like nowhere else. It’s formed of several colonial houses, surrounded by the terraced plantings neatly laid out around a pristine lake. Getting here is half the fun — the most common route is riding the train out of Colombo. It’s a five-hour journey, so we’d suggest treating yourself to the first-class carriage, where you can comfortably take in the sea of green swishing past as you clamber up into tea country.
Each bungalow is different, with varying numbers of bedrooms and unique decor. What they all have in common is a crack squad of hosts — nothing is too much trouble for this team. Forget mundane tasks like unpacking, and hand over all household responsibilities to your assigned butler, who will arrange for all your items to be washed and pressed each day. There’s a bell beside the bed should you need something, and wherever you go there seems to be someone there as if by magic.
True hospitality is an art, and the staff here are old masters, adding colour to every aspect of your holiday. Toasted golden cashews and crispy, fried curry leaves arrive beside the pool with frosted iced drinks during an evening swim; an afternoon-tea tray hovers across the veranda as you stretch out under overhead wooden fans; and dinner is completely at your discretion. At breakfast, your host will run through the suggested menu for the day, where you can request changes, but platters piled high with jewelled biryani and fragrant curries are hard to argue with. Come evening, the fires are lit in living rooms filled with period treasures, and cocktails and wine flow freely until you’re ready to tuck yourself into your four-poster bed or draw yourself a deep soak in your roll-top bath.
During the day, there are beautiful pools to swim in, croquet to play and even a tea-factory tour to undertake. Ceylon Tea Trails has four other sister sites on the island, too, which range from the beachy Cape Weligama where you can ride bikes and scuba-dive, to Wild Coast Tented Lodge with its daily game drives.
NAMIA RIVER RETREAT
Hoi An, Vietnam
What’s included? Two daily spa treatments per person, use of the sauna, walking meditation, yoga, exercise classes, a sundown river cruise, evening drinks, various local ceremonies and bike hire
Vietnam appears to be quietly leading the charge in a new world of wellness, one where the all-inclusive offering extends beyond the buffet into a daily menu of free spa treatments and experiences that encourage you to recharge and reconnect. Opened in 2024, Namia River Retreat is sandwiched peacefully between two rivers, with rooms branching off from a central vein that leads to the spa and studio space in the middle.
Wander up here wrapped in a robe and the team will spend hours buffing out every bead of stress in your body. The menu covers everything, from facials and hammam treatments to a cupping and more. The surroundings are peaceful and aesthetically pleasing in tones of brown and cream, with a central apothecary-style bar and luxe lounging quarters. Therapists are, naturally, world-class.
Back at your private basecamp, your own pool and a sunken indoor bath give soaking options whatever the weather — and lazily watching the traffic on the river float by is one of the loveliest ways to unwind after a day of sightseeing in Hoi An.
BAWAH RESERVE
Bawah Island, Indonesia
What’s included? Daily spa treatments, yoga, Pilates, meditation, snorkelling, paddle-boarding and guided forest treks
The point of paradise is presumably that it can’t be improved upon, but Bawah Reserve gives it a good go. In one of the globe’s most remote corners, the team has offered a dose of divine intervention to a series of dinky islands to take them from inhospitable (if very beautiful) to heavenly and holiday-ready.
You’re met at your chosen arrival airport (Singapore or Batam) by a member of staff, who then arranges an escort for every step of the way until your seaplane lands on water so clear you can see the seabed metres below.
From the minute you’re in their care the team here seems to anticipate your needs. On arrival, you’ll find a suggested itinerary based on your likes, but days are flexible and can be designed around your whims. You might begin with yoga or Pilates by the sea, before a mid-morning snorkel reveals Technicolor coral gardens. Then there’s the excruciating choice between a nap or tackling one of the guided forest treks that wind through canopies filled with tropical birds.
Daily treatments are included at the spa, which means you’ll quickly develop a relationship with your therapist that has the potential to border on a dependency. Oils, scrubs and balms play into the wider sustainable ethos of the property, which includes ditching single-use plastics, using clean energy and construction done without machinery to minimise the impact on the surrounding environment.
Evenings on Bawah unfold gently, beginning with a cocktail as the sun slides behind the lagoon and the sky bruises into pinks. Dinners are at your discretion, either in the restaurant or out on your own. That might mean a barefoot barbecue on the sand or something more formal under flickering lanterns, but the food generally takes a local slant.
If you’re adventurous but have been spoiled by knowing the joys of luxury hotels, this is a haven that seamlessly combines both, with a healthy dose of feel-good sustainability thrown in for good measure.
ELEVEN DEPLAR FARM
Troll Peninsula, Iceland
What’s included? Fully tailored itineraries with two, guide-led adventures a day (seasonal activities include heli-skiing, whale-watching, hiking and ice-fishing), all meals, airport transfers to and from Akureyri and a dedicated experience manager
Hidden deep in Iceland’s Troll Peninsula, Eleven Deplar Farm has the advantage of having very few neighbours. The black-timber lodge crouches at the bottom of a snow-covered valley among a handful of turf-roofed houses. It’s alluringly remote and peaceful, a place to press pause and revel in feeling like you’re one of the few people who have made it to this magical edge of the world.
Stays here are entirely bespoke, and the team of adventure concierges craft itineraries based on a detailed questionnaire you complete pre-stay. In winter, that might mean heli-skiing straight from the farm’s private helipad, whale-watching off the fjords, or ice-fishing on a frozen lake (maybe with the Northern Lights overhead). In summer, swap skis for saddles, kayaks or fly-fishing rods.
