All-inclusive breaks have been big news this year, and operators have boosted their product range in anticipation of the trend continuing for 2010.
Here’s a look at what’s new for next year in some of the most popular destinations.
Read more news and features on this subject on our all-inclusive holidays page.
Jump to:Egypt | Indian Ocean | Caribbean | Mediterranean | Rest of Europe
Egypt
The Red Sea is booming, with a range of new three- to five-star options. Olympic Holidays commercial director Photis Lambrianides says: “Huge development is ongoing in the Red Sea region and it’s our fastest-growing destination. With plenty of air capacity and the huge number of resorts, prices are attractive.”
Olympic has added five properties in Sharm el-Sheikh: the five-star Tropitel Naama Bay; four-star Aqua Blue, Tropicana Azure Club and Tropicana Rosetta Hotel; and three-star Sahara Grand Sharm Resort.
The three-star Tropitel Dahab Oasis Hotel and the five-star LTI Titanic Beach Hotel Hurghada are also new.
The Red Sea leads in at £425 for seven nights’ half-board, including flights, at the three-star Amar Sina Hotel and Al Diwan Resort Hotel, both in Sharm El Sheikh (olympicholidays.com; 0800 093 3322).
Red Sea Holidays is featuring two new-build hotels in Hurghada as part of its increased all-inclusive portfolio for 2010. The five-star Makadi Bay opens in the summer, while the four-star Grand Marina opens in spring.
Grand Marina prices start at £585 per adult and £399 per child, in May, including flights, transfers and guaranteed late-room check out (redseaholidays.co.uk/agents; 0845 313 9949).
Libra Holidays has added long-stay, all-inclusive holidays in Egypt, for 21 and 42-night durations, with options in Sharm el-Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba and Taba. Prices start at £629, including flights, for 21 nights (libraholidays.co.uk; 0871 222 8181).
Thomas Cook has added Sindbad Club Aqua Park Resort, Hurghada, in its Aquamania 2010 programme, with seven nights starting at £665 per person in May, including flights (thomascookworld.com; 0844 412 5959).
In addition, Thomas Cook is offering an all-inclusive Nile cruise for the first time, costing £785 per person for seven nights in May, including flights.
Indian Ocean
Many Maldives hoteliers are proactively offering free all-inclusive upgrades, according to Cosmos head of specialist products, Sara Gelder.
She says: “This makes expensive destinations such as the Maldives much more affordable.”
New to Cosmos’ Maldives portfolio is the four-star Adaaran Select Hudhuran Fushi in North Male Atoll. Prices start at £1,069 per person for seven nights, in May, with flights (cosmos-holidays.co.uk; 0871 423 8518).
Universal Resorts’ Island Resort has introduced two all-inclusive packages, basic and select, to celebrate its November 2009 relaunch. Both include water sports and a sunset cruise, and the select package has a wider selection of wines and more restaurant options.
The basic package starts at £1,300 per person, and the select package starts at £1,412 per person, including flights, with Kuoni in May and June (kuoni.co.uk; 01306 747008).
Emirates Tours has introduced the Lily Beach Resort and Spa, Maldives, starting at £2,715 per person, including flights and transfers, from January
to March (emiratestours.co.uk; 0844 800 1400)
Sunset Faraways commercial manager Shamira Kaumaya-Hatt says Mauritius is good value. “Mauritius properties are offering more than just the traditional food and beverage options, including spa treatments, water sports and other leisure activities that normally come at a cost.”
Sunset features the new five-star InterContinental Mauritius, overlooking the Bay of Balaclava, costing £1,345 per person for seven nights, including flights (sunset.co.uk; 020 8774 7100).
Beachcomber Hotels is giving the option of upgrading to all-inclusive for an extra £26 per night at Le Victoria hotel and £20 per night at its Le Canonnier and Le Mauricia properties, all on Mauritius. Honeymooners can upgrade for £13 and £10 per night respectively, under a special offer aimed at newlyweds.
Operator prices start at about £1,500 per person (Le Victoria) and £1,350 per person (Le Canonnier and Le Mauricia), including flights, for seven days (beachcomber-hotels.com).
