Most hotels and thus, standard rooms at AI resorts have a maximum occupancy of 4. ANNOYING!
Here are all Inclusive Vacation Resort options For a Family of Five {or more}, listing choices with travel reviews from a Canadian Travel Blogger and parent of 3.
All Inclusive Vacation Resorts For a Family of Five {or more}
Choosing an all-inclusive {AI} vacation since the twins joined our family, has been a battle in itself. Most hotels and thus, standard rooms at AI resorts have a maximum occupancy of 4. What about traveling families that take 3 kids along?
Families of 5 {or more} do have the option of booking 2 separate rooms, yet this comes with a huge added cost. Plus, the obvious fact of splitting up the family, which isn’t the ideal situation when vacationing with younger children.
In my own personal research for a sunny destination and on my trips as a Canadian travel blogger, I have learned a lot about the types of rooms offered at resorts. Yet the research for this post involved endless hours of site hopping. Yuck.
Plus, add the headache of travel booking sites that don’t have current information provided or don’t disclose until you are on the actual purchase page, so confusing and frustrating!
I wanted this information in one handy place for easy reference, which started as information for myself. Yet I know other families will want a list of All Inclusive Vacation Resorts For a Family of Five as well. Obviously, it’s needed if finding it was so vert hard!
You’re welcome!
All Inclusive Vacation Resorts For a Family of Five {or more}:
| *** MEXICO *** | HOTEL NAME | RATING |
|---|---|---|
| CANCUN | BEACH PALACE | 4.5 |
| CANCUN | CROWN PARADISE ~ Standard Plus, Family Crown, Family Paradise Suites | 4+ |
| CANCUN | GREAT PARNASSUS RESORT & SPA ~ Family Room | 4+ |
| CANCUN | KRYSTAL CANCUN ~ Family Suite | 4 |
| CANCUN | OASIS CANCUN & PALM BEACH | 4+ |
| CANCUN | PARK ROYAL CANCUN ~ Ambassador Suite | 3.5 |
| CANCUN | SEA ADVENTURE ~ Junior Suite | 3.5 |
| RIVIERA MAYA | AZUL BEACH ~ Fisher-Price Family Suite, Family/Junior Suites | 5 {*OUR REVIEW*} |
| RIVIERA MAYA | AZUL FIVES ~ Two and Three Bedroom Suites | 4.5 |
| RIVIERA MAYA | AZUL SENSATORI ~ Family Suites | 5 {*OUR REVIEW*} |
| RIVIERA MAYA | GENERATIONS RIVIERA MAYA | 4.5 {*OUR REVIEW*} |
| RIVIERA MAYA | BARCELO MAYA PALACE DELUXE ~ Junior Suite Deluxe, Family Junior Suite | 5 {*OUR REVIEW*} |
| RIVIERA MAYA | BARCELO MAYA BEACH RESORT | 4.5 |
| RIVIERA MAYA | BARCELO MAYA TROPICAL ~ Family Room | 4.5 |
| RIVIERA MAYA | GRAND PALLADIUM ~ Junior Suites | 5 |
| RIVIERA MAYA | GRAND PALLADIUM WHITE SAND | 5 |
| RIVIERA MAYA | GRAND PALLADIUM RIVIERA | 4.5 |
| RIVIERA MAYA | GRAND SIRENIS ~ Junior Suite | 5 |
| RIVIERA MAYA | HACIENDA TRES RIOS | 5 |
| RIVIERA MAYA | OCEAN CORAL BY H10 ~ Junior Suite | 4.5 |
| RIVIERA MAYA | SANDOS CARACOL ECO-RESORT ~ Family Suite | 4 {I'd say 3} {*OUR REVIEW*} |
| RIVIERA MAYA | SANDOS PLAYCAR ~ Junior Suite | 3.5 |
| LOS CABOS | ROYAL SOLARIS LOS CABOS ~ Family Room | 4+ |
| LOS CABOS | MELIA CABO REAL ~ Junior Family Suite | 4 |
| MANAZNILLO | GRAN FESTIVAL ALL INCLUSIVE ~ Two Bedroom Villa | 3 |
| RIVIERA NAYARIT | GRAND VELAS | 5 {*OUR REVIEW*} |
| PUERTO VALLARTA | VELAS VALLARTA | 4 {*OUR REVIEW*} |
| PUERTO VALLARTA | BARCELO PUERTO VALLARTA ~ Family Room | 4.5 |
| PUERTO VALLARTA | KRYSTAL VALLARTA | 4 |
| PUERTO VALLARTA | MARIVAL RESORT and RESIDENCES | 4 |
| PUERTO VALLARTA | MELIA PUERTO VALLARTA ~ Family Room | 4+ |
.
