Best All-Inclusive Resorts for Families in Mexico and the Caribbean

Are you planning a family vacation to Mexico or the Caribbean? Check out these all-inclusive resorts, which are perfect for parents and children alike.

Grand Palladium Costa Mujeres Resort & Spa

Grand Palladium Costa Mujeres Resort & Spa is a tranquil haven in the Mexican Caribbean. In 2022, the resort celebrated the opening of Family Selection, a hotel within a hotel with exclusive facilities and VIP treatment for the entire family, as well as a new commercial alliance with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts.

Kid-friendly features

Three different children's clubs provide a fun environment for children. The Baby, Mini, and Junior clubs offer exciting activities for children ages 1 to 19.

The hotel also has a children's aquatic park and several family-friendly pools. Plus, the POP entertainment team provides live performances and games for the entire family on the beach and throughout the resort.

What parents will love

Parents can relax while their children are cared for by a nanny or family butler who provides 24-hour room service. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are all available à la carte. Alternatively, unwind at the adults-only private beach and luxury spa.

Club Med Michès Playa Esmeralda

Club Med Michès Playa Esmeralda in the Dominican Republic debuted on a large stretch of a white-sand beach in the Dominican Republic in early 2020, then reopened in the summer of 2021.

Kid-friendly features

In addition to a splash park and zipline course, Willy Wonka would appreciate the resort's "secret" chocolate room filled with sweets and a chocolate fountain created from locally sourced cocoa. While dining at Cacao & Co. restaurant, families receive clues to crack the code to enter the room.

Supervised clubs keep kids and teens entertained with experiences ranging from trapeze training to pickleball. "My kids didn't want to leave the club," says Instagram travel influencer Sally Butan. "At night, we loved dancing to the live music together."

What parents will love

While your mini-mes are busy, you can head to the adults-only Zen Oasis. It's in a lush part of the resort surrounded by palm trees. There you can order a cocktail at the swim-up bar, run on the nature trail, or take a yoga class in a treetop palapa. Or book a sunset horseback ride on the beach.

Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Riviera Maya

Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Riviera Maya is tucked away on Mexico's eastern coast. The second Nick-themed resort rolled out the orange carpet to families in August 2021. (The first location, which won a Parents Family Travel Award in 2019, is in the Dominican Republic.)

Kid-friendly features

The massive water park with over 20 slides, a PAW Patrol section for younger kids, and daily slimings from Nick characters succeeds in its mission to blow little minds. "The look on my 4-year-old's face when the water canyons came into view was beyond belief," says Brad DeYoung, of Frisco, Texas. "She kicked off her shoes and started running toward them."

DeYoung says the water park's design is thoughtful: Play structures for similar ages are clustered together, the toddler area is shaded, and the bottom of the pool is lined with rubber mats.

What parents will love

You score your own bedroom and bath. All accommodations are suites; most have a master bedroom and en suite bath, plus a Murphy bed, a double sleeper sofa, and another bathroom. The design is colorful and modern, with framed Nick art.

Hire a babysitter or put kids ages 4 to 12 in the supervised club (at no extra cost) and opt for a tequila tasting or a spa day. Try the open-air Yacht Club for meals. Caretakers whisk kids off to their own seating area so you can enjoy the food and ocean views.

Palmaïa, The House of AïA

Palmaïa is named after the endangered palma chît tree. This eco-chic wellness resort in Playa del Carmen, Mexico opened in 2020, and it uses an estimated 50% less energy than a typical resort property.

Kid-friendly features

A Waldorf-inspired program for children ages 3 to 12 includes enriching activities like baking bread, strolling around a path with fairy houses, and painting with watercolors. "Treasure hunts are one of the kids' favorite things to do," says program director Laura Diaz. "We tell them a story that supplies all the places and clues, and then they go on a mission during our jungle or beach walk."

What parents will love

You're assigned Nomadic Guides, who take care of all the logistics and whims. (Need more kombucha in the mini-fridge? Done!) While the kids are at their club, take an art class, get an astrological-chart reading, and have a peaceful lunch. All of the resort's menu items are plant-based, with some optional meat add-ons. The mango-chia pudding is a favorite of all ages.

Hacienda del Mar Los Cabos Resort

If you're looking for an upscale and relaxed resort, the Hacienda del Mar Los Cabos Resort in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico combines elegance in an impressive family-friendly format.

Sip your coffee while gazing out at the Sea of Cortez, breathe in the sea air, and take a trip that's actually refreshing rather than exhausting. You can visit the two children's pools, take a dip in the infinity pool, or enjoy a drink at the swim-up bar before indulging in the best fish tacos you'll ever taste (seriously).

Kid-friendly features

There are tons of on-site activities to have fun with the whole family, from yoga and volleyball on the peach to pool games. Plus, the Kids' Club offers babysitting and daily fun activities like bracelet-making and swimming for kids ages 4 to 11.

What parents will love

If you're trapped in a room with a napping baby, you can still indulge in a pampering session: the on-site wellness experts will come right to your room to get you a full spa treatment. Bliss.

Bahia Principe Fantasia Punta Cana 

If you want the magical feel of Cinderella's castle without the theme park exhaustion, Bahia Principe Fantasia Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic features three different castles fit for royalty as the draw of their luxury family resort.

Every night, the poolside castle comes to life in a dazzling light show display that your kids will love (and you will love that it easily marks bedtime!). Punta Cana is a short flight away from Florida and the resort is incredibly easy to get to and navigate, and it is designed with families in mind.

Kid-friendly features

This resort really has it all: nightly show for families, a Kids' Club and a Teens Club packed with itineraries and activities, babysitting services for babies too young to go the Kids' Club, a children's waterpark, and many different dining options whether you are in the mood for a leisurely meal or need a quick option for an over-tired toddler.

What parents will love

Baby up in the middle of the night? Kids got unexpectedly sick? Napping toddler got you stuck in your room? Or maybe you and your partner need to stay close to your room while the baby sticks to their bedtime routine? 24/7 room service to save the day! We can't think of any better vacay treat than a midnight brownie sundae delivery.

Hilton Cancun

Got a toddler and a teen? Hilton Cancun is a Mayan coast resort set on 100 acres that has fun clubs, including supervised water sports, for a variety of ages. A restaurant with unlimited churros is the proverbial cherry on top, as are the kids' and teen clubs and a dedicated waterpark.

Kid-friendly features

Dining experiences with specialty restaurants, daily activities, nightly shows, and two different pools will provide plenty of variety. Plus, your kids will clamor for nightly visits to the on-site ice cream and churros shop (and you'll probably be secretly glad for that sweet nightcap, too).

What parents will love

Dreaming of a relaxing spa treatment while listening to the sounds of the ocean? Your wish is granted with a trip to the on-site spa that features 13 outdoor treatment rooms.

Additional reporting by Moyna John.