Caribbean
Thomas Cook has added the five-star luxury, adult-only, all-inclusive Excellence Playa Mujeres in the resort of Playa Mujeres near Cancun, Mexico. Prices start at £1,349 per person, in May, including flights.
Sandals’ newest property, Sandals Emerald Bay, Great Exuma, Bahamas, will open early next year, after a refurbishment to add a new pool complex and additional dining areas.
The all-suite resort will have 183 rooms, including beachfront villas and bay houses, and will feature an 18-hole golf course and a 17-acre marina. Seven nights in an Exuma Honeymoon Luxury Suite start at £1,999 per person in September, including flights and transfers (sellingsandals.co.uk;
020 7590 0210).
Meanwhile, Nisbet Plantation Beach Club in Nevis has launched a Plantation Plan for 2010, in response to holidaymakers’ requests for an all-inclusive package.
Previously, guests received breakfast, afternoon tea and dinner as part of their meal plan. The new Plantation Plan will upgrade guests to include lunch and all drinks (nisbetplantation.com).
Mediterranean
Much of the new Mediterranean product is focused on Turkey. Prestige Holidays has added two all-inclusive properties in its extended Turkey programme: the Hilton Dalaman, with prices starting at £887 per person, and Select Maris, Marmaris, starting at £886 per person. Both prices are for seven nights during May and include flights (prestigeholidays.co.uk; 01425 480 400).
Thomas Cook has added the upmarket, all-suite-and-villa Xanadu Island, due to open next summer near Turgutreis in Bodrum, while Lykia World Olu Deniz is being sold exclusively through Thomas Cook next year.
Hotels4u.com has added the four-star Miramer Beach in Marmaris, Turkey, from £17 a night in May, while the four-star Elounda Aquasol in Crete starts at £51 per person in May (hotels4u.com).
Already driving lots of all-inclusive sales for Cosmos is the Hotel Kefaluka in the new resort of Akyarlar, near Turgutreis in the Bodrum region.
Cosmos has also expanded elsewhere. Head of product and commercial Neil Garner says: “We have consciously injected a significant number of new all-inclusive properties into other gateways such as Fuerteventura, Tenerife and Majorca, where hoteliers have shown willing to capitalise on the trend.”
Existing hotels in Cosmos’ programme now offering all-inclusive options for 2010 include the Sol Calas de Majorca Resort in Majorca, and the H10 Costa Adeje Palace and Sol Princesa Dacil, both in Tenerife.
Prestige Holidays marketing manager Nicky Shafe says old favourites are starting to realise they have to compete with new properties on the market.
She says: “Coral Beach Hotel in Cyprus closes on December 21 and is scheduled to reopen on February 1. This is one of our all-inclusive properties for 2010 and we are confident it will prove even more popular next year following the refurbishment of its rooms.”
In Malta, the five-star Fortina Spa Resort has introduced long-stay winter wellness programmes. Prices start at £3,289 for 28 nights, including flights, transfers and some treatments (hotelfortina.com; +356 2346 0000).
Rest of Europe
Shearings Holidays has introduced a weekend break in Northern France, as part of an expanded range of all-inclusive options for 2010.
Staying at the Hotel Mercure, the two-day break includes an excursion to Lille and optional excursion to Bruges. Prices start at £299 per person, valid for departures between January and April.
Shearings Holidays European manager Sophie Cann says: “We’re now looking to introduce more all-inclusive short breaks as customers are increasingly looking for quicker and cheaper getaways.”
Shearings’ new nine-night all-inclusive Lake Garda tour, taking in the Dolomites and Venice, is the operator’s fastest-selling coach holiday for next year.
Prices start at £699, with departures between May and September.
Also new for 2010 is an eight-day Sorrento by Air programme, which visits Rome, Capri and The Amalfi Drive, from £699 between May and October (01942 823449, shearingsagent.com).
Singles specialist Just You is offering an eight-day itinerary around Bulgaria’s Black Sea Riviera starting at £629 per person, in May, including flights and accommodation (justyou.co.uk; 0800 112 3311)
