BeachsideBargains
Three questions to ask before
booking an all-inclusive resort trip
What does all-inclusive include?
An all-inclusive should give you lodging, all nonmotorized watersports
and on-site activities, plus meals,
snacks, and beverages. The chains and
resorts ratchet things up from there,
so ask what you get for the price.
Whom does the resort cater to?
Some brands—including Beaches
(800-232-2437; beaches.com), Club
Med (800-258-2633; clubmed.us), and
most Breezes resorts (800-467-8737;
breezes.com)—are family oriented;
others, such as Couples (800-268-7537;
couples.com), cater to twosomes. If you
love buffets, you might prefer the more
casual Riu (888-748-4990; riu.com).
Are there discounts?
As more resorts open, expect more
value-added deals. Aruba’s Divi Village Golf & Beach Resort (800-367-
3484; diviresorts.com) offers free golf
after 3:00 P.M. in 2009. Some of the best
deals are in hurricane-prone September or October. Consider travel insurance and resorts that offer hurricane
guarantees (such as reimbursement
for disrupted nights). —Laura Daily
