Hi Everyone! Happy Holidays to all of you! Thank you for all your support of my channel this year. I'm truly grateful. Hope you enjoy the video, and find it helpful, and let me know some of the brands you're loyal to - Vanessa ❤

We’ve been to Excellence Playa Mujeres, Excellence Oyster Bay, and Secrets Cap Cana. I definitely agree that Excellence and Secrets are two of the best brands out there! We do probably 40+ hours of research before each trip to pick the best resort for us, from watching videos like these to room tours to joining Facebook groups. You won’t go wrong with those brands!

My first ever all inclusive experience was for my honeymoon and it was at Excellence El Carmen. The staff treated my husband and I like royalty. It was truly a great experience. I love that this brand is number 1 for you !

Hi Vanessa!! I love your videos!! Thank you sooooooo much for your good work!

Just completed our first ever all inclusive, on the recommendation of a family member (mid December 2022). We stayed at the Excellence Riviera Cancun, and were thoroughly impressed. However, I had no idea how it ranked as far as all inclusives go, so I was thrilled to hear you say Excellence is the best !

Love the video, tons of great info. I’m surprised that the Hyatt Ziva resorts did not make the list. Also, I usually associate Royalton resorts with families, mainly because that’s where I’ve stayed with my family. Can’t wait to try the Excellence resorts soon.

Thank you for putting these lists together. My husband and I aren’t well traveled but are looking to schedule some kind of beach vacation every year. Heading to EPM in November 2023 for our first all inclusive experience and your recommendation helped us decide it was the one for us. Thank you!

Thanks Vanessa, great video as always! Now I again want to go somewhere (back from St.Lucia just few weeks ago)😂 Love your videos!❤

Fantastic video, Vanessa. So thorough. I loved it. I concur, Excellence is so amazing because everything; food, shows, and especially the service are absolute excellence. You are pampered and made to feel welcome the minute you pull up to the magnificent lobby doors. The feeling is unforgettable and makes you want to return year after year. I have to say, my how the mighty have fallen; no Sandals or Palace Resorts on the list. I truly appreciate your honesty. This video is one to definitely consult before booking. Looking forward to the next video.

Great review as always, really appreciate these reviews as it makes my holiday selections easier. Visited Excellence El Carmen recently and we just loved it.

Great Video...The Excellence In Mexico at Playa Mujeres Is Amazing!!!

Surprised Palace Resorts did not make your Top 10. Hard Rock and Palace resorts are amazing and used to be one brand/company. Great job as always - love your reviews!

We love Hard Eock brand if we are planning on being at the resort all of the time. We did this when our child was younger. Now we like a Riu. We mostly are just there for breakfast and to sleep and are out adventuring during the day. We like the ones in Playacar because there are things to do within a short walk.

The only all inclusive I've ever done was The Club Barbados. It was an amazing experience. We're looking forward to going to Dreams Las Mareas in Costa Rica this spring for our friend's wedding. But your channel always makes me want to book another one to see what else we can experience!

We just stayed at the new adults only Riu Kukulkan in the Cancun hotel zone and we were beyond impressed! An amazing value for what we payed, we couldn't have had a better honeymoon

Thank for sharing this video. I really enjoyed it!!

Always love your reviews but can you do one on the best all inclusive hotels in Mauritius and Seychelles? Thanks 😊

Happy Holidays!! I had high hopes for Excellence Playa Mujeres but Secrets service and food was so much better for us and we had club at EMP. EMP RTT was my favorite room.

Hope you and yours had a wonderful Christmas and that you and yours have a terrific New Year. We are going to the Excellence Punta Cana and Excellence Playa Mujeres in 2023. We have been to Excellence El Carmen and Excellence Riviera Cancun and enjoyed both of them. It's really nice not being bothered by timeshares people.

I am always floored by your knowledge. Great video as usual. I hope one day to get away with my wife to one of these resorts. We'll have to struggle to decide!

Super appreciate these videos! Could you put a list in the comments or description

YES I LOVE YOUR REVIEWS!! U DO A FABULOUS JOB...I HOPE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY HAD A GREAT CHRISTMAS💚🎄❤

My husband stayed in a RIU hotel in Manhattan 2 blocks away from Times Square and although it was just to sleep I loved the hotel as they had great food and hospitality and the hotel was very clean. I would def try it overseas

Great video as usual, can't wait to go on vacation since, l didn't go last year.❤❤

That's so true about RIU. It's a great value.

