The all-inclusive comeback: Rixos Premium Belek is the luxury resort where you needn't lift a finger
I’ve just ordered a tenderloin steak and the waiter is pouring a large glass of local merlot. I’m in a fancy restaurant that has a grand dining room, with velvet chairs and double-height windows adorned with swagged curtains. If I had been anywhere else, I might have expected a sky-high bill at the end of the meal, but, instead, I’ve simply – and happily – walked out.
Welcome to Rixos Premium Belek, found close to Antalya on Türkiye’s Mediterranean coast, and one of the new breed of all-inclusive resorts that is redefining the ‘pre-paid’ hotel experience. Gone are cheap buffets and, instead, guests are able to dine in sophisticated restaurants offering authentic cuisine and locally-sourced ingredients. Out is bland, cookie-cutter design to be replaced by a polished aesthetic and sumptuous décor. While you might still find the odd water aerobics class, you’re just as likely to be able to tap into sound healing and wellness rituals in the cutting-edge spa.
There was a time when ‘all-inclusive’ was almost a dirty word in travel – conjuring up cheap buffets, low-grade alcoholic drinks and twee entertainment. Over the past few years, however, hospitality brands, such as Rixos, with addresses in Türkiye and the Middle East, and Ikos Resorts, with hotels dotted around Greece, have shaken up the image of the sector by elevating their offering to tempt in a new breed of traveller.
The recent Trends Report, ‘Unpack ‘25’, from Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo, declares “2025 the year of the all-inclusive”, putting its upward trajectory down to Gen Z travellers. “One-third of Gen Zers say their perception of all-inclusives has changed for the better over the past 12 months,” says the report. Furthermore, in 2024, Hotels.com tracked a 60 per cent increase in global searches using the ‘all-inclusive’ filter versus 2023 figures, while on TikTok in the US, the #allinclusive hashtag has secured more than 538 million views over the past two years. Meanwhile, the W hotel brand is also jumping onto the trend and is planning to open its first ever all-inclusive property, slated to open in May 2025 in Punta Cana, in the Dominican Republic.
Facing the Turquoise Riviera, with the Taurus Mountains as its backdrop, Rixos Premium Belek cuts an impressive sight. You arrive to find a gleaming, marble lobby, with fountains spurting neon-lit water behind you. By day, you can wind through towering pine trees to get to a wide, sandy beach, to soak up the sun in a luxury beach cabana. Alternatively, there’s also a whole assortment of pools for you to dip into. Tapping into current wellness and fitness trends, the dedicated sports club offers everything from Muay Thai boxing classes to TRX and Crossfit, while the cavernous spa tempts you in with its therapies, from traditional hammam experiences to results-led facials.
Out of sight of the main resort, and tucked away in its own enclave, however, is Rixos’s jewel in its crown – Club Privé. Built around a collection of 39 luxury villas, and offering a whole layer of extra privileges for its residents, it has been designed to uplift the brand’s all-inclusive concept even further.
Setting the tone is a VIP transfer from the airport – taking you straight to your villa where you are greeted with canapés, fizz and flowers. Each residence has lavish interiors, more reminiscent of the homes seen in TV show Succession – think: floor-to-ceiling windows; polished floors and huge bathrooms with egg-tubs and rainfall showers. King-sized beds have oversized leather headboards and crisp bedlinens; while open-plan living rooms boast cosy sofas and contemporary lighting.
Let’s face it, with eight restaurants to dine in, as well as a dedicated Club House, open 24/7 just for Club Privé guests, you won’t be making much use of the full-scale kitchen. But it’s nonetheless stocked with premium bottles of alcohol; snacks, fruit and a thoughtful little tea station with herbal teas, honey and jars of herbs. If you suddenly fancy something on a whim, it will be resolved within minutes. Just ask your butler service, available round the clock on WhatsApp. Need an extra bath towel? Not a problem. An in-villa authentic breakfast? It’s delivered before you’ve even tapped out the word shakshuka.
Outside of the opulent homes, curvy paths take you past lemon and pomegranate trees to the beach, where each villa has its own thatched-roof pavilion, furnished with soft seating, a fridge and thick sunbeds on a deck. The beach club restaurant is a good spot for lunch, with its chill-out music, sushi counter and blue-and-white banquette seating. But you can just as easily press a button in your beach hut for food to be delivered to you, if that feels like too much effort.
The main bonus is one when booking an all-inclusive resort: your bill has been paid for before you’ve even arrived, so any anxiety over any hidden costs at check-out has been removed
Indeed, effortless holidaying sums up the Club Privé experience, which has also been rolled out at Rixos properties in Gocek in Türkiye, Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi and Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt. It taps into a growing desire among travellers for privacy, curated experiences and exclusive services. The main bonus is one that has always been the big tick when booking an all-inclusive resort: your bill has been paid for before you’ve even arrived, so any anxiety over any hidden costs at check-out has been removed.
“We understand that the luxury travel landscape is evolving,” says Murat Alpman, Senior vice president of Sale & Marketing at Rixos Hotel. “The Club Privé properties epitomise the growing desire for exclusive experiences, where bespoke service meets premium hospitality. We wanted to create a travel experience that can offer the best of the best: beautiful, intimate surroundings; personalised services; and once-in-a-lifetime experiences. There is also a growing desire amongst luxury travellers for wellness-focused escapes, and staying in residential-style private villa really gives our guests the opportunity to truly relax.”
If you wish, you can spend your days at Club Privé without seeing a soul – you can order in-villa dining and kick back by your pool on a private deck. But much of the fun at such a resort is exploring what’s on offer; whether that is authentic Greek cuisine at Mykorini; a morning coffee at the resort’s Starbucks before a Pilates class, or watching an outdoor movie under the stars. It really is an escape from reality – the very definition of what holidays should be about.
