I love the concept of all-inclusive resorts from a financial planning perspective — I know what I’m paying for before I arrive, which saves me a lot of anxiety about how much I’m spending on food and drinks. But serious downsides of an all-inclusive resort stay can be the sub-par food and the property’s enormous size. So what I really appreciate about many California beach resorts is that they offer all-inclusive options without being the traditional mega-sized properties you find in Mexico or across the Caribbean.
Instead, in California, you’ll find hotels and resorts, mostly in the luxury category (but catering to families as well as couples), that offer guests the option of purchasing add-on packages to make the stay more all-inclusive. These can include everything from four-course dinners to spa credits or rounds of golf. From Santa Barbara to Big Sur, here are five of our top choices for all-inclusive style beach resorts in California.
Map of featured hotels: