It is no secret that the motivation of the quintessential “fun and sun” incentive trip will stand the tests of time. For many of our North American clients, the easy answer for this are the destinations of Mexico and the Caribbean Islands due to location and ease of airlift. Home to arguably the world’s best all-inclusive properties, our clients like both the attendee appeal of the crystal blue waters, white sandy beaches, and limitless pina coladas by the pool, but also the appeal to their pocketbooks with the substantial savings to be found when booking an incentive travel package at an all-inclusive resort. Recently there has been some buzz around our office as we continue to see key players in the hotel industry announce the plans for exciting and new openings of all-inclusive resort concepts in this area of the world. Although we love our tried-and-true partners in these destinations, we admittedly perked our ears at the potential for fresh options to consider in the years to come.
Ava Resort Cancun, courtesy of the hotel
Mexico
Kicking us off in Mexico, with the opening of the AIC Hotel’s newest jewel, AVA Resort Cancun, set to open later this summer 2024. Located just 10 minutes from the airport and boasting over 1,700 ocean-view rooms, this property is expected to make an impact for groups needing more of a luxury accommodation but also facilities to suit large meetings and incentives. Next, we head just a little north to the quickly expanding Costa Mujeres area (about 30 minutes from the Cancun airport) where the recently opened Secrets Playa Blanca makes a splash in putting this destination on the map. Curiously enough, Marriott just announced their plans to open an all-inclusive take on the familiar brands with the JW Marriott and W Costa Mujeres. Set to open in 2026, these two properties will sit side by side with the JW Marriott being the family-friendly resort option and the W being geared towards adults-only. And yes, both will be built and designed to be true all-inclusive resorts making you wonder if some of the already established Marriott brands like this in the Caribbean will follow suit. Add in the growth within Isla Mujeres (gorgeous 20-minute boat ride from Cancun) with properties like the Secrets Impression Isla Mujeres opening just last year and the announcement of Marriott’s Luxury Collection Almare Isla Mujeres later this year which will give attendees the feeling of being the Greek islands with ¼ of the travel time. That plus the addition of the much-awaited Tulum airport making access to newly opened resorts like Secrets Tulum Resort & Beach Club more accessible, it looks as though this area of Mexico’s hotel inventory is going to continue to surprise and delight for years to come.
Zemi Miches Punta Cana, courtesy of the hotel
Dominican Republic
Next let’s head over to the Dominican Republic to tune into the interesting developments and expansions in the Punta Cana area. Within the last first years, the expansion from Bavaro Beach south to the Cap Cana area has been well known. However, there is a new area emerging on the horizons pushing north of the airport called Uvero Alto. Marriott’s first ever all-inclusive W Hotel Punta Cana resort will open here mid-2025 at roughly 349 rooms along with the Hyatt Inclusive Collection that just opened their Secrets Tides property in this area at the beginning of the year. Not be left out by its big box competitors, Hilton also announced it’s opening up two all-inclusive properties in the area, one under its Curio collection, Zemi Miches, in 2025 and another slated for late 2026 within their traditional Hilton Collection, Hilton Punta Cana. Our eyes will be peeled to see how this area continues to develop over the next few years.
The Rif at Mangrove, courtesy of the hotel
Caribbean Islands
Beyond that, there are some fun announcements in other key Caribbean islands we do not want to skip over. Starting off on the little island of Curacao just east of Aruba. This unique island offers a fun cultural twist on the Caribbean island vibe with its Dutch influence and is home to the newly opened Rif at Mangroove Beach property under the Hilton Curio Collection. This all-inclusive beachfront resort shares space with the Mangrove Beach Corendo next door but offers an elevated product from her sister property. Marriott also announced the plans to open an all-inclusive Autograph Collection by the name of Pyrmont Curacao in late 2025. This property will be focused on sustainability and the latest innovation in conservation woven into the DNA of the property, hitting the heartstrings of a growing number of companies who find value in these kinds of initiatives. Thinking even further into 2027 be on the lookout for ground to break on the Hard Rock Jamaica and UNICO Montego Bay bringing some fresh product to that destination as well as the Luxury Collection Amavi Antigua for those looking for a remote boutique-style property.
It will be exciting to see these continued developments in these familiar destinations giving them new life and growth for group business. It speaks volumes that the big players like Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott are all expanding their market share in the all-inclusive space within the next 3-5 years, meaning we can expect this market to continue to be a substantial draw for attendees and a future trend of the industry to look forward to as we see these new hotels enter the scene.
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