All-Inclusive Villa Holidays: Our Top Picks
Posted on 22nd Aug 2023
All-inclusive villa holidays offer the ultimate holiday hybridity. A brilliant balance of resort access – think restaurants, pools, entertainment – combined with a stay in a large luxury villa that feels more gated residency than a high-end hotel. Ideal for all kinds of travellers, these fabled resort villas offer privacy and comfort, tucked away in a separate part of expansive resort grounds or just off-site.
To us, villa resort holidays are the holy grail of holiday enhancement. Sip sundowners on your own garden terrace, prepare breakfast outside of scheduled buffet times, and recline by your own pool – before revelling in a gold standard of resort service just a few moments walk away.
Yet, like all getaways, all-inclusive villa holidays do require some expert navigation. To achieve the perfect overlap between intimate privacy and premium resort access, you’ll need our nose.
Our in-country connections span the world’s most exclusive villa resort holidays, that’s why as summer comes to a close, we’ve created a finely tuned selection of our favourites.
And as with any of our holidays – your base is only the beginning.
We weave each one of our exclusive villa resort holidays with exceptional experiences from private boat excursions to private transfers, from vineyard tours to wildlife walks. So that should you want it to be, your all-inclusive villa holiday isn’t one you can find by searching the internet. Entirely bespoke, personalised and designed around you.
Welcome to top picks for all-inclusive villa holidays
1. DOMES Lake Algarve Residences, Algarve, Portugal: Great for Families
The DOMES portfolio has been a favourite of ours for many years now, and its collection of luxury residences found at its lakeside Algarve property is no different. The resort itself is opulent, home to a private seawater lake surrounded by unmatched gardens, observation pergolas, and stupendous bars and restaurants set on the lake itself.
Then, just a short golf-buggy ride away from this hive of activity, you’ll find the Domes Lake Residences. Set amongst endless lawns, lush greenery and saltwater ponds, these one and two-bedroom properties are the ultimate luxury in all-inclusive villa holidays.
With a minimalist interior and Portuguese-style marble, all residences come with a fully equipped kitchen, dining area and living room. Offering complete tranquillity, guests can take in the beauty of the natural surroundings from a private terrace, enjoying a blend of homemade cocktails and those delivered via room service.
After a day spent on the hotel’s beach or by one of its many pools, what better way to see in the evening, than to slip away with your family to your own retreat – feeling more five miles from the hotel than five minutes?
2. The Landings, St. Lucia, Caribbean: Great for Honeymooners and Couples
On the mellow coast of St. Lucia’s Northwest corner, you’ll find The Landings. Here, all of the accommodation on offer is in the form of a luxury resort villa, making the property feel expansive and ultra-exclusive. Tucked on the shores of Rodney Bay, along one of St. Lucia’s most celebrated beaches, these villas overlook the private yacht marina on the Caribbean’s shimmering turquoise waters.
Available with one, two or three bedrooms, the Beachfront Villa Suites are staffed with a personal butler who is on-call day and night. Featuring warm woods, bamboo and rattan furnishings and decorative tropical touches, these spacious suites have bedrooms with four-poster beds and en-suite marble bathrooms, luxurious living and dining areas, full designer kitchens and an optional private plunge pool.
A handpicked highlight for us? The option to bolster the experience with The Landings’ all-inclusive package. Offering the ultimate in luxury and convenience, enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner, beach snacks and their unlimited deluxe beverage service. Essential Escapes couples retreat – yes, please.
3. Eagles Villas, Halkidiki, Greece: Great for larger families
Eagles Palace Hotel is an award-winning family-owned, 5-star beach resort in Halkidiki, Greece, we have been connecting our clients to for many years.
Nestled amid lush Mediterranean gardens and stunning sea views, the hotel has four restaurants and three bars as well as a Yacht Club offering private cruises and exclusive use of a beach on the uninhabited Drenia island equipped with umbrellas and sunbeds. Alongside all that, there’s a spa, one of the best kids’ clubs in Greece, water sports and a diving centre.
Then, you have the Eagles Villas. Just a short distance from the hotel itself these beautiful properties are a great option for larger families seeking an all-inclusive villa holiday. With less than 50 in total, the villas here range in both size and amenities meaning there are plenty of options to choose from.
From plunge pools to private garden pools, these exquisite resort villas enjoy uninterrupted views of the Aegean Sea from a private sanctuary that’s just a stone’s throw from the endless activities, restaurants and bars of Eagles Palace.
4. Anantara Mai Khao Phuket Villas, Phuket, Thailand: Great for an adventure villa holiday
For those seeking a more adventurous all-inclusive villa holiday, Thailand delivers exotic wildlife, rich culture and some of the world’s most pristine landscapes. And it’s Anantara Mai Khao that tops our list of resort villas on the island of Phuket.
A luxurious family-friendly refuge overlooking a fine white sand beach and backed by the lush vegetation of Sirinath National Park, the private pool villas of Anantara Mai Khao Phuket Villas are an incredible base from which to explore the wonders of this part of Thailand. Alongside access to the property’s main pool area and spa, there are several restaurants dotted across the expansive grounds, from a beachfront BBQ to a Thai fusion tapas haunt accessed by a spiral staircase wrapped around an ancient Banyan Tree.
For us, our highlight is the activities on offer, from jungle walks to diving excursions to Thai cooking classes, the team behind Mai Khao has worked hard to ensure a stay here is authentic as it is luxurious.
And if all that sounds a little too grown-up for the explorers in your party, then The Turtle Club caters for children aged 4 – 12, coordinating entertaining and educational projects every day.
5. Pine Cliffs Resort, Algarve, Portugal: Great for Younger Children
A previous winner of the coveted title of ‘Best Family Resort in the World’, Pine Cliffs Resort is found amongst lush pine forests on Portugal’s Algarve overlooking the sea. As far as all-inclusive villa holidays go, this resort is one of the biggest – spanning several pools, a nursery, a kids club, pirate ships, a bouncy castle, crazy golf and much more. There’s plenty for adults too, five floodlit tennis courts, a nine-hole golf course, and a sizeable handful of restaurants and bars, ranging from Mirador bar, where you’ll sample some of the country’s famed wines to the Piri Piri steakhouse, serving authentic Portuguese cuisine.
This hive of activity creates the feeling of a small village however since you’ll be visiting as part of an all-inclusive villa holiday, the resort is yours to pick and choose from – rather than inhabiting it day and night.
The exquisite 4-bedroom Pine Cliffs Deluxe Villas are set on large private plots in perfect harmony with nature and the unspoilt natural environment. With a private pool, pristine gardens, jacuzzi, dining and barbecue area, your family can enjoy all the benefits of one of Europe’s biggest and best luxury resorts, all from the sanctuary of your own private space.
As with every one of our travel stories, our service extends far further than simply recommendations. If any of the all-inclusive resort villas have pulled on your holiday heartstrings, we’re here to tailor a trip exactly to your taste.
Curating an itinerary that fits exactly to you and yours, whether you need a sprawling resort villa for the whole family or a private sanctuary for two.
Arrange a call today and discover the brilliance of holiday hybridity for yourself.