My daughter and I are just back from the Viva Wyndham V Samana in the DR. I have done many all-inclusives and although my favourite brand is Club Med, we were quite impressed with this small property. Lovely endless beach, nice pool and very good service. Very ordinary rooms and ok food, but considering the price we were quite impressed. So much we are going back there in February. I would love it it you could review this brand, which I had never heard of until the travel agent suggested it. For a budget resort, it was really good. Also please review the Club Med’s. No other brand in my view comes close as far as dining, even though it is mostly buffet. The food at Club Med is a cut above. Great activities too. We have done Iberostar, Barcelo, Valentin and Paradisus and not come even close to Club Med. I hope you review Viva Wyndham and Club Med soon. Thanks for great videos.

We love Secrets Cap Cana it’s everything you said about them! We are venturing out to Excellence this year. Thanks for the great videos!

Hi Vanessa Merry Christmas and Happy New Years! I’m trying to think of brands with locationS I think Hyatt Zilara for adults and Ziva for families the Ziva in the DR is great for small kids but I think for the price this brand is consistent food can be hit/miss like most of the AI properties if these AI’s could keep their service and food/drinks consistent they’d stay busy people could overlook some things. Also Iberostar Grand also will bring you a full bottle of alcohol if requested. Thanks for all you do!

Would love top all inclusive with best beach snorkeling, like you mentioned. Love your channel!

first you hit it dead on, I’ve been to Royalton, Rui, Sandals,Secrets, Marival and Excellence i got Excellence 1 Secrets 2 Sandals 3, and i agree Maroma Beach the best Secrets resort and Playa Mujeres too me is the best resort I’ve been too. what a great video and i hope Excellence expand to more of the caribbean please

I already knew Excellence would be at your #1 spot. I love EPM but going back to EOB this summer for a 2nd time! Great video to end the year !!

Merry Christmas Vanessa, hope you had a good one❤

Always so helpful and professional Mrs Vanessa

Iberostar Tucan ! Amazing property close to Playa Del Carmen not high end but great for a inexpensive vacation and the food I’d good along with a amazing beach and pool

We are secrets consumers but an Excellence experience may be in the future! Thanks for another great video.

Hi Vanessa. I just started watching your videos and love them!I’m looking for an AI adults only for a family reunion/vacation. Ages 21-85. I like luxury but not everyone cares, as long as it’s fun for the younger generation but not too big of a party atmosphere for the older. Definitely a nice resort with good food and options. I was looking at Excellence Riviera Cancun. Do you think that’s too relaxing and will be boring? Do you have other recommendations? Thank you!! Looking forward to your ideas.

I'd love a video about hotels that are all about adventures and exploring the area

We love the Riu we've been to one in Cancun, Spain and their Dubai location. Ideally we would love to hit all the Riu Resorts.

I’m going to check out Excellence Playa Mujeres online right now! Also plan to visit my first Secrets property soon!

Hi PP - how about a video on the best resorts for the best, most gorgeous beaches?! So many resorts advertise clear blue water and white sand but the reality is usually less exciting. Sea grass being the biggest fib!

Hi Vanessa! I totally agree with you about the Excellence brand. It is because of you that I fell in love with the Excellence brand and the Beloved hotel in Playa Mujeres. We have another trip planned there with the plunge pool in June. It truly is the best brand.❤️✈️

Hi Vanessa! I’ve been following your channel for quite a while, and the content has always been great! Thank you for another wonderful video. I was rather surprised to see that Hyatt Ziva / Zillara didn’t make the cut. I personally rank them well above Royalton for service and consistency. I’d love to hear your thoughts on where they rank for you.

That was a great list-do you think you could list them in your pinned comment? I like to save your videos to refer back to and sometimes I have to skip around looking for the place you mentioned that I wanted to book but if you put the list somewhere I could just refer to that instead. Just a suggestion.

We stayed at Excellence Oyster Bay two years ago and loved it. It was our first all inclusive, so I guess the bar has been set high for us! I think I want to try Excellence Playa Mujeres next.

Quiet resorts all I want is the ocean, food and sleep!!!!!!!!!!! Which ones would be good??????????????

I worked as a destination rep at the Iberostars in the Riviera Maya and Puerto Plata, and back then, they were excellent. I've only been to those in Cuba, and unfortunately, they have dropped the ball big time there. Cuba is getting a LOT of new excellent hotels now, and it's unfortunate that Iberostar doesn't keep up. Hope you'll be able to go and visit Cuba at some point, I'd love to hear your comments! Happy Holidays!

Couldnt agree more regarding Excellence.

I agree with everything except for Excellence Oyster Bay. The food there was sub par at best. The room on the beach was top shelf, but the food let us down. I've gone to 3 star resorts and had much better food! We heard that the Excellence Mujeres was much better than Oyster bay and we should've gone there instead. Great channel. Keep the videos coming.

