MEAL DEALS Food is usually covered
at restaurants like Los Arcos, part of
Riu Palace Las Americas in Cancún.
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 mile-long
buffets and loathe dinner-jacket
dress codes, you might prefer the
more casual Riu (888-748-4990;
riu.com). Size makes a difference, too:
a big property may mean crowded
beaches and longer waits for popular watersports.
Are there discounts?
As more resorts open for business,
expect competitors to boost value-added deals. Divi Village Golf & Beach
Resort (800-367-3484; diviresorts
.com) on Aruba offers free golf, including a cart, after 3:00 P.M. throughout
2009. A 30-minute massage awaits
guests who book three nights at
Antigua’s Hermitage Bay (268-562-
5500; hermitagebay.com). Some of
the best deals are in hurricane-prone
September or October. The odds of
being hit by a hurricane are low, but
consider travel insurance and resorts
that make guarantees. If a hurricane
strikes a SuperClubs resort during
your stay, for instance, you’ll be reimbursed for disrupted nights and
receive a voucher for a visit the same
month the next year. —Laura Daily