| ** DOMINICAN REPUBLIC ** | HOTEL NAME | RATING |
|---|---|---|
| PUNTA CANA | Barcelo Bavaro Palace Deluxe ~ Family Room & Family Suites | 4.5 |
| PUNTA CANA | Grand Palladium Bavaro Resort & Spa ~ Junior Suite | 5 |
| PUNTA CANA | Melia Caribe Tropical ~ Family Junior Suite | 5 |
| PUNTA CANA | Now Larimar Punta Cana ~ Family Deluxe Room | 5 |
| PUNTA CANA | Ocean Blue & Sand by H10 | 4.5 |
| PUNTA CANA | Ocean Sand by H-10 ~ Junior Suite | 4.5 |
| PUNTA CANA | VIK Hotel Catena Beach ~ Family Room | 4 |
.
| *** JAMAICA *** | HOTEL NAME | RATING |
|---|---|---|
| NEGRIL | Beaches Negril | - {*OUR REVIEW*} |
| MONTEGO BAY | Holiday Inn Sunspree | 4 |
| MONTEGO BAY | Riu Montego Bay ~ Family Room | 5 |
| MONTEGO BAY | Sunset Beach Resort, Spa & Waterpark ~ all rooms | 3.5 |
| OCHOS RIOS | Beaches Ocho Rios | - |
| OCHOS RIOS | Sunset Jamaica Grande | 3.5 |
.
| ** CARIBBEAN ** | HOTEL NAME | RATING |
|---|---|---|
| TURKS & CACIOS | Beaches Turks & Caicos | {*OUR REVIEW*} |
| ST LUCIA | Coconut Bay ~ 2 Bedroom Family Room | 4 |
.
Take note, since I am not affiliated with a travel operator or agent, the links provided in the charts will take you to the information page for the resorts themselves and not places to actually book your vacation. Of course, you can search via your preferred method of booking for each resort, which is a bit of ‘site hopping’, yet less when you have destinations narrowed down for you.
Sunwing offers a wonderful ‘vacations for families of 5‘ resource on their site, a one-page quick look at resort options for larger families complete with prices. It’s so nice to have this at one glance with no searching!
I do have a few suggestions for your own search. Take note of dates which are high demand, many resorts have limited family accommodations and they might book up fast. For that reason, you might want to book ahead of time if your dates aren’t flexible. Yet, compare this list to any ‘deals’ pages you find, and you might score yourself a frugal family vacation!
Also to note, there are a few resorts which I have left out, due to not being able to find solid answers on room-types and occupancy limits. To the few resorts where finding this information was so very difficult to the point that I gave up, a big ‘boo’ to you.
A huge aspect of ‘family friendly resorts’ is getting that information you need before traveling, to ensure you are making the right choice. On the same note, kudos to the resorts that were clear on their property and amenity information.
Has your family stayed at any of these resorts? Leave your review in the comments if you have!
Family travel by Canadian Travel Blogger, Tammi Roy at My Organized Chaos.
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Judy C says
04/26/2013 at 11:12 amThanks for sharing this information, will take a look at them
sara says
04/26/2013 at 11:26 amgreat info thanks
Tammi says
04/27/2013 at 5:36 amHope it helps Sara!
Kelly Gordon says
04/26/2013 at 11:29 amAwesome info, thanks for sharing 😀
Donna says
04/26/2013 at 11:40 amInteresting
Ava M says
04/26/2013 at 11:43 amoh wow cool thanks so much for sharing with us 🙂
melissa nesbitt says
04/26/2013 at 11:45 amthank you! this is great. Sometimes it is had to travel in a larger group.
Rebecca Moeller says
04/26/2013 at 11:54 amIt is so hard to find somewhere that 5 of us can stay. Thanks for this great info!
littlemama71 says
04/26/2013 at 1:17 pmI have been doing a lot of research recently on this very subject as my family of 3 (including a 5 year old boy) are in need of a vacation! My favourite of the bunch and ultra all inclusive is Beaches Turks&Caicos…however, at an average price of about $3,000 per person, it’s a very expesive proposition. We looked into the usual spots in DR, and other Caribbean islands, etc. I was worried about my son getting sick while away and or not enjoying the food….you know how it is, if kids are not happy, mom can be happy either. Ultimately we found a great family resort in St. Petersburg, Florida. While not all inclusive, the rooms are beachfront with kitchenette and with lots of dining options on property and/or on the main strip just steps from the hotel. For us it’s a win win…lots of awesome beach fun for my son, food choices to assuage his limited palette and fun stuff for Mom and Dad too.
