INSPIRATION • August 2023

The all-inclusives worth spending your Avios on

Always assumed that all-inclusives aren’t for you? Well, with 65 per cent of UK consumers* agreeing that such holidays are less stressful to book and easier to budget than buying all the elements separately, it might be time for a rethink…

And since you can now use your Avios as part payment on our British Airways Holidays packages (and earn double Tier Points when you book), there’s no better time to check in to one of these five cliché-free luxury resorts, where every detail is taken care of.

All holidays with British Airways Holidays are ATOL protected, come with a 23kg baggage allowance per person and a 24-hour holiday helpline. You can also secure your holiday with a low deposit. To learn more about your benefits when booking with British Airways Holidays, click here

*British Airways Holidays 2023 Travel Trends Report

Daios Cove, Crete

Best for… Beleaguered parents
There’s no compromise on style at Daios Cove. Think pale, pared-back interiors and honeyed marble bathrooms; split-level villas with sea-view outdoor showers and heated saltwater pools. And it’s also perfectly attuned to families’ needs. Baby essentials are swiftly magicked up, from monitors to potties, while its chefs serve homemade nuggets alongside the grown-ups’ fritto misto. There’s a complimentary kid’s club and designated hangout for teens, giving parents time to scuba dive, sail or gratefully collapse in the spa. A funicular whisks everyone down to a private beach framed by turquoise shallows.

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The Standard, Huruvalhi Maldives

Best for… Gen-Z snappers
When hip hotel chain The Standard decamped to the Maldives, it was never going to play it safe. Set on the reef-edged Raa Atoll, a seaplane-hop from Malé, this is a resort that dances to its own beat (on a glass-bottomed dancefloor in a balmy Indian Ocean breeze). There are disco balls in every bathroom and DJs on the decks by the pool, while the spa hosts sunrise yoga sessions and full-moon meditations. Days here are spent snorkelling, diving and swimming with manta rays – or fuelling the ’gram with casual shots of your private infinity plunge pool.

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Ikos Andalusia, Malaga

Best for… Clued-up foodies
The Ikos is the kind of place where nothing is too much trouble. Staff happily mind kids while parents have a swim, remember how you take your coffee, and rustle up midnight feasts on request (room service is 24 hours). Not that you’ll go to bed hungry: the nine restaurants are superb. Michelin-starred chefs are behind many of the menus, including seafood maestro Lefteris Lazarou and the Greek-Italian Ettore Botrini (don’t miss his decadent pappardelle with truffled duck ragù). The Dine Out programme also means you can sample other local restaurants. No car? No problem: just hop in a complimentary Tesla.

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Ozen Reserve Bolifushi, Maldives

Best for… Luxury-loving adventurers
Arriving at this private-island hideaway aboard a sleek catamaran is an adventure in itself. It’s a slice of barefoot, beachfront living, with every conceivable luxury: think palm-thatched villas, marble-lined lap pools and round-the-clock butler service. Can’t wait to get into the water? Check in to an Ocean Pool Suite, where a private slide swoops from the top-floor terrace into the blue of the lagoon. Naturally, adventures here revolve around the Indian Ocean, from snorkelling with stingrays to shipwreck dives – or, for maximum Jacques Cousteau vibes, excursions in the semi-submarine.

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Rosewood Baha Mar, Bahamas

Best for… Serious sophisticates
Forget everything you thought you knew about all-inclusives: the Rosewood is cut from a very different cloth. Part of the larger Baha Mar enclave, it has a far more intimate feel: think the beach house of a friend with impeccable taste and exceedingly deep pockets. Its quietly opulent interiors are dotted with art (spot the Damien Hirst), while a Daniel Boulud restaurant adds French finesse to local seafood. After a day spent by the hotel’s palm-edged pools or white-sand private beach, retreat to its handsome, wood-panelled bar for Sidecars and smoked Old Fashioneds.

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Words by Elizabeth Winding