All-inclusive resorts, independent hotels, villas—accommodations in the Caribbean arent just a place to stay; theyre a way of life. Therefore, you should choose your accommodations (like you choose your island) based on your travel style.
Porter and Prince suggest good candidates for all-inclusive resorts are honeymooners, families, inexperienced travelers, the budget conscious, and the super stressed." All-inclusives include all meals, drinks, and most on-site activities in the cost of your accommodations. They are good for travelers who dont want to spend a lot of time planning their trip, want kid-friendly activities, prefer to lounge around by the pool or beach all day, and who eat and drink a lot but dont need much diversity in their restaurant choices.
All-inclusives are not recommended for travelers who want to really experience local culture and who want to spend a lot of time away from their resort exploring the island. These travelers may be better off staying at an independent hotel. The downside is they may spend more on food and wont experience as much hand holding, but they will have a more authentic experience.
For a truly different and cost-effective option, many travel experts rave about renting a villa. Porter and Prince recommend villas for families, groups of friends, honeymooners or couples craving privacy, and independent travelers who want to connect with the island. Many properties cost less than $1,000 per week and some come with housekeepers and cooks. Instead of feeling isolated, Downing says youll find a built-in network of the people who rent you the house and the people who work there, and they can help you plan day trips and excursions. There are many websites that can help you plan a villa vacation, such as unusualvillarentals.com, islanddestinations.com, hideaways.com, and rentavilla.com.