<p>I have been to Royal Hideaway twice. Ultimate luxury for adults, but a 17 year old would be bored out of her mind. Save it for a romantic getaway. </p>
<p>Since it was mentioned, nearby Iberostar is a great choice for all. It’s actually 5 connected hotels of increasing price and amenities, lined up along the same beach. Beach and Del Mar are the lowest price. They share a set of pools and restaurants. Next up are Lindo and Maya (all suites), with bigger rooms, additional restaurants, and their own set of pools (including wave pool and lazy river). Finally there is Grand, which is adults only, also with its own pools and restaurants. Each “level” can use all the facilities of the levels below, but not above. In other words, Beach and Del Mar guests cannot use the pools or restaurants of the other areas. Check out the pricing. You might find deals where Lindo is not much more than Del Mar.</p>
<p>There are so many more to recommend. OP, what activities/amenities are important for your vacation?</p>
<p>oldfort, Columbus Isle sounds like it would be a good match for us. Punta Canta has been on our list for a while, haven’t looked into it recently. Internet at a Club Med resort, that would be a nightmare for us!</p>
<p>The Westin Playa Conchal in Guanacaste Costa Rica is fantastic! I strongly recommend an upgrade to the Royal Beach Club - you get better rooms, access to the Club pool (much quieter), a separate breakfast facility, a concierge who will handle your dinner reservations and upgraded premium liquor. You are on the Pacific-side beach, but Arenal and canopy are a few hours away. You can easily arrange a day trip at the hotel.</p>
<p>For something a little different…we used to rent cabins at a nearby place, and could hear the music at night. Seems like an idyllic place. Kezar Lake is beautiful.</p>
<p>I never want to go to a place where alcohol is free & unlimited. This is why I like cruising. Are there any ClubMed-type places where the food/activities are free, but not the liquor?</p>
<p>The Bahia resort where we stayed had “free flowing liquor” but the hotel guests used it responsibly. It also looked that the security (a couple of sharply dressed guys who looked like they were just hanging out in the lobby) was keeping an eye on the late night bar visitors. The mixed drinks were not super strong, and some alcohol was extra charge.</p>
<p>You think people would be drunk all day and be rowdy when alcohol is unlimited, but no. I rarely saw anyone drunk, not to cost a scheme or throw up. It’s especially at a place like Columbus Isle, a lot of guest are divers. A lot of people go to Club Med for their activities. They play tennis, sail, scuba…I am usually one of the lazy ones sitting by the pool. </p>
<p>Just skimmed through the posts here. Thanks BB for giving me a shout out! H and I enjoyed our Bahai Principe all-inclusive we stayed at about five years ago. It was the one at Tuluum. One thing people warned us of, which I was grateful for, was that you’re just going to run into some people who swim and sunbathe topless in the Riviera Maya. It didn’t bother me too much, but had I not been prepared for it, it might have shocked me more. We did do a Western Caribbean cruise last month, and I think if we had it to do over again, we’d go back to the Bahai Principe. We’re just not cruise people. But I also agree, that we just didn’t see anyone overindulging on the alcohol like some might expect to happen. Everyone was pretty subdue when it came to the drinking… not that they didn’t drink, they just didn’t use the excuse of it all being free to drink like fish. And this was during a spring break period (March).</p>
<p>Teri, can’t thank you enough for the recommendation! We stayed at the newly open Bahia property called Sian Kaan (18 and over) which you might want to look into if you decide to go back. It is not beachfront, but has a private beach with a bar (shuttles to the beach run every 5-15 min), spacious rooms with private jacuzzis on the balconies, several pools, the best buffet and restaurants of the entire Bahia resort, and is peaceful and quiet even in March during the peak of springbreaking. The SK guests have access to all other Bahia resorts, but not vice versa. We liked it a lot. </p>
<p>BB - glad you liked it. We had a day trip down to the Tuluum Ruins last month when we were on our cruise, but the coach bus picked us up in Playa del Carmen and drove us down. I think I remember seeing the signs for the Sian Kaan. Will keep it in consideration for next time. That being said, I just looked at the resort’s website, and it says it’s currently 99° there!!! Way to hot for April, for me!</p>
<p>Unfortunately my favorite all-inclusive (except for alcohol) was the one resort in Hawaii damaged by the tsunami and still in limbo. If you ever visited the Kona Village Resort, you knew magic. Especially back in the day when the 4seasons wasn’t right down the beach…</p>
<p>All-inclusives can be very relaxing for family vacations. We really enjoyed the Iberostar Rose Hall Suites in Jamaica and Riu Palace Mexico in Playacar, Playa del Carmen. Playacar is very nice because it’s a gated resort community that’s quite safe. The beach is beautiful and there are lots of nice resorts. Check out reviews on Tripadvisor to see what would work for your family. </p>
We stayed at the newly open Bahia property called Sian Kaan (18 and over) which you might want to look into if you decide to go back. It is not beachfront, but has a private beach with a bar (shuttles to the beach run every 5-15 min), spacious rooms with private jacuzzis on the balconies, several pools, the best buffet and restaurants of the entire Bahia resort, and is peaceful and quiet even in March during the peak of springbreaking. The SK guests have access to all other Bahia resorts, but not vice versa. We liked it a lot. </p>