What all-inclusive actually includes
All-inclusive is a category, not a standard, and the gap between two resorts advertising the same star rating can be enormous. At the base level you are getting your room, buffet meals, domestic drinks, and non-motorised watersports. What varies — and what determines whether the week feels generous or grudging — is a la carte restaurant access, premium spirits, room service, wifi that actually works, and whether the good coffee costs extra.
The tier above that usually adds reserved a la carte dining without a booking scramble at 8am, imported spirits, better coffee, and a quieter section of beach. Adults-only properties add calm; family properties add kids' clubs, splash parks, and a buffet that can handle a fussy six-year-old. The right choice depends far more on who is travelling than on the number of stars.
The part no brochure will tell you is which properties have slipped. Resorts change management, close restaurants for renovation, and let standards drift, and the photography stays exactly the same throughout. We book these weekly from Calgary and hear back from clients the same season, which is the only reliable source of that information. If somewhere has gone downhill, we will say so and point you next door.