My favorite all-inclusive resort brand is the Bahia Principe! I went to the Iberostar Rose Hall Beach but not the Suites one. I did see it though.

Going to Zoetry Punta Cana in February! So happy to see it on this list, it is our first time going to this brand :)

I noticed that you forgot to include Secrets in Mallorca Spain - it is all inclusive as well and is located in a castle, so it is a very unique property. Pool is small but lots of activities to do on the island.

Love your videos I stayed at the Beloved, which is part of the excellent brand and it was wonderful last year. This year we’re going to Punta Cana excellence. Everything you said about them is true. The only thing I would like you to do is when you’re going through your videos and your name in top tens, etc. why not put the name of the resort in the top left corner so that we can know what you’re talking about if we come into it in the middle.

Great video as always - I'm curious - Hard Rock made the list but not Palace? Aren't they owned operated by the same family (ownership group)? I've been going to Palace since their soft opening of Moon Palace Punta Cana before they rebranded to Hard Rock. I have found no better service than in Palace resorts (Mexican locations).

Have you ever tried the palace resort all inclusive brand? We always go to Moon Palace even though our children are all grown up and no longer come with us. It is the family resort, even though they have several adults only locations, Moon Palace is out of the hustle and bustle of the hotel zone and is on the lagoon side of the upper camp and insula. This means it does not have the turquoise water at the hotel zone has, but has the “green“ waters and green waters other waters that have 80% of all see life, so snorkelling is amazing! They offer 24 hour room service, and a beautiful sandy beach that also has à la cart foods and drinks. Being an all-inclusive it is surprising, but true, that’s all top shelf liquor is also included. I’ve tried other all-inclusive‘s but Palace Resorts, by far, show the meaning of luxury an all star service. All of the restaurants are five star restaurants and they have a 24 hour section that offers sandwiches, ice cream, candy, and all the things you crave when you’ve been out partying. It’s 24 hour room service and you will never see any of their employees without a smile. As they walk around they constantly are smiling, and willing to help. Just wondering if you’ve ever been to any of their resorts. They just opened one in Jamaica and a new one at Moon Palace, but we still prefer the sunrise. Even their inexpensive “garden view“ rooms include beautiful sunset over the ocean views. You can also take a step up and get there “oceanview rooms, or golf club/golf course level rooms. They all have the same access to all of the same restaurants. And what’s good about these resorts is that if you were staying at one resort you have the right to go to any of the other resorts. So if you’re staying in Cancun but the side take a take a trip down to Cozumel you’re more than welcome to eat at their restaurants snorkel from their docs, etc. or if you’re saying at Moon Palace as I do, and Lagoonside, you’re more than welcome to go downtown to the hotel zone and splash around in the beautiful crystal clear turquoise waters for the day, enjoying all of their restaurants and drink service. Just wondering what you felt about this brand if you stay there.

I agree with Excellence, I just wish they were more travel agent friendly.

Lovee EEC in the DR!!! I'm wondering what your thoughts are on the Majestic brand??? 😊😊😊

I stayed at RIU Republica in DR recently. I recommend it. Price was excellent. The rooms need some upgrades but come on, are y’all staying in the rooms all day? There was food available almost 24/7. The drinks are not strong but drink a lot of them 😂

When you called excellence playa mujeres your favorite, I smiled so much--we will be going there for our honeymoon and I am ecstatic

Great video... I also dont get why some people judge riu so bad I've stayed at riu palace las americas in cancun this year and we are definetly going back next year maybe try the new kukulkan property if not we stay with the las americas it was great and for ~250$/night we really got all we wanted. greetings from austria :)

Good videos and appreciate honesty. We are staying right next to Excellence Playa Mujeres (stayed at Excellence Play Del Carmen, so know it is a great brand) at Atelier. Have you been there and reviewed it? We actually joined their "club" because we thought it was on par with Excellence. To me probably 6 of one half dozen of another 😂

I’d love to hear your thoughts on palace resorts

I like the RIU brand

Hi Vanessa, thank you so much . What do you think of the Karisma brand?

Great video Vanessa one question about the excellence playa mujueres would you say it’s fun or quiet my wife and I prefer a fun resort in other words not going to bed at 11 pm

Just a question what are your thoughts on the state of emergency that was declared in Jamaica due to the crime spike.

I love Secrets…Especially Secrets Moxche’ Playa Del Carmen! We had our wedding there 12/12/22

Hi enjoyed your video could you list the resort brands you mentioned

We are looking at 2 different Club Meds. We aren't party people, but what do you think of Turkoise? The other is Finolhu Maldives. Also what about Margaritaville Playa Flamingo Costa Rica? We love our AI's. Is that one a good one?