Inside, the lodge is all rugged luxury: thick furs, stone fireplaces and floor-to-ceiling windows framing endless white horizons. The spa — with its geothermal pool, sauna and flotation tanks — feels like a sanctuary after long days of high-adrenaline activities.
Evenings are warm and convivial, with most guests choosing to break bread together (although you can dine privately, too). Cocktails are poured by the fire before multi-course feasts are served and stories swapped.
KUDADOO PRIVATE ISLAND
Maldives
What’s included? Almost everything: unlimited spa treatments, diving, watersports, private dining, excursions and 24-hour butler service
This private island in the Maldives’ Lhaviyani Atoll has quietly redefined the meaning of all-inclusive. It’s less ‘package wristband’, more ‘blank cheque’. Designed by New York-based architect Yuji Yamazaki, Kudadoo’s 15 overwater residences showcase a sleek, sustainable minimalism that draws on their creator’s penchant for Japanese design: teak decks and glassy infinity pools hovering over azure ocean. Interiors are warm and contemporary, lined with blonde wood and stocked with ample champagne. Each villa is assigned a butler who seems to know just when to drop by. Fresh fruit platter? Booked. Private snorkel with manta rays? Arranged. Candlelit dinner on a sandbank? Give them 10 minutes.
Spa treatments — like everything else here — are unlimited: you can book as many sessions as you wish, from Balinese massages to sound-therapy rituals, all set within a serene overwater pavilion (or in your room, if you prefer). Otherwise, there’s diving, paddle-boarding, or just the meditative art of floating in your pool, spying baby reef sharks. There’s very little that’s off-limits here.
Dining is as decadent or as discreet as you please. There are two restaurants, but most meals are private affairs: breakfast in bed, lunch on your deck, dinner at sea. There are plenty of options for snackers, too, including a wine cellar with bottomless charcuterie and cheese platters to pick at while you enjoy unlimited glasses of champagne from the sommelier’s selection.
Despite its opulence, Kudadoo is about barefoot luxury; you’re encouraged to disconnect and enjoy simple pleasures, such as watching the sunset or sleeping in for longer. With its unique concept, which requires you to pay upfront, by the time you leave, you’ll have forgotten how to sign a bill.
FOGO ISLAND INN
Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada
What’s included? All meals, daily island orientation, cultural experiences with local hosts, community hikes and use of bicycles
On this north-east tip of North America, non-islanders have the (now Broadway-famous) nickname ‘come from away’ or ‘CFA’. But at Fogo Island Inn, all are immersed in the centuries-old Newfoundland community. Local architect Todd Saunders’ stilted building cuts a striking, Scandi-inspired figure over the sleepy fishing village of Joe Batt’s Arm, but here, the hygge is all homegrown.
Staff are as warm as the summer temperatures, and suites are populated with the work of the island’s artisans — we’re big fans of the handcrafted quilts especially. Guests can gaze out through the glass walls at the expanse of sea, before embarking on some edge-of-the-world adventures — from beach walks and boat-building to bird-watching, foraging workshops, stargazing, jam-making, trout fishing and whale-watching. But if that sounds a bit too much like hard work, soak in the scenery from the rooftop hot tub instead.
The fine-dining restaurant juts dramatically out over the coast; finish the day there over a plate of something freshly fished or foraged (alcohol isn’t included, but set aside spending money for the signature Negroni, featuring ice shaved straight off a nearby iceberg). Amy Martin
NIHI SUMBA
Sumba, Indonesia
What’s included? Select daily excursions with local guides, yoga and meditation classes, snorkelling, stand-up paddle-boarding, and use of padel and pickleball courts
Nimbly balancing luxury and local spirit, Nihi Sumba is an all-inclusive induction into one of Indonesia’s least explored islands. A team of local guides are your in to the island’s lush coast, verdant valleys and ancient communities — pitch in with community projects, snorkel with the local life aquatic and get acquainted with the island’s equine residents at the stables.
But if even wild horses couldn’t drag you away from a spa day, no judgement here; simply hole up in one of the open-air pavilions for a lavender-scented scrub down with a sea view. And the cocktail list down at the beach club will have anyone feeling convivial; but if you’re longing for some ‘just the two of us’ time, take to your villa’s private pool. Plus, with almost three kilometres of private, powder-soft sands to spread out on, prying eyes are easily evaded.
Higher-octane adventures have an extra fee, as do alcoholic tipples. But catch sight of the mojitos mixed with homegrown mint and you might find that money suddenly seems no object… Amy Martin
KISAWA SANCTUARY
Benguerra Island, Mozambique
What’s included? Non-motorised water sports, sunset cruises, guided island activities and wellness sessions at the spa
Phrases like ‘far-flung’ and ‘once in a lifetime’ get bandied about a fair bit, so we’ll just drop the deets on Kisawa Sanctuary and let you be the judge. On an island just off Mozambique’s eastern coast, this luxury retreat calls 300 hectares of undulating dunes and unspoiled forest home.
Each secluded suite comes with its own personal slice of paradise, including an infinity pool and private beach, so if you’re feeling especially antisocial, you hardly need to see your fellow castaways.
There are some neighbours you’ll definitely want to hang out with, though: dolphins and dugongs, best seen on the sanctuary’s scientist-led sea expeditions.
At the holistic spa, resident practitioners work healing wonders with island-sourced honey, herbs and almond oil. Sunset sees you cruising, cocktail in hand, on the hotel’s traditional dhow boat — if you’re still deliberating over the deployment of a cliché, we can think of worse places to do so. Amy Martin
Now browse the complete menu of our all-inclusive hotels