Cheers, Lisa
ashleigh W says
04/26/2013 at 4:53 pmI am horrible at planning vacations and knowing which hotels I can stay in and can’t. Thanks for sharing this list!
Emily says
04/26/2013 at 5:31 pmCan I please go to each of those locations 5 times each? I have been dying to go on a family or just a couple’s vacation, for months! I have a family of 6 so your estimates aren’t too far off for me. Thanks for the list!
Tammi says
04/27/2013 at 5:34 amSounds like a great plan!
🙂
janell poulette says
04/26/2013 at 7:41 pmThis sounds like an amazon vacation! Any of those beaches would be awesome!
Chandra Christine O'Connor says
04/27/2013 at 5:43 amI just wish my hubby would actually like to take a vacation. 25 yrs of marriage 1 family vacation and that was renting a cottage for a week in Owen Sound, Ontario. but we did enjoy it.
Stacie says
04/27/2013 at 8:45 amI’ve been considering a resort vacation for awhile now. All the information online is so overwhelming though that I never knew where to start. Thanks for breaking it down in this post!
Amanda says
04/27/2013 at 9:26 amI would love to take an all-inclusive vacation with my family (soon to be family of five in a few short months) but right now it is out of the budget. Hopefully in the next year or two! Thanks for doing all the leg-work for us 🙂
Teresa M. says
04/27/2013 at 12:20 pmThank you for this post, Tammi. So many to choose from. I would love a holiday and I think I am overdue for one!
Kellie says
04/27/2013 at 4:48 pmMy husband has been bringing up the idea of an all inclusive hotel for a future vacation. I am still “shopping” around. Trying to find a truly family friendly one that won’t break the bank. That’s a big undertaking!
Kirsty says
04/27/2013 at 6:12 pmI am a travel consultant & deal with larger families all the time. It is a real headache & very time consuming to search for the perfect family holidays then to try to find a property that will accommodate 5+ family members that won’t break the bank is an even bigger challenge. I highly recommend working with a travel consultant, we do all the hard work & can save you a tonne of money too!
MrDisco says
04/28/2013 at 8:39 pmthat would be an awesome trip
sarah sar says
04/29/2013 at 6:34 pmvery helpful post. we are also a family of 5 and kinda find it difficult to plan our trip…hotel booking are probably the one thing i look forward to the least.
Kelly says
05/02/2013 at 7:24 amGreat info!
Clifford says
05/02/2013 at 2:09 pmBeing a family of 5 also I really appreciate this listing of resorts. It does get expensive because of the extra person and most times I feel the extra cost is so unwarranted. I am going to print your list off and keep it for future reference, thanks so much for researching and posting this.
Becky says
05/02/2013 at 10:31 pmI never knew before that most resorts only have the option of allowing 4 per room. That seems really silly. Haven’t they ever heard of using cots or play pens before? This info will come in handy for us as we are considering having a third child someday. Thank you!!
Holly says
05/04/2013 at 6:15 pmI’ve been looking into all inclusive vacations for a while now. Looking to try and surprise my husband for a much needed vacation for his birthday. This is really helpful. Thank you!!
Heidi C. says
05/04/2013 at 9:37 pmThanks for the great info! We have been thinking about planning a family resort getaway but with four kids, I wasn’t sure what options were out there! I will definitely be checking some of the ones on your list out!
Krista says
05/05/2013 at 4:45 pmSince having my twins last year I have quickly discovered that traveling with 4 small children is going to be difficult, not to mention expensive! Thanks for the great reference!
Krystyn @ Really, Are You Serious? says
05/06/2013 at 9:28 amIT’s definitely a goal for our family of 5 to do something like this. Thank you for the tips.
Chalbe says
05/07/2013 at 9:54 amVery helpful since I’m usually looking for a getaway with hubby only! I’ll stay away from some of these very kid friendly places for a well deserved break.
Mitch says
05/07/2013 at 9:54 amThis is a great list.
Two years ago (in another life) I planned an Cancun holiday for our then blended family of 7. Club Med was expensive and we debated the cost. But we went for it.
