Gen Z is ushering in the all-inclusive era

16.11.2024 - 15:01 / insider.com / Melanie Fish

Haley Mahabadi, a 27-year-old who works in social media marketing, is currently traveling across southeast Asia with her husband, staying in $30-a-night rooms.

But when she really wants to relax, she prefers all-inclusive resorts. All-inclusives typically work by having guests pay a set price per night in advance, and once they're on the resort they can visit any bar or restaurant and order whatever they want whenever they want without additional payments.

"You don't have any plans. You can just do whatever you want," she told Business Insider. "I think for a true relaxation vacation, it's perfect."

She's stayed at an all-inclusive that catered to college kids — with bottles of unlabeled tequilathat made her feel terrible the next day — and luxury all-inclusives where they serve top shelf liquor and have multiple gourmet restaurants. She even got married last year at an all-inclusive in Mexico, the Finest Playa Mujeres, which can currently be booked for December at about $640 per night for two guests.

In addition to the relaxation and luxurious vibes, the set payment upfront is another bonus.

"I think it's kind of like the girl math thing, where you pay so much in advance that it feels free when you're there," she said.

All-inclusive hotels and resorts are exploding in popularity, with Gen Z leading the trend, according to three travel advisors who told BI they've seen a surge in demand for all-inclusives.

Fora, a travel agency, said it's seen a 324% increase year-over-year in bookings across top-booked all-inclusive brands in 2024. According to a recent report from the Expedia Group, searches on Hotels.com that used the "all-inclusive" filter jumped 60% from a year prior. A survey included in the report found 42% of Gen Z respondents said an all-inclusive was their preferred hotel type, more than any other generation.

"A lot of people, especially led by Gen Z, are entering what we're calling their all-inclusive era," Melanie Fish, a travel expert and spokesperson at Expedia, told BI.

Travelers love the ease and convenience of booking an all-inclusive as well as the feeling of luxury that comes with it, often at a decent value.

Plus all-inclusives have evolved. It's not just buffet lines and budget-friendly accommodations — though those options certainly still exist. Now there's plenty of five-star all-inclusives with picturesque resort grounds, complimentary spa services, and multiple restaurants run by Michelin-starred chefs, with major brands like Hyatt and Marriott also leaning into the all-inclusive game.

Once guests book their stays at an all-inclusive, very little additional planning is required. They can skip spending hours researching where to eat or how to get around, and instead show up,