The Best All-Inclusive Resorts in Barbados

On a strip of pristine beach along the south coast, Turtle Beach epitomizes the classic Caribbean all-inclusive. The price to stay here is steep, but you get what you pay for—namely, four restaurants, two bars, a splurge-worthy spa, two pristine pools, and endless water and land activities. Spend your days playing tennis, windsurfing, or soaking up the sun by the palm tree-lined pool. By evening's end, retreat back to your spacious suite for sundowners on your private balcony overlooking the tropical grounds and crystalline sea.

Jaw-dropping all-inclusive resorts aren’t hard to find in Barbados—but The Crane is downright legendary. Considered the Caribbean’s first resort hotel, this 40-acre property has been wooing vacationers since it opened in 1887. Today, sun-seekers continue to indulge in its colonial-style villas, five pools, and 55,000-square-foot village area lined with boutique shops, an art gallery, and a jazz club. When hunger strikes, there are five restaurant and bars to choose from, including D’Onofrios for Italian, the Carriage House for poolside bites, Zen for Japanese-Thai fusion, and L’Azure for Caribbean food. (Psst: don’t miss the Sunday morning gospel brunch.)

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This 280-room stunner knows how to pull out all the stops. Suites come with butler service, private plunge pools, and, for a select few, balconies with deep soaking tubs. You’ll also find complimentary kayaking, sailing, and scuba diving, plus three public pools, seven bars, and 11 restaurants serving Indian, French, Italian, Chinese, British, and Japanese cuisine along with a seafood shack and steakhouse. Finish off the trip with a serene treatment at the Red Lane Spa—the lavender scalp and shoulder massage is a favorite.

This Platinum Coast palace has all the trappings of a romantic Caribbean escape. Couples canoodle in cabanas on the terrace, soak in the adults-only pool, and indulge in sensual spa treatments for two. Even the remote Prospect Bay feels like your own private slice of paradise, where beach butlers tend to your every wish. Inside, guest rooms are done up in a soothing palette of blonde woods, sandy beige linens, and turquoise accents, and oceanfront suites have glass balconies with spot-on views of the water.

Set on a beachfront cliff along the island’s west coast, Crystal Cove is nothing short of eye-popping. Guest rooms mimic the Caribbean’s sunny personality with bright splashes of color and terraces that overlook the lush gardens while flowers cascade over walls and balconies leading down to the beach, where guests can water-ski, sail, and go stand-up paddle-boarding. The real showstopper is the three-tier, lagoon-style freshwater pool complex, complete with a swim-up cave bar hidden behind a cascading waterfall.

Laid-back luxury is the calling card of this 5.5-acre gem, hidden along a tranquil lagoon and tropical grove. Days are spent sipping cocktails in palm-tree strewn hammocks; in the evenings, there's live music and movie nights on the beach (keep your eyes peeled for nesting leatherback turtles). Although you’re only 10 minutes from bustling Bridgetown and its thriving food scene, you might never feel the need to leave what with Sugar Bay’s four restaurants and five bars, including a signature chophouse and sushi counter.

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Mango Bay has some serious curb appeal: the resort looks more like a sophisticated Caribbean mansion than it does a 76-room hotel. Every detail makes you feel right at home, from the decadent English afternoon tea to the meticulous service (personal attendants bring cold towels and fresh fruit right to your beach chair). Cruise around in your own catamaran or glass-bottomed boat, or sign up for a two-hour snorkeling excursion—all on the house, of course.