The Best Adults-Only All-Inclusive Resorts

The Short Answer

For the most choice and the easiest flights from North America, start with Cancun or Punta Cana. Both have dozens of adults-only all-inclusives within an hour of the airport, at every budget. Then narrow it down by what you want from the trip:

• Quiet luxury close to the airport: Playa Mujeres, north of Cancun, at Atelier Playa Mujeres or TRS Coral, or Impression Isla Mujeres across the bay.
• Nightlife and restaurants outside the resort: the Cancun Hotel Zone or Playa del Carmen.
• Cenotes, ruins and turtles: Akumal and the coast toward Tulum.
• The widest range of value resorts: Bávaro and Arena Gorda in Punta Cana.
• Music, food and sunsets: Jamaica, around Montego Bay and Rose Hall.
• Small, private resorts: Antigua, at Hammock Cove or Galley Bay, or Serenity at Coconut Bay in St. Lucia.

Two checks matter more than the brand name. First, whether the whole resort is adults only or only one section of a bigger complex. Second, how far it is from the airport: the quiet beaches are quiet partly because they are an hour away.

Choose Your Destination

Tap a destination for the best stretch of coast and adults-only resorts at every budget.

The Main Destinations Compared

Transfer times are rounded drive times from the main airport to each resort area in normal traffic. Allow extra time at peak hours.

One Great Resort in Each Destination

Our pick for each destination; every one is adults only and offers an all-inclusive plan.

How to Choose an Adults-Only All-Inclusive

• Whole resort or adults-only section? Some hotels are adults-only buildings inside a bigger complex, such as Barceló Maya Riviera, TRS Turquesa or the Bahia Principe Escape hotels. You get more restaurants, but you will see families in the shared areas. We say which is which on every resort.
• Check the minimum age. Most resorts set it at 18. Temptation Cancun is 21 and over, while Hotel Xcaret Arte also accepts teens aged 16 and over.
• Party or quiet? Breathless, Temptation and Riu República are built around music and pool parties. Royal Hideaway, UNICO 20°87° and the smaller island resorts are calmer. See our party resorts guide.
• Read what "all-inclusive" covers. Some resorts charge extra for premium spirits, spa facilities or beach cabanas, and a few, such as Marquis Los Cabos and Villa Premiere, sell all-inclusive as an optional plan.
• Weigh the transfer. Cap Cana is about 15–20 minutes from Punta Cana airport; Uvero Alto is 45–60. Tulum is 1.5 hours or more from Cancun.

When to Go: Hurricanes and Seaweed

• Hurricane season: June 1 to November 30 in the Atlantic and Caribbean, peaking between mid-August and mid-October, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. On Mexico's Pacific coast (Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta) the eastern Pacific season runs from May 15 to November 30.
• Sargassum seaweed: the University of South Florida's monitoring team says Atlantic sargassum typically peaks in June or July and is at its lowest in winter. It can wash up on Mexico's Caribbean coast, Punta Cana and Atlantic-facing island beaches. The Pacific resorts are outside the Atlantic seaweed belt.
• Lowest storm risk: December to mid-May falls outside both the Atlantic and eastern Pacific hurricane seasons.

Honeymoons, Splurges and Value

For a honeymoon, see our honeymoon resorts, from plunge-pool villas in Antigua to butler-service suites on Isla Mujeres. For the most polished service, see the luxury adults-only all-inclusives. To keep the cost down, the best-value adults-only resorts are mostly in Punta Cana and Mexico.

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers to help you choose where to stay.

Where are the best adults-only all-inclusive resorts?

Cancun, the Riviera Maya and Punta Cana have the most, at every budget. Jamaica has a strong group around Montego Bay, and Antigua and St. Lucia have smaller, more private adults-only resorts.

Are adults-only all-inclusive resorts really 18 and over?

Most set the minimum age at 18. Temptation Cancun is 21 and over, and Hotel Xcaret Arte also accepts teens aged 16 and over. Some adults-only hotels share a complex with family resorts, so check whether the whole property is adults only.

When is the best time to go?

December to May falls outside the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30 and peaks from mid-August to mid-October. Sargassum seaweed usually peaks in June or July and is lowest in winter.

Which adults-only all-inclusive is closest to the airport?

In Punta Cana, the Cap Cana resorts are about 15–20 minutes from the airport. In Cancun, Sun Palace and the southern Hotel Zone are about 20–30 minutes away, and Puerto Morelos resorts are 20–30 minutes south of the airport.

Do adults-only all-inclusives include everything?

Food, drinks and most activities, but not always premium spirits, spa treatments, cabanas or some restaurants. A few resorts sell all-inclusive as an optional plan, so check what your rate covers.