When developers and investors are considering hotel projects that make the most financial sense, it is inaccurate to group all all-inclusive resorts together. Luxury all-inclusive resorts are their own category, separate from traditional all-inclusives. So, what are some of the key differentiators? Staff-to-guest ratio and service execution, investment per room, and food and beverage offerings are three areas where luxury all-inclusives exceed guest expectations and prosper far beyond the traditional all-inclusive.

Stellar Service Thrives With Higher Staff-To-Guest Ratio

Staff are key to unrivaled delivery of the guest experience. Luxury all-inclusive resorts mark the “sweet spot” in size because of a higher ratio of staff members to guests for positions of direct contact with customers, allowing team members to be more attentive to individual needs, which encourages customer loyalty. Of crucial importance, luxury all-inclusive resorts are large enough to be profitable and deliver the high levels of service and guest satisfaction that drive repeat business. Furthermore, the flexible development model of the AMR Collection™, which offers resorts of multiple brands that share certain facilities in order to maximize ROI, means luxury all-inclusive multi-brand projects of this nature over 1,000 rooms also effectively provide flawless service.

When we launched 20 years ago, the original idea was to craft a luxury all-inclusive experience for the North American traveler. We knew that the staff-to-guest ratio was going to make a meaningful impact on both the guest experience and in connecting with developers and investors, and we were not willing to compromise on service because that is essential to cultivating customer loyalty and a resort’s financial success.

The higher staff-to-guest ratio at luxury all-inclusive resorts in the AMR Collection™ and a deep emphasis on service delivery and the guest experience have resulted in impressive accolades for AMResorts: 27 of our properties have earned the AAA Four Diamond Award, more than any other hotel company in the region, and two of our resorts have earned the coveted AAA Five Diamond Award (there are only 26 AAA Five Diamond hotels in all of Mexico); these 29 properties combined represent three times more than any other all-inclusive chain in the region. AAA Diamond ratings are only applicable for North America, Canada, the Caribbean and Mexico.

The impressive number of unbiased third-party accolades a property receives gives travel advisors confidence to book, guests confidence to stay, and developers and investors confidence to select a particular brand for new-builds or conversions – a robust reflection of how luxury all-inclusives powered by exceptional service are winning business and enviable success.

A Higher Investment Per Room Yields High Guest Satisfaction

Room quality matters to leisure guests. Luxury all-inclusive resorts are known for providing spacious, graciously appointed accommodations outfitted with stylish amenities, elegant décor, oversized bathrooms and stunning views, creating a true oasis for travelers.

The quality of the accommodations and public areas at an all-inclusive is determined by the total investment per available room. At luxury all-inclusive resorts, typically in the range of 500-700 rooms, the quality of furniture, finishings and equipment (FF&E) increases. Therefore, developers of these luxury all-inclusives can elevate the quality of a hotel stay by allocating more money per accommodations, which translates into increased levels of customer satisfaction.

The investment AMR Collection™ owners make has a higher value per key than other all-inclusive properties. Combining this with the luxury all-inclusive model’s healthy occupancy levels and consistent ROI creates a powerful, future-focused value proposition for upcoming hotel development projects. Developers and investors need to make financially smart, strategic decisions about their hotel ventures, and the higher investment per room demonstrates the positive impact that a luxury all-inclusive resort can have on customer satisfaction and hotel profitability.

Further enhancing the decision-making process for developers and investors, we launched a refreshed brand architecture (ADD LINK TO ALEJANDRO’S POST ON THIS) in conjunction with the new AMR Collection™ Master Brand, which effectively guides ownership through the brands’ development process, with brands and sub-brands clearly defined for their target audience, so owners can determine the ideal fit for their property.

Mega-Size F&B Choice Is Served At Luxury All-Inclusives

Dining is a crucial component to the success of a luxury all-inclusive resort. While the all-inclusive concept is sometimes likened to mass-market cruises, dining at a luxury all-inclusive resort is decidedly different from these.

An overwhelming majority of regular all-inclusive resorts have limited access to specialty restaurants, feature mostly buffet service options versus a la carte, offer regular call brand liquor versus premium/top-shelf labels, and have supplemental charges throughout. Luxury all-inclusive resorts, such as the ones in the AMR Collection™, feature diverse dining with international choices and local options celebrating authentic flavors, 24-hour room service, top-shelf liquor and a la carte menus are the normal standard, reservations in restaurants are not required, and any buffets are elevated to the concept of an international market – all to fit guests’ discriminating tastes.

Luxury all-inclusive resorts offer an enriched dining component where food and beverage is equal in importance to other aspects of a leisure stay and key to generating increased guest satisfaction.  Reflecting the innovative spirit of the AMR Collection™, our food and beverage offerings have evolved, incorporating diversity and important trends to enhance the entire vacation experience.

Delivering more with food and beverage has further shaped the definition of a luxury all-inclusive resort, which is built on the pillars of comfort, customization, cost and convenience. Not so long ago, some travel companies didn’t sell all-inclusive vacations because of the perception that it wasn’t a luxury product, but we know that’s not true. High-end travel advisors are increasingly selling luxury all-inclusive resorts because they understand the quality of the vacation experience and how it is differentiated from the traditional all-inclusive in multiple areas, including food and beverage.

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Luxury all-inclusive resorts embody distinct differentiators from the traditional all-inclusive property. With luxury all-inclusive resorts, there is an elevated service component due to a higher staff-to-guest ratio; developers and investors can provide a greater financial investment per room to create the chic and spacious accommodations expected by guests; and the food and beverage offerings are of a sophisticated quality where choice is paramount.

The AMR Collection™ has embraced this trio of benefits and has been fortunate to experience huge growth and robust brand evolution since its inception in 2001. We are the fastest growing resort management company in the Caribbean and Mexico and the fourth largest hotel chain in Spain (per room count). We experienced expansion of 300% in the last decade thanks to global growth efforts, and we enjoyed 85% global expansion in 2020. Defining our resort management company with a collection of luxury all-inclusive resorts has furthered our inherent pioneering, forward-thinking approach to upscale leisure travel resulting in huge rewards for our esteemed guests and valued developers and investors.