Can you do a video on all inclusive resorts in Turks and Caicos

Thanks!

We went to Secrets last year (2023) and kept getting bothered to join the vacation club it was a hard sale they were calling our room leaving messages. I just got there all I wanted to do was enjoy my vacation that I was already on and paid for. Also the dress code is to strict, the had NO casual dinner option for men and it was so hot that he was sweating through all his nice clothing, just not very relaxing to have to get dressed up ever night, we ended up having ok room service a couple times.

Excellence for the win. We tried Beloved and also Finest Punta Cana this year. We want to do EOB next but why is it so much more than all other excellence resorts ? Is it worth the premium?

Hi, could you please recommend a few truely all inclusive inexpensive (tax included, good food, drinks) resorts. My husband and I are planning a last minute getaway. We are interested in Belize, Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Cayman Islands..

Vanessa, what are your thoughts about the Hilton brands in mexico? Specifically for all-inclusive.

Can you do a video all about the Excellence Brand and locations, please?!

I am a big fan of Riu hotels as they don't have upgrade clubs which are just money pits.

Grand Velas brand is top top , it’s family one though but not sure why GV not listed top 3

If you include Europe, Ikos would likely push Excellence into number two.

I love the RiU properties I've only had one bad experience with the brand. The resort was in Puerto Vallarta Won't go back there

Ok - I love you reviews, But I have to say Secrets blows excellence out the water Especially Secrets Akumal this is a MUST.

Why didn't Hyatt make the list. Especially with the one in Punta Cana? They are my favorite when it comes to service. I would put them higher than the Royalton Brand.

Hi how are you? Could you show all inclusive for Singles adults...budget friendly..also show with diverse travelers. Thanks

I agree all Excellence properties are great but I think Oyster Bay is their best property (Book well in advance though because its sold out way in advance which speaks volumes about how good it is). Excellence PC is also amazing but the beach isn't fabulous by Punta Cana Standards. I wish they had a property on Bavaro beach. Secrets Royal Beach is a good alternative in PC and pretty good bang for your $

Who owns Atelier? I went in November and was blown away by the food quality, I used to love Secrets but now I’m ready to branch out.

Have you ever tried the Dreams/Now brand? It's the only one we've ever tried and I'd be curious on how it compares.

Hi Vanessa, are there any smart all inclusive resorts for non-drinkers?

How would you rate Finest Punta Cana which is also under the excellence brand?

My wife and I stayed at Excellence El Carmen for our honeymoon and loved it. It was an amazing resort. Only complaint is that they completely disregarded/forgot about our honeymoon. Nothing was pre set in our rooms and they never brought the bottle of champagne my brother paid for ahead of time. Seems like an isolated incident but was definitely a disappointment.

Please help! Me and my husband are going to Cancun/playa del Carmen. We’re at the age where we’re not to old so we would like to dance and have fun but we’re also not young so definitely not twerking! Also good quality food and pool is very important to us. It’s our 21st anniversary please any suggestions. 😊

Vanessa, Do you have any thoughts on Excellence Oyster Bay? Please your opinion would be so appreciated. Thank you.

Resort where we can do our own food? in Mexico please

Noice!

What are your thoughts on the Barcelo hotels?

12/26/22 20:19 Vanessa, I have never been to a resort or on a cruise. I watch all of your videos but just don’t know where to go. I just turned 60, single for 12 years but not looking for the romantic “Secrets” type or the young, hyped, loud, drunken party resort. I would love to sleep in a hammock on the beach, have drinks by the pool and read a few books. Not looking for “pickups at the bar.” It would be nice to meet new friends but not top priority. Any recommendations for an okay single guy?

Which Excellence property has the best beach?

Am I the only one who didn’t care for Excellence Punta Cana.. staff was stand-off ish. Pools were super warm .. never had drink service.. food was hit or miss.. was ok but Secrets had much better. Maybe I should try the Playa Mujeres? I am leaving for the Live Aqua in Cancun soon and will see how that resort is. Heard many great things. Thanks for another great video. Best food ever was Zoetry. ❤

We always choose Excellence properties. Any others that I try with friends I'm disappointed. This brand definitely set the bar as high as I think it goes. If you haven't tried it, you really need to.

What do you think about Finest and Beloved resorts from Excellence?

Excellence Punta Cana set the bar really high and Excellence oyster bay outdid them… best all inclusive

My husband and I no longer drink alcohol. Are all inclusive resorts worth it for “dry” vacationers like us?