I recently had the honor of being included in a Condé Nast Traveller article, where travel expert Scott Campbell shares the best tips on enjoying an all-inclusive stay. Reading the piece made me smile because the question wasn’t “Are all-inclusives worth it?” rather now, all-inclusive travel is now a part of the luxury lexicon and I am here for it. The secret is out: the all-inclusive stays are getting good. Like, really good.
The best all-inclusive resorts feel like slow-living sanctuaries, with a fine attention to detail. They boast of offerings like:
▸ Small batches of locally sourced spa oils in glass bottles
▸ Natural wine flights and fine dining experiences in the open air, in a vineyard, under the stars
▸ Infinity pools on private patios
▸ Cultural immersions and excursions that genuinely respect the culture. An example: Pelorus Travel who is currently hosting a diving "treasure hunt" Maurepas Excursion with permission from and in collaboration with the Guna Yala tribe
All-inclusive is no longer a punchline. Rather, it's the reset. And, if you know how to choose the right properties, and how to move through them, they can become spaces where your nervous system can deeply exhale and you will be contributing to the local society in a sustainable and profitable way (I am a firm believer that luxury travel should absolutely benefit the local economies).
Somewhere along the way, we were taught that ease was tied to laziness, and that needing help (or structure, or allowing someone else to do the planning) was something to be ashamed of. That the real travelers “do it all themselves.” Backpack. Translate the menu. Skip the shuttle. That booking the AirBnB stay, getting the automated email instructions on where to find the locker key drop off (at a random bar) on a Canva-Google Map collage, and figuring it out from there was supposed to bring you closer to locals.
And sure- those moments can be empowering. And yes, they do make for fun storytelling. But what about the other times? As someone who was once the planner, the printer, the ticket buyer, and the fare hunter, I'll admit: sometimes I don't want to be that person when I travel - I just want to be. Be on a massage table. Be on a beach. Be in a salt cave lined with crystals recharging my ions.
I want to wake up slowly in a room that smells like ocean air and clean linen, pad barefoot to the balcony, and order the same perfect iced coffee from the same server who remembers my name. I want to journal by the pool, take a leisurely stroll, and laugh too long at the swim-up bar. I want to reapply SPF without checking Slack.
And here's the real zinger: I deeply want to release the need of feeling like I justify my joy. I absolutely want to speak aloud the truth of not needing to struggle to earn paradise. Sometimes, I want softness to be the revolution.
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So if we allow the joy to arrive pre-packaged, are we settling or are letting someone take care of us? Luxury isn’t only the thread count or the wine list; it’s the feeling of space being held for us. And if a well-designed, thoughtfully curated all-inclusive resort offers you that? Then well, that is luxury.
If you too are looking to let go of the idea that convenience cheapens luxury. I am giving you permission. Let it go. In fact, let's actively decide to let go of the need (the fear?) of having every minutiae of travel planned: let's agree that we can opt out of decisions, logistics, performance...and simply enjoy.
I still adore a boutique Parisian hotel with 150-year-old moldings and a café crème delivered on a silver tray. I also love the moments when I don’t need to curate anything. Where the experience has already been lovingly laid out—and I just get to arrive.
And as someone whose career has long been rooted in intentional storytelling and soft, luxurious living—I’ll be saying it a little louder for the back of the room:
Ease is elegant.
Rest is worthy.
You don’t have to earn it.
Looking to dive into the world of luxury all inclusive stays? Why not start here:
Le Blanc
