I will be ranking five all-inclusive resorts against one another. Each resort will be rated based on resort appearance, the beach, the pool(s), the food, their amenities, and the price. The ratings are indicated with a number: 1 being the top ranking of the category, 5 being the bottom ranking of the category.
Mexico – Excellence Riviera Cancun
Resort Appearance: #2 – This resort has a beautiful main entrance, is incredibly clean, and features stunning swim-up rooms.
Beach: N/A – The beach at this resort can’t even be rated due to the heavy seaweed issue.
Pool: #3 – Has a swim up bar and a lot of pool space. If you have a ground floor you can literally walk out the back door and there is a ladder into the pool.
Food: #3 – The food was not bad by any means, however there were fancier restaurants on other resorts. They did have an amazing selection of freshly squeezed juices at breakfast.
Amenities/Entertainment: #4 – This is hard to rate because most resorts have shops and similar entertainment. I would say that their entertainment was less frequent and less impactful than other resorts.
Price: $489: #2 – Although its more expensive than the Curacao option, I do believe this is a bigger bang for your buck. Just remember that it doesn’t have a swimmable beach.
Curaçao – Sunscape Curaçao
Resort Appearance: #5 – The resort is nice, could use some in room updating. It is a smaller resort than the other options on this list.
Beach: #3 Has a beautiful white sand beach. The beach is good for snorkeling and there are very little waves due to a rock wall that separates the beach from the open ocean.
Pool: #5 – The pool was fine, has a swim-up bar and a pool table in the actual pool. It’s just a small resort with less pool space. This resort does have a hot tub.
Food: #5 – One of the reasons this resort gets such a low rating in food is partly because we went while the island was in a COVID “lockdown” so less options were open. I got bored of the food quickly. They had really good mixed drinks that were consistent across all of their bartenders.
Amenities/Entertainment: #5 – They had a gift shop where we mostly bought champagne and took it back to our room after dinner. There were games they would play during the day but not much happening as far as evening entertainment.
Price: *$360: #1 – Sunscape is the cheapest option on the list, again it is a smaller resort but still has a great beach, nice pool, and is clean. It’s a great resort if you have a smaller budget.
St. Lucia – Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa
Resort Appearance: #3 – The resort is very detailed and has a lot of neat aspects to it. It has a bar down the beach that is still on the resort but away from the hustle and bustle which was really nice. I enjoyed the unique touches to this resort.
Beach: N/A – The beach at this resort can’t even be rated due to the heavy seaweed issue.
Pool: #2 – They have a swim-up bar, a lazy river, a separate water aerobics and sports pool, and a hot tub. There is a pool option for everyone at this resort and we never once had an issue with any of the pool areas being overcrowded.
Food: #2 – This resort features loads of restaurant options, and their plate presentation is great.
Amenities/Entertainment: #3 – They had the best gift shop of all the resorts. The entertainment was also pretty exciting, they had fire dancers. The employees who assist you in booking excursions are top notch and incredibly helpful.
Price: *$635: #3 – If you are looking for an island retreat with a lot to do at the resort and surrounding the resort, this is a great option.
Aruba – Divi Aruba All Inclusive
Resort Appearance: #4 – The Divi is another beautiful resort and I have no complaints about it. It has fewer fine details than a couple of the others.
Beach: #1 – This beach gets the number one spot because of its size. It is the largest beach on this list of resort beaches, it is clean, people are spread out and you won’t have to fight for a lounger. There is a beach on this island that is also included in our The Top 4 Beaches in the Caribbean.
Pool: #4 – The pools were nice, very clean. I preferred the beach on this resort just because of how breathtaking it was and how spread out everyone was.
Food: #4 – I enjoyed the food; it was just very American. They did have a neat restaurant where you got to cook your own food on your table that had a small, heated center plate.
Amenities/Entertainment: #1 – I have to say I am a little biased because we went during their “Independence Day” celebrations, and they were exceptional. It does seem like this resort does a lot of fun and exciting performances regularly though.
Price: *$673: #4 – Aruba is a great destination and there is a lot to explore on the island. It is a bit pricier to do things and go out to eat on the island compared to other islands I’ve been to.
Siyam World – Maldives
Resort Appearance: #1 – Nothing beats flying in on a seaplane, being greeted by resort employees with musical instruments and seeing the clearest blue water you’ve ever seen. There is so much to experience at the resort, and you can feel the pride of its employees in everything they do.
Beach: #2 – The only reason I ranked this beach at number two is because of its size. It is however a smaller island than Aruba so there is not as much real estate for a beach. However, the beach is absolutely spectacular.
Pool: #1 – There are four pools at this resort. An adult only option, which is quiet and peaceful. A pool with a swim-up bar that makes you feel like you are in the middle of a jungle and even has a kids play area in the pool. You even get your own private pool at your room if you are looking for even more privacy. The pool with the swim-up bar has great shaded areas so you can hang out in the pool for hours without worrying about burning.
Food: #1 – The resort has a world theme and captures the essence of different cuisines in their restaurants. There is a traditional Spanish restaurant, a Japanese restaurant with an option for Teppanyaki, a classic Indian restaurant, their buffet has around the world dinner options, etc.
Amenities/Entertainment: #2 – They had everything from shops to a sports bar, to a mid-day pool party. There were watersports and equipment that you could rent. Siyam World even has an obstacle course in the water! They even have an app that you can see everything that is happening for the day.
Price: *$1,044: #5 – This option is pretty expensive; however, we were traveling pretty far. You also have to remember how far the islands are from a mainland. You have to take into account that they import almost everything. You wind up covering some of that cost for the resort by staying there.
Overall Rankings
This is where the resorts fall in overall score against each other.
#5: Sunscape, Curaçao
#4: Divi, Aruba
#3: Excellence Riviera, Cancun
#2: Coconut Bay Beach Resort and Spa, St. Lucia
#1: Siyam World, Maldives
*Prices are average prices per night for the same time period and are inclusive of most flight costs.