Go to Mexico, the Dominican Republic, or Jamaica, and you’ll find resorts where your room, meals, drinks, and even snorkeling gear are all wrapped into one price. Walk into a resort in Florida, California, or anywhere else in the US, and you’ll pay for everything separately-lunch, cocktails, Wi-Fi, parking, even the towel by the pool. Why is that?

The US doesn’t have all-inclusive resorts because it never needed them

All-inclusive vacations exploded in popularity in the Caribbean and Latin America because those countries didn’t have the infrastructure to support independent travelers. In the 1980s and 90s, tourists arriving in places like Cancún or Punta Cana had limited options: no reliable restaurants nearby, few grocery stores, and no public transportation. Resorts built all-inclusive packages to solve a real problem-they kept guests on-site and made it easy for foreign visitors to enjoy a stress-free vacation.

In the US, that problem never existed. Americans have always had access to restaurants, gas stations, grocery chains, and ride-sharing apps within minutes of any resort. Why pay for a meal you won’t eat when you can walk to a local taco stand for $8? The US vacation model was built on freedom, not convenience.

It’s not about cost-it’s about control

Many assume all-inclusive means cheaper. But that’s not always true. A week at an all-inclusive resort in Mexico might cost $1,200. A week at a beachfront hotel in Florida with similar rooms and amenities? Around $1,400. But here’s the difference: in Florida, you’re not forced to eat at the resort’s buffet. You can grab sushi downtown, drink craft beer at a rooftop bar, or cook your own breakfast in a rented condo.

US travelers value choice. They don’t want to be locked into a single dining option. They don’t want to pay extra for premium liquor if they only drink beer. They don’t want to be told when they can use the pool or how many spa treatments are included. The US market is built on customization. You pay for what you use. That’s not a flaw-it’s the point.

US hotels make more money by charging à la carte

Here’s a dirty secret: resorts in the US make more profit from add-ons than from room rates. A $20 cocktail at a resort bar costs the hotel maybe $3 to make. A $15 lunch plate? Maybe $2 in ingredients. That’s 80% profit margin. And guests don’t even realize it-they think they’re paying for the experience, not the markup.

At all-inclusive resorts, the hotel knows exactly how much food and drink they’ll serve each day. They buy in bulk, plan staff schedules tightly, and waste almost nothing. But in the US, hotels don’t need to control costs that way. They let guests spend freely, and they profit from every extra dollar spent.

That’s why you’ll see signs everywhere: “$12 for premium cocktails,” “$5 for Wi-Fi,” “$10 per day for parking,” “$20 for beach towels.” These aren’t annoyances-they’re revenue streams. And they work.

US consumers distrust bundled pricing

Think about how you buy things in the US. You don’t buy a “phone plan” that includes a charger, case, and screen protector-you buy the phone, then pick your own case. You don’t buy a “car” that includes gas, insurance, and oil changes-you buy the car, then pay for what you need.

That same mindset applies to vacations. Americans see bundled pricing as a trap. They worry they’re paying for things they won’t use. They’ve been burned before-remember when airlines started charging for checked bags, then seat selection, then snacks? People got angry. They want transparency.

When a resort says, “All-inclusive,” Americans ask: What’s really included? Is the seafood fresh? Are the drinks watered down? Is the spa time just 15 minutes? They’d rather pay separately and know exactly what they’re getting.

There are exceptions-but they’re rare

There are a few all-inclusive resorts in the US. One is the Club Med Sandpiper Bay in Florida, which opened in 2023 as a trial. It’s marketed to families and offers meals, activities, and kids’ clubs in one price. But it’s an outlier. It doesn’t even include alcohol-guests pay extra for drinks. Another is the El Conquistador Resort in Puerto Rico, which is technically US territory but operates like a Caribbean resort.

Even these exceptions struggle. Club Med Sandpiper Bay doesn’t advertise heavily. It doesn’t dominate booking sites. It doesn’t have the same buzz as resorts in Cancún. Why? Because most American travelers still prefer the flexibility of paying as they go.

It’s cultural, not legal

Some people think the US government bans all-inclusive packages. It doesn’t. There’s no law stopping a hotel from offering one. In fact, some luxury resorts in Hawaii and Aspen have experimented with “full-board” packages for private clients. But they never went mainstream.

This isn’t about regulation. It’s about culture. Americans don’t want to be told what to eat, when to drink, or how to spend their time. They want control. They want to explore. They want to find the best local taco truck, not eat the same buffet every night.

Compare that to Europe or Asia, where package tours are common. Or to the Caribbean, where tourists are often on short-term visas and don’t have time to wander. The US is different. It’s a country of road trips, road-side diners, and spontaneous detours. All-inclusive doesn’t fit that spirit.

What’s changing? Maybe nothing

Younger travelers-Gen Z and millennials-are starting to ask for more convenience. They’re tired of juggling receipts. They want simplicity. Some are starting to test all-inclusive models in places like Miami and Los Angeles.

But even then, it’s not the same as the Caribbean. These new offerings are more like “premium packages”: breakfast included, free bike rentals, one cocktail per day. They’re not full all-inclusive. They’re hybrids. They give a taste of convenience without losing control.

And that’s probably the future. Not full all-inclusive. But curated bundles-where you pick what’s included, and pay extra only for what you really want.

Bottom line: The US doesn’t need all-inclusive. It prefers choice.

There’s no conspiracy. No law. No secret agreement between hotel chains. The US doesn’t have all-inclusive resorts because Americans don’t ask for them. They’d rather pay $5 for a beer they love than $120 a night for unlimited drinks they might not touch.

It’s not about price. It’s about freedom. And in the US, freedom still means choosing your own path-even on vacation.