These resorts promise an indulgent experience and fantastic inclusions together with great value for money. A luxury holiday doesn’t have to cost the earth; we’ve hand-picked the best places that truly deliver on exceptional experiences at friendly prices.
PARADISUS PLAYA DEL CARMEN - LA ESMERALDA, MEXICO
La Esmeralda gets a resounding thumbs-up from younger travellers, with a wonderful array of activities for kids and thoughtful family-friendly touches. The hotel is in a great location on the Riviera Maya, close to attractions such as the popular Xcaret eco-park, with its underground rivers and wildlife including flamingos, spider monkeys and tapirs.
The spacious suites are perfect for families, with both one- and two-bedroom options, and there’s a special turndown service for kids, with milk and cookies. Upgrade to a Family Concierge Suite and you’ll enjoy extra benefits including access to a dedicated lounge, restaurant, private pool and beach area, plus a kids’ bathroom pack and beach kit in your suite.
Kids will be thrilled by the new Splash waterpark, and there's more water-based fun to be had in the family swimming pool. There’s loads for the little ones to do at the Kids’ Zone too, including board games, mini Olympics, pizza workshops, talent competitions and hands-on arts and crafts sessions, where they can make their own piñatas, kites and masks.
On top of this, there are eight different restaurants to choose from, offering everything from buffet to gourmet. With so much going on, it’s easy for parents to sneak off to the revitalising 20,000-square-foot YHI Spa at La Perla next door and fit in some much-needed pampering.
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PARADISUS PLAYA DEL CARMEN - LA PERLA, MEXICO
There’s no need to feel jealous of the kids at La Esmeralda, as there’s plenty going on for grown-ups at adults-only La Perla. You can enjoy classes in tequila tasting, learn to dance the tango and sample fine wines, and there’s also a weekly ‘eco-class’ on the beach where you can find out about the hotel’s various conservation projects.
The all-inclusive programme here offers fantastic value, with six restaurants serving up flavours ranging from Latin fusion to pan-Asian. It’s well worth paying the additional supplement to dine at the superb Passion by Martín Berasategui, a renowned seven-Michelin-star chef from the Basque Country. La Perla is a buzzy, sociable sort of resort, and the Red Lounge is the place to be after dark, with live DJs and expertly-blended cocktails. You’re also within easy walking distance of Playa del Carmen’s many buzzing bars and restaurants.
The suites are impressively spacious, and you can upgrade to a Royal Service Suite for additional perks including butler service and an exclusive restaurant, lounge and swimming pool.
Other facilities include the excellent YHI Spa, a large pool with Balinese beds, complimentary non-motorised watersports, scuba diving and classes in yoga and Pilates.
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MOUNT CINNAMON, GRENADA
Grenada is an island to really stir your senses, heady with the scent of fragrant spices and radiant with a palette of white sand, cerulean sea and green jungle. Mount Cinnamon brings the sunshine into your suite with bright splashes of Caribbean colour, against a Mediterranean-style backdrop of whitewashed walls and terracotta-tiled roofs.
This characterful boutique hotel comprises just 37 suites and villas, on a hillside overlooking the two-mile Grand Anse Beach, the finest on the island. It’s a quick shuttle ride or a short walk down to the shoreline, where you’ll find the laid-back Savvy’s Beach Cabana serving lunch, snacks and drinks. Back at the hotel there’s a lovely courtyard pool, overlooked by Savvy’s poolside restaurant. If you’re wondering who Savvy is, that would be the owner, Peter de Savary, British entrepreneur and former chairman of Millwall FC!
Mount Cinnamon is a great place to just chill and enjoy the views, but there is also plenty to do for such a small hotel. Facilities include a gym and tennis court, there’s a dive centre and watersports down on the beach, and the hotel offers daily yoga classes and supervised activities for kids aged 4-12 yrs. Most suites have a kitchenette, so self-catering is an option, and there are plenty of excellent restaurants just a short taxi ride away.
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COCO PALM DHUNI KOLHU, MALDIVES
Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu promises that ‘happiness is found in every moment’ when you holiday here. We’ve put their promise to the test - yes, it’s a tough job! - and this beautiful private island resort really does deliver. Feel the sand between your toes on one of the fi nest beaches in the Maldives, snorkel and dive amongst manta rays and whale sharks in a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, and visit local communities for a fascinating insight into Maldivian culture. There are no TVs in the villas here, so you really can escape the outside world, and facilities include two restaurants, watersports galore and a spa with treatments inspired by ancient Thai, Indonesian and Indian Ayurvedic techniques. The all-inclusive package off ers particularly good value.
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COCONUT BAY BEACH RESORT, SAINT LUCIA
Coconut Bay skilfully bridges the divide between couple’s hideaway and family-friendly resort, with two separate wings catering to different needs. Harmony is the adults-only wing, where the gardens are scattered with hammocks and cabanas. Here you’ll find a quiet kids-free pool, and you can take a revitalising treatment at the oceanfront spa. The family-friendly Splash wing is home to Saint Lucia’s largest waterpark, complete with slides, waterfalls and a lazy river, plus the Caribbean’s only paintballing venue and a fantastic kids’ club. Both halves of the resort off er outstanding all-inclusive value, with nine restaurants, seven bars, and activities including tennis, volleyball, football and yoga.
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If you'd like to find out more about any of our luxury hotels and resorts, or to make an enquiry, give one of our expert travel advisers a call on 020 7751 0660 or fill out the form below.
