The best all-inclusive resorts in Europe

Get to know the new breed of hotels elevating the all-inclusive resort scene in Europe

25 October 2023

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We won’t deny it, the words ‘all-inclusive’ might bring about a groan, with visions of sad buffets, luminous wristbands and watered-down cocktails, but, as some of the savviest travellers know, the best all-inclusive resorts in Europe right now offer something entirely different. These hotels are instead reassuringly refined, offering chic accommodation, sumptuous food and serious chill – after all, there’s something infinitely more relaxing about a trip during which your credit card gathers dust. Whether you’re looking for a family-friendly holiday that doesn’t compromise in grown-up style or a sun-seeking adults-only retreat far from the madding crowds, this is our pick of the best all-inclusive resorts in Europe.

Heinz Troll
Curio Collection by Hilton Domes Aulus Elounda, Crete, Greece
All is quiet, sinking-into-a-beanbag bliss. Forget that shingle beach. And it’s not even about the water. It’s just absolutely the place to escape the world’s hubbub. Perched on the hillside above the Mirabello Gulf, surrounded by lush gardens and the gentle lapping of gin-clear waves, Domes Aulūs Elounda is a Cretan hideaway overlooking the UNESCO-protected islet of Spinalonga. It probably helps that this is an adults-only, all-inclusive resort, with no screeching children around (yes, we love littles but don’t always want to holiday around them). Nab one of the new Sapphire Zen suites, with soothing grey and blue interiors, each with its own private terraces and pools to take in that salty summer breeze rolling off the sea. There’s a quadruple helping of chic restaurants (one is for those on the exclusive ‘Cool Living’ plan) offering everything from Greek classics like souvlaki and gyros to meze and fresh pizzas, with three sparkling bars. When you’re not nose-deep in a book or doing laps in the freshwater pool, don’t miss a trip to the award-winning Soma spa, where treatments inspired by the rituals of the ancient Greeks await.
Address: Aghia Paraskevi, Schisma Elountas 720 53, Greece
Price: From £151 per night for two adults, on an all-inclusive basis.
Book your stay: Booking.com Book your stay: Hilton
Hillside Beach Club, Fethiye, Turkey
There’s a reason why families flock to Turkey’s Hillside Beach Club. In fact, this pine-forested coastal beauty has such a devoted following it recently became a case study in a Harvard University lecture (it's also one of our favourite family-friendly hotels in Turkey). Set in its own idyllic private cove, Kalemya Bay, rooms here are terracotta-roofed casas shrouded by greenery, designed to be in keeping with the natural landscape. There’s so much going on here, and a daily newsletter will keep you on top of daily activities – from its three beaches (two of which are adults only), two spas, three restaurants and eight bars, as well as a pool, nature trail and a shuttle boat service to the different beaches, with fitness classes, diving and sailing lessons, and a mini football field, you’ll never tire of things to do. Guests love the ‘full board plus’ package here, which isn’t quite all-inclusive but does include all food and drinks with meals in the main restaurant. For families of young ones, there’s a brilliant baby park for under-threes with a sandpit, water park, baby pool and playground, not to mention space for feeding and nappy changing, while the kids’ club offers a jam-packed schedule of fun for those aged 4-12 (tennis lessons, piano workshops, pool games). While it might be mighty, this place still has a laid-back bohemian air.
