My parents just came back one of my favorite all-inclusive resorts, Secrets Aura, and all of their pictures have me craving another beach vacation. We tend to prefer all-inclusive resorts for our beach getaways because they take all of the hassle out of vacation planning. You don’t have to decide where to go, arrange excursions or activities, or worry about taxis and transit between places (if you don’t want to). The price can really add up, though, especially if you want a nicer resort.
We have our minds set on staying at Secrets Akumal (after our great experiences the last few years at Secrets Aura) in November – traveling in the off-season is another way we save big on these trips. It’s also far enough away to give me plenty of time to find a deal. Ideally we want to book now with a reasonable cancellation policy in case something comes up or we find a better deal last-minute.
Thankfully, there are SO many sites that will help you find a great deal for an all-inclusive in Mexico and the Caribbean. Navigating all of the options can be a nightmare, though! There are a few tips I’ve found that can help you get the best deal, no matter where you’re going.
AVOID PACKAGE DEALS
While it may seem simpler to book your hotel and airfare in a single bundle, chances are you’ll pay more and you may not get the best room. Airlines package their best flights (often nonstop) with the base rate from a resort, resulting in packages that are very appealing to the non-price-sensitive traveler. My parents booked their current vacation through American Airlines because they wanted a non-stop flight on specific days. They don’t fly often, so the ease of having everything from the flight to the ground transportation to their room taken care of sold them on the package.
Sites like CheapCarribean do the opposite – they buy space in resorts and on flights that often don’t fill up, which is how they sell packages to you at a discount. The flight options are often pretty bad., though. Why would I want to fly through Fort Lauderdale, Florida en route from Texas to Mexico?! If you have a little flexibility and a couple hours to do some extra research, you can save big by finding a resort deal and buying your airfare separately.
SHOP AROUND
It probably goes without saying – the resort site isn’t often the best place to buy. For our upcoming trip, the resort wanted $496 a night while resellers had deals as low as $430 for the same room! The advantage of booking direct is you know exactly what room type you’re getting and it can be easier to sort out any issues that arise with the hotel. But if price is a factor, look elsewhere.
I’ve found one of three sites usually offers the best deal: The resort site (to see if they are running any specials), Booking.com, Expedia.
CREATE AN ACCOUNT
To secure your business, travel resellers like Expedia have started offering special deals that require you to sign-in to access them, which excludes you from using those to get a price matched deal elsewhere. These deals come with savings of 10-30% or more off the published rates – and all you have to do is create a login (in other words, give them your email). It’s SO worth it for to save big on the same room you would get elsewhere.
CHECK THE CANCELLATION POLICY
The deals often get better closer to your arrival date if the resort has unsold rooms, so there is some value in waiting. We usually opt to instead book a refundable rate early and then keep checking. If a better deal pops up, we book it and cancel our original. The cancellation policy varies by resort. Some are free cancellation up until a certain date, some require a small fee ($50) if you cancel, while others are only partially refundable or non-refundable. Read the fine print!
CONSIDER SWAPPING YOUR DATES
The more flexible your dates are, the more likely you are to find a deal. When I find a decent deal, I usually try the same site with a few different date options (Thursday to Monday, Wednesday to Sunday, the week before or after, etc.) just to make sure I’m getting the best deal while not totally changing my plans. We take our annual trip to Mexico in late October or early November because it avoids weeks when schools are out for fall break and right before Thanksgiving, both times when rates spike.
DOUBLE-CHECK FLIGHTS BEFORE YOU BOOK
Before you press “reserve” on that resort room, do one final check of the flights to make sure the total trip price is the best you can find. Google Flights is a great site to see how flight prices might change if you shift your dates, too. The resort we stay at in Mexico has the same rate regardless of the day of the week, so we often will shift our arrival and departure date.
