Hotels
All-inclusive resorts in Florida: the one we recommend and the best alternatives
Florida has thousands of beach hotels, yet hardly any of them charge one price for everything. We found one all-inclusive we can recommend, plus seven resorts big enough that the hire car can stay parked all week.
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It is four in the afternoon and the only movement by the pool is someone turning over on a lounger. A server brings another round and nobody asks for a room number. That is the picture most people have in mind when they type all-inclusive Florida into a search bar. The catch is that it barely exists.
The big all-inclusive brands built in Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica, not Florida. Hotels here expect guests to drive out for dinner, and the rate covers the room and little else. We looked at the places that do sell everything as one package, and one of them stands out. The rest of this list are resorts so large and self-contained that a week can pass without the car leaving the car park. Links go to Hotels.com, and we always choose the hotel before the link.
In short: all-inclusive resorts in Florida
Yes, but only a handful. voco Sandpiper in Port St. Lucie is the one true all-inclusive we recommend. Otherwise, the closest you will get is a Disney hotel with a dining plan in Orlando. A big resort such as The Breakers or JW Marriott Marco Island also keeps everything on site.
Best true all-inclusive: voco Sandpiper All-Inclusive Resort
Best for a Disney trip: Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa
Best for families: Four Seasons Resort Orlando
Best for history: The Breakers Palm Beach
Best for the Florida Keys: Cheeca Lodge and Spa
Our first choice: voco Sandpiper in Port St. Lucie, the only true all-inclusive on this list. Check availability and prices
How to choose a resort in Florida
Read what is included: In Florida, all-inclusive is often a package you add rather than the way the whole hotel works. Check whether drinks, à la carte restaurants and water sports are covered, or just the buffet.
Budget for the resort fee: Most American resorts add a daily fee that does not always show in the headline rate. It is usually paid at check-out.
Tipping: In the US, tips are part of staff wages. Some packages include gratuities and some do not, so look for the word in the terms.
East or west coast: The Atlantic side has surf and sunrises. The Gulf side has calmer water and sunsets, which often suits young children better.
Car or no car: Florida is built around driving. At an all-inclusive or a Disney hotel, a shuttle or taxi from the airport is all you need. Disney has not run a free airport coach since 2022.
If you want the wristband and swim-up bar: Mexico and the Dominican Republic do it better. The Bahamas are a short flight from Miami, and many travellers pair a few days in Orlando or Miami with a week on the islands.
On the St. Lucie River
The Port St. Lucie resort sits on the river, with the pool area facing the water.
The one true all-inclusive we recommend
A handful of Florida resorts sell food, drink and activities as one package. Some sell it as an add-on to the room, others as a fixed rate for the whole stay. This is the one we recommend.
voco Sandpiper: a holiday village on the river
voco Sandpiper sits on the St. Lucie River in Port St. Lucie, a couple of hours' drive from both Miami and Orlando. Many still know it as Club Med Sandpiper Bay. It is now run by IHG but remains all-inclusive, with two outdoor pools, three restaurants and two bars on site.
It suits families and couples who want everything paid for and no need to drive out each evening. The trade-off is that it faces the river rather than the ocean, so the beach means a short trip. Check exactly what the rate covers, as the terms have changed since Club Med left.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at voco Sandpiper All-Inclusive Resort
The Grand Floridian
Disney's flagship hotel on Seven Seas Lagoon, with the monorail to Magic Kingdom.
Orlando: Disney with a dining plan
Disney does not call it all-inclusive, but a dining plan added to a stay at one of its own hotels gets close. Meals are prepaid, transport to the parks is included and you will not need a car.
Disney's Grand Floridian: the white grand hotel on the lagoon
The Grand Floridian is Disney's flagship, a white Victorian-style hotel with red roofs on Seven Seas Lagoon. The monorail stops right outside, and Magic Kingdom is across the water.
It suits families planning most of their days at Magic Kingdom who want a quick way back when the youngest need a break. It is one of Disney's priciest hotels, and the mood is more formal than elsewhere in the resort.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa
The lobby
The lobby at Animal Kingdom Lodge looks out over the savanna through a tall window.
Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge: giraffes beyond the balcony
Animal Kingdom Lodge curves around a savanna where giraffes, zebras and antelope roam. From a savanna-view room you can sit out early in the morning as the animals come down to drink.
It is a calm base between park days, and for many children the animals end up the highlight of the trip. It is further from Magic Kingdom than the Grand Floridian, and transport is by bus.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge
Four Seasons Orlando
The resort sits within Walt Disney World but is run by Four Seasons.
The big resorts: everything inside the gates
These are not all-inclusive, and you pay for what you eat. But with pools, several restaurants and kids' clubs on site, plenty of guests never leave during a week. For many travellers, that is what they were really after.