Address: Belen Cad. No:132 Kalemya Koyu, 48300 Fethiye, Turkey.
Price: From £161 per night, on a full board plus* basis.
Book your stay: Expedia Book your stay: British Airways
Club Med Cefalù, Sicily, Italy
What a blissfully rugged, pine-scented island with inky-blue waters and an unfailing sea breeze. Yes, this might be a big-bananas hotel, but it cleverly retains a sense of style and intimacy – no whiffs of chlorine, nothing plastic or tacky. Atop picturesque sea cliffs, Club Med Cefalù has spell-binding views overlooking Cefalù Bay, where guests are treated to syrupy sunsets, with picturesque seaside villages and the Parco delle Madonie, a UNESCO World Heritage site and hiker’s paradise, all within a stone’s throw or hair-raising Vespa ride away. Rooms are pared-back and effortless – you’ll want one of the Villettas, a series of wooden villas perched on rocks around the resort, some featuring wraparound sea views that will make you gawp. Children over eight are welcomed here, and the all-inclusive activities include everything from tennis, archery and snorkelling to yoga, kayaking and paddle boarding. There are three restaurants to choose from: the low-key beachside La Riva, the 18th-century Palazzo and La Rocca for Italian cuisine and views over the glistening bay.
Address: Localita Santa Lucia, 90015 Cefalù, taly
Price: From £1,711 per adult for seven nights, on an all-inclusive basis.
Book your stay: Club Med
Ikos Odisia, Corfu, Greece
A whole world away from the Corfu all-inclusives we know and fear, Ikos’ second and newest opening on the island is a lesson in how to do elegant, set in fragrant woodland and framed by glistening waves, where low-rise buildings are peppered between pine trees and sweet-scented citrus groves, offering chic double rooms, private suites with adjoining pools and spacious bungalows. Every meal here is a thrill with six restaurants to choose between, so you’ll never get bored, with menus carefully curated by chefs from Michelin restaurants to celebrate local produce. The hotel also offers a Dine Out programme, encouraging guests to eat out locally alongside free bike rental and the opportunity to borrow a Tesla for a day’s adventure, all part of the all-inclusive package. Parents are obsessed with the complimentary kids’ club offerings here, catering for ages 4-12, with a crèche taking tots from four months (at an extra charge). It’s easy for days to whirl by in a flurry, flopping out by one of the many swimming pools, curling up on a beach cabana, pina colada to hand, paddle-boarding through crystal blue Aegean waters or popping by the serene Ikos Spa by Anne Semonin Paris. Happy faces all round.
Address: Kato Korakiana, Dassia 491 00, Greece
Price: From £297 per night, on an all-inclusive basis.
Book your stay: Expedia Book your stay: British Airways

