Finding an all-inclusive resort with an adult-only policy doesn't take much research time. However, finding one with a couples-only rule is a bigger challenge—but not one you'll have to face because Oyster has done the work for you. These all-inclusives only allow couples to book rooms. This means: no screaming children, rowdy friend groups, or business conferences will ruin the romantic vibe.
Sandals Barbados fits well into the brand's vision of couples-only all-inclusive luxury and is easily one of the most decadent resorts on the island. The Barbados location opened in early 2015, making it the newest of the chain's 15 resorts, scattered throughout the Caribbean, from Antigua to St. Lucia. Some of the hotel's 280 rooms offer swim-out access to a river-style pool or terraces with free-standing soaking tubs. With three pools, 13 restaurants, bars, scheduled theme nights with live entertainment, and unlimited water sports (including diving), the Barbados venue, like all Sandals properties, epitomizes a couples-only Caribbean mega-resort. Sandals' main pools are reliably bumping with loud dance music and games during the day. Still, couples who want to relax will find peaceful, quiet corners scattered throughout the lushly landscaped grounds, which include the brand's hallmark fire pits on the beach, gazebos, two-person hammocks, swinging chairs, and Red Lane spas. Everything is perfectly planned out and well executed—to the point that the experience can end up feeling overly choreographed and less than authentic. However, the popular upscale all-inclusive with luxurious rooms are dedicated to creating romantic getaways. (Just be prepared to share yours with a few hundred other couples.)
Even travelers turned off by the mass appeal of all-inclusive resorts might consider a property like Couples Tower Isle. It's decidedly more sophisticated than competing resorts on the island, and its refined amenities include a zen spa, a yoga and spinning studio, and an Asian-fusion restaurant that hovers over the water in a thatched-roof palapa. Of course, Tower Isle and Couples' three other Jamaican properties aren't intimate, with hundreds of guests packing into the pools and restaurants. Still, they have an overall vibe that is nonetheless more mellow than some hard-partying adult-only options. (The other locations are the 35-acre Couples Sans Souci, also in Ocho Rios, and Couples Negril and Couples Swept Away, both located in the beach resort town of Negril, on the westernmost tip of the island.) Perhaps most compelling, though, are Couples' all-inclusive rates, which cover far more than the meals and watered-down drinks dispensed at many all-inclusive resorts. All four locations' impressive range of freebies includes airport transfers, golf green fees (guests must pay additional for mandatory caddies), catamaran cruises, glass-bottom boat rides, snorkeling, scuba diving, tennis, horseback riding, and even honeymoon packages with massages for two and a bottle of sparkling wine. Of particular note is Couples’ all-inclusive booze policy, which includes top-shelf liquors in addition to the usual beer, wine, and rum punch.
Couples of all ages come to Rendevous Resort for the romantic and easygoing all-inclusive vibe. Set on a white-sand beach close to St. Lucia's capital, the resort offers many activities, including tennis, yoga, archery, and motorized and non-motorized water sports. Loungers will find plenty of private spaces on the beach, by the two pools, along the lazy river, a meandering series of streams with secluded pod-like day beds. The beachfront bar revs up for cocktails in the late morning and buzzes until late at night. In the evenings, the Terrace Restaurant, which serves all three meals buffet-style, transforms into a romantic candlelit dining room. Guests craving a la carte options (and air-conditioning) can reserve a table at the Trysting Place, the resort's French restaurant, or head to the Champagne Bar for nightly samplings of bubbly. All 100 rooms have a sophisticated colonial Caribbean style; some open directly onto the beach.
Steamy shows, clothing-optional policies, and X-rated whirlpool parties make Desire Riviera Maya Resort and its sister property, Desire Riviera Maya Pearl Resort, great picks for those looking to have some sensual adult-only fun. Both Desires are located outside of quiet Puerto Morelos on the Riviera Maya. The Pearl draws a somewhat younger crowd and feels a tad less racy, yet still naughty. Both locations stage provocative themed nights (foam pool parties, BDSM nights, burlesque shows), but open-minded guests who only want to experience the clothing-optional part of it will not necessarily feel offended, as sex is only allowed in specific common areas at each resort, and respect is the number one house rule.
A quiet yet full-scale resort, the Sun Palace is an intimate all-inclusive set in the remote section of Cancun, around 45 minutes from the downtown sprawl in the southern strip of the Hotel Zone. The hotel's last major renovation was in 2019, and everything is wonderfully maintained, including the spacious rooms with minimalist, earth-toned decor and two-person jetted tubs. The beaches here are pristine most of the year and nearly private compared to those further north in the heart of the strip, as there aren’t any wandering merchants or guests from nearby resorts. The semi-secluded location means there aren’t any nightlife options in the vicinity, which is why this is an ideal spot for those looking for a relaxing and quiet getaway.
Serenity at Coconut Bay is an adults-only resort that boasts private plunge pool suites, each designed to offer seclusion and relaxation. The personalized butler service makes your stay exceptionally luxurious. Couples can indulge in several romantic activities, from couples massages to candlelit dinners on the beach. They offer three categories of suites: a Plunge Pool Butler Suite, Premium Plunge Pool Butler Suite and Grande Plunge Pool Butler Suite - each slightly bigger and more luxurious than the next.
This couples-only resort is located on a gorgeous beach in Playa Mujeres. Each suite features a private plunge pool, offering the utmost privacy and intimacy. Couples can dine at one of the four world-class restaurants, indulge at the spa or simply relax by the pool or beach. The spa features a hydrotherapy circuit, which includes a crystal steam hammam, Roman caldarium, Swedish sauna, ice glacier room, and various water therapies- a perfect way for couples to rejuvenate together.