All for the Price Of Admission

Extra charges are the bane of every traveler. Buying a plane ticket these days pretty much guarantees only a seat and oxygen to breathe; everything else—checked bags, in-flight snacks, headsets, pillows—will cost you. The same is increasingly true of hotels, where in addition to exorbitant minibar and Internet-access charges, guests are sometimes saddled with mysterious tax, room-service and even extra-pillow fees on their bills.

But there is one way to escape all that: take an all-inclusive paid holiday. For one predetermined price, travelers get accommodations, meals, activities and, sometimes, even alcohol and transportation. Club Med didn't invent the concept, but it was a formidable pioneer beginning in the 1960s, establishing resorts all over the world, in places as far-flung as Senegal, Mauritius and Guadeloupe. Some Club Med resorts are fancier than others, and some cater to families or couples, but they tend to have several things in common: a beautiful setting, comfortable lodgings, reliably good food, alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages and a full schedule of activities—all for a flat fee. The model seems to work: even as the travel industry struggles, the company's first-quarter revenue for 2009 rose nearly 2 percent over the first quarter of 2008.

No wonder so many places are adopting it in today's economic climate. Even countries that have traditionally steered clear of all-inclusive deals have now begun to offer them, in the hope of attracting new customers who have an appetite for luxury but not necessarily the bank account. The London-based travel agent Thomas Cook offers new package tours to Turkey, Tunisia and Egypt. A seven-night package from Birmingham, England, to Hurghada, Egypt, on the Red Sea coast, costs roughly $1,200 and includes lodgings at the Sofitel Hurghada (thomascook.com).

In the Caribbean, ground zero for the all-inclusive bargain, new opportunities are also cropping up. While deals can generally be found in the Bahamas, Aruba and Puerto Rico, islands tied to the euro and the British pound—like Martinique and the Caymans—tend to be fairly pricey. At the Almond Resorts in Barbados and St. Lucia, water-skiing and banana-boating are included in the room price, along with tennis, cooking classes and nightly shows (three-night packages from $300; almondresorts.com). In Jamaica, the adults-only Royal Plantation in Ocho Rios offers packages that include three à la carte meals, access to golf, tennis courts and nonmotorized sports, and beachside butler service. In-room service carries extra fees (from $215 per person per night; royalplantation.com). Many Caribbean resorts have been able to cut costs, thanks in large part to the temperate climate, which provides fertile ground for growing fruits and vegetables. "A lot of the hotels go directly to the farmers to negotiate the price" of produce, and then pass the savings on to customers, says John Lynch, the country's director of tourism.

All-in-one packages are becoming increasingly popular in small towns and the countryside as well. Rural America is filled with them. In the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, one standout option is the luxurious Blackberry Farm, which includes three meals a day, snacks, nonalcoholic beverages and a picnic lunch for the day of departure—along with options for fly-fishing, tennis and horseback riding in its price (from $745 per room per night; blackberryfarm.com). Farther north, sports enthusiasts can find golf and baseball, in addition to a buffet breakfast and a white-tablecloth or casual dinner, at the Otesaga, a 100-year-old resort in pleasantly sleepy Cooperstown, New York, home to the Baseball Hall of Fame (rooms for two people begin at $410 per night; otesaga.com). "It's almost like a stationary cruise ship," says John D. Irwin, who has managed the hotel for seven years. With one exception: alcohol is not included in the price. "If you don't drink too heavily, you know how much you're going to pay," he says. Otherwise, all bets are off.

The all-inclusive holiday, of course, isn't always about saving money. A former monastery, the Hotel Splendido, in Portofino, Italy, maintains its godly aura with a pool etched into the side of a cliff and rooms that overlook the Riviera. When it comes to dining options, guests get a buffet breakfast and can then choose between lunch or dinner (from $730 per night; hotelsplendido .com). Twice-daily maid service is complimentary; add-ons include a sunset cruise with champagne and aperitifs ($470 for two people) and airport pickup in a Mercedes limousine ($275 for a one-way trip).

Those who want to swoon like Bill and Melinda Gates did on their honeymoon can visit Wakaya, a private resort island in Fiji, whose eyepopping price—starting at $1,900 per night—includes all meals, beverages and minibar selections; laundry service; two scuba tanks; and unlimited use of the tennis courts, kayaks and other sports facilities. Wakaya's crown jewel is the Vale O: a 4,000-square-meter manse that rests on a 6.5-hectare estate on the grounds and includes its own waterfall-adorned pool, a tennis court, a personal chef and a chauffeur in the nightly price of $7,600 (wakaya.com).

No matter where that dream destination is, all-inclusive vacationers are advised to read the conditions carefully. Some resorts tack on extra charges for on-site activities, alcohol, services and gratuities, quickly jacking up the "fixed" price; others consider two meals a day "full board" instead of three. As long as visitors do their homework ahead of time, they shouldn't find any unexpected surprises—except the sheer joy of planning an entire holiday with a single call or mouse click.