The twins were 9.5 yrs old, sister 12, brother 13.5 and my son 15.
We got a room for ourselves with the adjoining room for the three girls.
Then the boys took a room next door.
It worked out amazingly well.
The resort was FABULOUS and the GO’s are terrific.
The twins went in the kids club, 12 yr old in the young teen club, and the boys in the Teen Club.
By the second day, the twins got a ‘free pass’ to come and go as they pleased from their group.
And we never saw the kids after that.
We set up every day on the beach and it became the hub for the kids to stop by every day whenever their group was doing an activity they didn’t like. It was perfect.
The kids went from 9 am to 11 pm every day, nonstop.
They had the time of their lives and made friends from all over the world in those 10 days that I don’t think they will ever forget. And it was a great chance for them to spread their wings of independence too; all of them.
I could go on about all the activities and fun they had. We adults had a great time too.
Club Med Cancun has one of the best beach locations on the strip! Clear water, sandy, with a protective reef/outcropping; and on the other side, a snorkelling paradise in the national marine park, plus kayaking, sailing, etc. The resort has everything a family would need and within a very safe and secure environment. (visible guards everywhere 7 x24)
I had never been to a Club Med before but after our experience there, I would never hesitate to chose Club Med for a family vacation again!
Brandi Sundby says
03/28/2018 at 8:55 amI second another posters comment about Grand Riviera Princess. Though admittedly not the best option for my family of 3 with a 19 month old, we visited with my sister-in-law and her family of 5. I was really impressed with the rooms that accommodated 5 comfortably. The trundle bed is a great option for toddlers – no worrying about them rolling out of bed!
And the Kids’ Club was great for the older kids.
Caryn Coates says
05/07/2013 at 5:23 pmThanks so much for sharing. We have a big family and this is great to know.
Darlene Schuller says
05/09/2013 at 5:25 amThis information is truly golden. We were a large family too. It’s very difficult to find good rates for over 4 people, so thank you for this very useful information!
Susan says
05/09/2013 at 9:51 amNot even kidding, I just had this VERY discussion with my daughter’s playgroup instructor today. She went to Jamaica recently and they had to split up their family of 5!!
sylvia mollison says
05/10/2013 at 10:44 amWe are planning an all inclusive stay next year – valuable info! Thanks
Amanda says
05/11/2013 at 11:39 amThis is a really helpful post! Thanks for taking the time 🙂
Susan Broughton says
05/12/2013 at 5:58 amThis is good information if anyone could afford a vacation! haha I always like to go with the all inclusive vacations when I went, seems like less hassles and you could better estimate what the vacation would actually cost you in the end.
Holly says
05/12/2013 at 5:59 amWe’ve been looking into all inclusive vacations for a while now. This post is really helpful. Thank you for posting this! We’re still undecided on exactly where we want to go. At this point… I’ll go anywhere, I just need a vacation lol.
Florence C says
05/13/2013 at 5:15 pmThank you for the information.
Deb Dorrington says
05/15/2013 at 9:08 pmI really love your posting and I have bookmarked it for future reference. I hate that it is so expensive for a family of 5 to travel and get the all inclusive deals.
Rob Love says
07/04/2013 at 6:29 amawesome list, thanks for the share!
Penny says
07/08/2013 at 8:55 amThanks for all the work you’ve done to put this together. My daughter and family are going to Punta Cana in October to an all inclusive resort, so it’s great to read more information.
jan williamson says
07/13/2013 at 10:21 pmI am dying this would be a hreat send iff trip
Athena says
10/31/2013 at 7:48 pmWhat a great resource. Thank you
Raijean says
11/12/2013 at 1:22 pmGreat list! I”m going to look into it!
Ashleigh Swerdfeger says
11/30/2013 at 5:47 pmGreat list. It can be hard to find things for 5+ families. Such nice places too!
Roz says
12/30/2013 at 5:22 pmWow! That’s an awesome compilation and seems like a lot of work. Until now, we’ve been able to have our now-4-yr-old sleep in our bed, and the 8 and 6-yr-old share a bed. I was just about to embark on finding hotels with reasonably priced accomodations for 5 and found your website. Thanks for sharing your hard work!
battle islands hack tool says
07/08/2014 at 5:39 amI’m really enjoying the design and layout of your website.
It’s a very easy on the eyes which makes it much
more enjoyable for me to come here and visit more often. Did you hire out a designer to create your theme?