Four Seasons Resort Orlando: a water park inside Walt Disney World
The Four Seasons sits within the Walt Disney World area but is not a Disney hotel. It has a large pool complex with waterslides and a lazy river, a golf course and a rooftop restaurant looking towards the parks.
It suits families who want Disney close by and somewhere calm to recover between park days. Disney's dining plan does not apply here, so budget for meals.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Four Seasons Resort Orlando
The Breakers
The 1920s facade faces the Atlantic in Palm Beach.
The Breakers Palm Beach: a palace on the Atlantic
The Breakers was built in Italian Renaissance style in the 1920s, with painted ceilings in the lobby and a long facade facing the ocean. Behind it are a beach club, pools, a golf course, a spa and a string of restaurants.
Stay here for history and old-school service, or as a family that wants everything in one place without the theme-park feel. Palm Beach is quiet and manicured. For nightlife you will need to drive south towards Miami.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at The Breakers Palm Beach
Amelia Island
The beach runs the length of the island's eastern shore in north Florida.
Omni Amelia Island Resort: a long beach in the far north
Amelia Island lies at the top of Florida, close to the Georgia border, and the Omni resort there is almost a small town. It has miles of beach, golf courses, bike paths under moss-hung oaks and several restaurants.
Choose it for a family holiday built around cycling and swimming, or to see a side of Florida far from the neon of the south. Winters are cooler up here than in Miami, so it is best in spring, summer and early autumn.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Omni Amelia Island Resort
Marco Island
The wide beach on Marco Island faces west towards the sunset.
JW Marriott Marco Island: Gulf sunsets in the south
Marco Island lies south of Naples, where Florida's west coast starts to give way to the mangroves of the Everglades. The JW Marriott sits on a wide, pale beach, with several pools, a spa and restaurants on one site.
It suits families with school-age children and couples after a slow week of swimming and sunsets. It is big and can feel busy in school holidays. The Everglades are a short drive away.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort
Islamorada
Cheeca Lodge sits beside the shallow water of Islamorada in the Florida Keys.
Cheeca Lodge: the Florida Keys without driving all the way to Key West
Cheeca Lodge sits on the ocean in Islamorada, roughly halfway between Miami and Key West. Islamorada is known for sport fishing, and the resort has its own beach, pools and a pier reaching out over the shallow, clear water.
It suits couples and families who want the Keys mood and a calm base for snorkelling and fishing trips. Evenings are quiet, and Key West's nightlife is a couple of hours further down the road.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Cheeca Lodge and Spa
When to book
Winter and spring are peak season. From Christmas to Easter, Florida fills with Americans and Canadians escaping the cold. Book early for these months, especially around Christmas and during US spring break in March and April.
Summer and school holidays: Orlando and Disney are busiest when American schools are out, from June to mid-August. The Gulf Coast resorts are calmer than the Atlantic side.
Hurricane season runs from 1 June to 30 November, with the highest risk from August to October. If you travel then, choose a flexible rate and check your travel insurance.
Our first choice in Florida
voco Sandpiper
We recommend voco Sandpiper because it is the only resort on this list where food, drink and activities are included in the price. It sits on the St. Lucie River in Port St. Lucie, a couple of hours from both Miami and Orlando. Many still know it as Club Med Sandpiper Bay.
All-inclusive resorts in Florida: your questions answered
Are there any all-inclusive resorts in Florida?
Yes, but very few, because the big all-inclusive brands built in Mexico and the Caribbean instead. voco Sandpiper in Port St. Lucie, formerly Club Med Sandpiper Bay, is the one we recommend. Most other Florida resorts charge separately for food and drink.
What is the best all-inclusive resort in Florida for families?
voco Sandpiper is the clearest choice, with food, drink and activities included. If you would rather combine the trip with Orlando's parks, a Disney hotel with a dining plan is the closest equivalent, with park transport included. Sandpiper is a couple of hours south-east of Orlando, so a day at the parks is possible but long.
Is there an adults-only all-inclusive in Florida?
Not one we can recommend today. Several resorts have adults-only pools and quiet areas, but adults-only all-inclusive is rare in Florida. If that is what you want, Mexico and the Dominican Republic are a better bet, with plenty of adults-only resorts.
Is Disney World all-inclusive?
No, but you can add a dining plan when staying at one of Disney's own hotels. Meals are then prepaid and transport to the parks is included. Park tickets are extra, and the plan does not apply at hotels outside Disney.
Where should I stay in Florida without a hire car?
Pick voco Sandpiper or a Disney hotel in Orlando. Both work without a car, with a shuttle or taxi from the airport. The big beach resorts are self-contained too, but you will need a car to see anything beyond them. Distances in Florida are long.