Zafiro Palace Andratx, Mallorca, Spain
There’s no need to feel torn about choosing an all-inclusive resort or hotel with stylish aesthetics because, at Zafiro Palace Andratx, no such compromises are made. Surrounded by lush palm-flanked gardens with soaring sea and mountain views, this all-inclusive Mallorca hotel sits on the edge of the glitzy Camp de Mar resort, just 30 minutes from Palma airport. There’s an eco-feel to the place, with the main buildings cleverly designed to merge seamlessly with the natural rock face, with low-rise buildings giving way to clean and contemporary interiors. Suites have sleek glass-fronted balconies overlooking the Tramuntana mountains or glistening sea, some with private pools and Balinese beds on the terrace. Those on the all-inclusive programme have a choice of five restaurants, private airport transfers and the use of a complimentary electric moped to get out and explore. Elsewhere, there are three bars, seven pools (one adults-only), a gym, and the Zen Spa. While children are welcomed, compared to other Zafiro properties, the peaceful setting here is probably better suited to adults. We, for one, are not complaining.
Address: Carrer Cromlec, 3, 07160 Camp de Mar, Illes Balears, Spain
Price: From £442 per night, on an all-inclusive basis
Book your stay: Booking.com Book your stay: Expedia
Heinz Troll
Elix, part of Mar-Bella Collection, Parga, Greece
Fly into Corfu and take the hotel’s boat to get here, passing countless secret sandy shores, caves and inlets on your way, sea salt amassing to shimmer in your hair. Elix's reception is then like a sort of celestial spa, with barn-high ceilings and windows that frame the infinity view overlooking the sandy arc of Karavostasi beach to Paxos beyond. You’ll see why families adore this deliciously remote all-inclusive hotel; it’s beachy beautiful with an earthy decor of rattan rugs, stone-hued slouchy sunloungers, russet throw pillows and wall tapestries, with rooms with balconies that maximise your view out to carefully coordinated flowers and grasses, lines of balcony pools and endless waters. Parents can feel very supported here, with its creche taking care of those from four months to three years old (at an extra charge), as well as lots of experiences on offer for kids aged 4-12, including heaps for restless teens, not to mention unlimited ice-cream on offer all day, every day. The food and drink at Elix are uniformly local and delicious – from the very popular Greek and Mediterranean buffet served at long and large all-day restaurant Saffron to the even more creative Greek fine dining and wining at the stylishly romantic Pearl (all-inclusive guests have three à la carte meals and one dine-out included).
Address: Καραβοστάσι 461 00, Greece
Price: From £223 per night for two adults, on an all-inclusive basis.
Book your stay: Booking.com Book your stay: Expedia
Daios Cove, Crete, Greece
Families looking for a soothing, sweeping, all-inclusive resort with stone-built villas dotted around an olive-tree-covered cove, Daios Cove effortlessly delivers. Here, service is as smooth as the (delicious) local honey, with fragrant hand towels, iced water and electric buggies to glide you noiselessly to your door. You’ll want to nab one of the villas overlooking the insanely pretty Vathi Bay, which is split over two storeys, with sitting rooms leading out to the infinity pool and terrace and the master suite and balcony below, ideal when you don’t want to be sharing sleeping spaces with your sprogs (they can sleep on a sofa bed in the top half, with their own bathroom). With six restaurants and an award-winning cocktail bar, there’s plenty here to keep even the fussiest of eaters happy. The kids’ clubs cater for little ones as young as four months to 12 (you’ll have to pay extra for the former) with plenty of adult-pleasing activities on offer too: two tennis courts, a slick spa with a Finnish sauna, watersports by the bucket load, not to mention a talc-soft private beach to spill out on. Upgrade to the Residents Club for à la carte dining in all six of the resort’s restaurants, an extensive wine list and unlimited room service.
Address: Βαθύ, Kritsa 721 00, Greece
Price: From £616 per night for two adults and two children, on an all-inclusive basis.
Book your stay: Booking.com Book your stay: British Airways
Zoëtry Mallorca, Spain
There’s a boutique feel to Zoëtry Mallorca – ideal for those who are put off by the big, sprawling resorts. Surrounded by rolling hills and lush vineyards and set within the historic countryside estate of Sa Torre and complete with its own neo-gothic church and windmill, a first sight of this hotel’s 14th-century manor house is enough to lower your shoulders and slow down your pulse. While not everyone does the all-inclusive package here, it makes sense since the food, much of it plucked or picked from the hotel’s estate or locally sourced, is fresh and delicious, as well as a Michelin-starred restaurant with famed chef Andreu Genestra at the helm. There are ample places to nestle down with a book, under the creeping bougainvillaea in the hotel’s courtyard or atop a canopied sun bed beside the adults-only pool. There’s a low-key countryside vibe to the 90 rooms and suites, some in the new Poniente building, decorated in soft cream and pale green swathes. While children are welcome (and have their own pool), there's not much on offer, making this better suited to adults. If you want to get out and explore, Zoëtry is 25 minutes from Palma Old Town, plus the hotel runs a shuttle to a local beach club and the glorious Es Trenc beach, around half an hour away.
Address: Camí de Sa Torre, Km 8, 7, 07609, Balearic Islands, Spain
Price: From £327 per night, on an all-inclusive basis.
Book your stay: Booking.com Book your stay: Expedia

TopicsHotels Family-friendly

Curio Collection by Hilton Domes Aulus Elounda, Crete, Greece

Hillside Beach Club, Fethiye, Turkey

Club Med Cefalù, Sicily, Italy

Ikos Odisia, Corfu, Greece

Zafiro Palace Andratx, Mallorca, Spain

Elix, part of Mar-Bella Collection, Parga, Greece

Daios Cove, Crete, Greece

Zoëtry Mallorca, Spain