Adult only resort or not?

[oasisgirl]

Hi, I'm in the middle of planning my destination wedding. What are the differences between adult only resorts and family resorts? None of my guests are bringing their kids, so I suppose I can have it at both types.

 

I'm hoping the wedding to be somewhere in Dominican Republic/Mexico/Jamaica, hoping under $1500 including tax for 1 wk all inclusive. Thanks for the help!!

[RCBlondie]

from my experience, Adult only resorts tend to be more "adult" like in their facilities, maybe even a little fancier and possibly more expensive. Many resorts have an adult only section which could be a nice compromise and help keep the price options open for your guests.

 

We went to the DR and stayed in Punta Cana at the Grand Bahia Principe, we stayed in the Ambar section which was adults only. It was great to have an adult only section of the beach but also have access to some of the fun things that occur on a more family oriented resort.

 

If your guests are leaving from T.O. then you should be able to find something very nice for $1500 I would think. Our trip to DR (punta cana) from Vancouver at the beginning of Dec. 08 it was $1400 for the Ambar section (adult only section) - considered more upscale and rooms a little nicer in the decor from what we read on TripAdvisor reviews.

 

Hope this helps. Good luck with your planning.

[Nora]

I stayed at Sun Palace in Cancun which is adults only all-inclusive and liked it because when we went out to the pool or restaurants we didn't hear kids complaining or crying and also because we felt more free to makeout in the pool! I think if kids were around we would have censored ourselves more but since it was all adults, it felt like a big party where you could do adult things (drink and kiss) without having to be aware of kids watching or their parents disapproving of your behavior in front of their kids

[NaM]

We actually couldn't decide between the two and picked a resort that was both! Aventura Spa Palace in Riviera Maya is half adults only and half family friendly so everyone got what they wanted. My little sister is the only one under 18 coming to the wedding and obviously it was important to me that she be there otherwise we would've done adults only.

[HappyGoLucky]

I would've loved to have had my wedding at an adults-only resort. I'm not crazy about kids (definitely not having any anytime soon) and I really didn't want to have them around the resort where I marry. However, with that said, we did visit 2 adults-only resorts on our site visit (Secrets Capri and Royal Hideaway Playacar) and found that it was a little too "honeymooner/wedding anniversary" for the wedding. Yes, they were very romantic, but I felt like our guests would feel awkward being amongst so many honeymooners and we may ruin the resort's guests' time if we're loud and party a little too much. I'd say the vibe for an adults-only is definitely more quiet, sophisiticated and, at times, elegant, but it could mean a more low-key wedding, which I have a feeling I won't be having.

 

The nice thing about a resort like Paradisus is that they have an adults-only pool (you do pay extra to use it since it's part of the Royal Service package) but if guests want to get away from other guests' kids, they do have it as an option. If you find a resort that you love but it's not adults-only, check and see if they have an area that caters to adults-only. Guests may appreciate some peace and quiet away from the loud and energetic youngsters. Best of luck in your search!

[hsims1]

My preference is Adults Only. I stayed at the Dreams Puerto Aventuras once before that was half adults only, but the adults side was boring, all of the action (dance lessons, activities etc.) were on the family side (and there were lots of kids splashing in the pool, etc). Yes some of the adults only resorts are full of honeymooners, but when we checked out the Excellence Riviera Cancun, it didn't seem that way at all. It was fairly quite, but not too quiet, and there seemed to be plenty of activities, and I just really like the fact that there were no kids around. Most of my guests are also really excited that the resort is Adults only. The Excellence is the resort that we picked.

 

Once you narrow down a location, I highly recommend doing a site visit of the resorts that you are inerested in. My fiancee and I spent one day touring about 6 different resorts (both adults only and family friendly). We really got a better sense for the resort once we actually toured it.

[Brenners]

I didn't know that there were resorts that had both. I have some family under 18 but would like to avoid little kids where possible so I will definitely need to look into that. Great tips!

[Tonir]

I'm with everyone else - I like the idea of not having kids around the pool, not having to worry as much about my actions, language, etc. Good luck planning!

[kate.com]

I love kids, but I can see it being a lot more relaxing and romantic at an adults only! A good break for your friends leaving their kids at home too...

[Flasong]

My preference is for an adults only resort. I remember last year we stayed at an adults only resort in the Bahamas..well one night we visited the Atlantis and there were kids crying. My FI and I looked at each other and were thankful for the peace and quiet we had at our resort. We are getting married at Breezes Runaway Bay which is adults only and def. not just for honeymooners. It is a fun active resort.