Fantastic work!
The Little Tourist says
06/11/2015 at 6:22 amThis is an amazing list! We are a family of 5 and it’s starting to get a bit harder to find great deals that aren’t for a family of 4 or less.
Thank you for sharing!!!
Alayne Langford says
06/26/2015 at 12:09 pmGreat bucket list for the fridge! My daughter prefers the Riviera Maya and has stayed in Mexico, Punta Cana, Cuba and Costa Rica!! Me? I haven’t been past Texas 🙂
Natalie says
07/09/2015 at 5:54 amThank you so much for this list! We are a family of five with 4yo twin boys and a 5yo daughter. I had been researching all inclusives and this list just saved me! I have my eyes set on Azul Beach. Thank you!
Nicole C. says
08/29/2015 at 6:02 pmgreat information about some of the resorts
Andrea L. says
12/13/2015 at 1:12 pmThanks for this! We have three little boys and I may need to refer back to this in the future!
Carrie Alaniz says
01/14/2016 at 6:11 pmWhich hotel was your favorite what also had activities on the beach, i.e. para sailing/jet skis/water trampolines.
Shawn Gallagher says
04/09/2016 at 7:44 amI went on the Grand Palladium website and they don’t even show room options for more than two kids
Tammi says
04/13/2016 at 4:14 pmThis is the hard part because sometimes they don’t list/advertise them. Which is apart of my huge frustration – it’s a chase!
LisaM says
06/24/2016 at 5:16 pmWe’re looking at taking a family trip – but with grandparents; so four adults and 1 child and I have no clue where to start or what to look for. Sigh.
Eva Mitton-Urban says
07/22/2016 at 6:15 pmStumbled on this, excellent information – December trip to celebrate my son’s 13th birthday. For the hardwork to present this – Thanks.
Jill says
10/10/2016 at 11:34 amThis is great, thank you! Would you have any recommendations in the Cayo Santa Maria area – Cuba? We are looking to go to this area in January. I’m finding we loose out on the ‘kids stay free’ deal as this deal is only applied when there are 2 adult fares in the room. We end up getting dinged in both rooms as there is only 1 adult per room. In first room and second room one of the children is charged adult rate:(
Wendy Dunnington says
01/18/2017 at 7:51 amWould you stay at the Velas Vallarta in a 2 bedroom suite or stay in regular room at the Grand Velas? My kids are 13 and 10. Thanks!
Tammi says
01/18/2017 at 10:57 amHi Wendy! I’d do Velas Vallarta 2 bedroom – more for the kids to do there, location close to other activities plus they would love to have their own space – actually, you all will!
Valerie says
01/19/2017 at 11:37 pmI was on the Holiday Inn Montego Bay website, and it’s saying I’m above the maximum occupancy? Maybe things have changed, or you have to contact the hotel directly, family of 3 children and 2 adults
Tammi says
01/20/2017 at 8:25 amI find websites and bookings do that a lot! I’d definitely call – it’s so frustrating but I’ve experienced that a lot!
Jag says
01/29/2017 at 1:34 amThanks so much for sharing this! very frustrating finding a place for 5 that’s all inclusive in Cancun Mexico. We are picky as well so it makes it even more difficult. Thanks for your blog
Mary says
02/16/2017 at 8:58 amThank you this post. My family of 5 stayed at Puerto Adventuras in Cancun. It was amazing if you are wanting to be busy all day with fun things to do. It’s not great on food, and if you want a beverage it’s much quicker to go to the bar yourself. But, bonus, the family suites are walkout to the pool.
Rachel says
03/16/2017 at 11:25 amI known its super late but this is going to be so helpful to our family! Thanks!!
Cheryl says
04/10/2017 at 6:57 amGrand Riviera Princess in the Mayan (mexico) is an awesome resort for family of 5! King bed with a bunk that includes a pull out trundle bed. There are even swim out room options. Great entertainment – 5*
Krista M says
07/30/2017 at 9:43 amOur family has not ever stayed at an all-inclusive resort but it is on my bucket list as it’s something the kids need to experience. This is good information for larger families!
Tom says
12/30/2018 at 11:54 amThanks for the great info. I love the Cancun area all the way to Tulum. No hotel recommendations for Cozumel?
Tammi says
01/07/2019 at 8:46 amHi Tom,
I actually haven’t stayed at any of the Cozumel hotels yet. So I’m not familiar with the ones that cater to larger families. Have any recommendations?