Just got back from a week in Manzanillo. Since people often post about all-inclusive resorts, I thought I would describe this as an alternative option.

Final result: 7 days for a couple (left our kids at home for this one), about $5,000 included all costs (travel, lodging, excursions, tips, food/drinks, drivers/rides). It was divided between 12 people, so you can do the math if you wanted more in your party. The $5K was our final share. The whole group must have been $30K

We did this once before in Puerto Vallarta and had so much fun that we did it again. My best friend lives in Eugene and they arranged this with some of their friends.

Setup: It’s a huge 6-bedroom house with 3 levels, a private pool, decks and patios all with massive views of the ocean, as the place sits up on a small peninsula. The walk to the private beach is about 5 minutes, but you also have a driver and car and the beach has a parking lot. 1 minute walk from tennis courts. The peninsula has private access only and is very safe. Our room was the equivalent of a 5-star experience. Huge vaulted ceiling. Ocean view, King bed, nice bathroom. No rooms above or below or directly left or right. Feels like total privacy. 4 of the 6 rooms were like this. The other two were right next to each other and would be better served for kids or people less interested in the privacy.

Service staff: 2 chefs, 1 butler/concierge, 1 bar man, 1 driver, and a large cleaning staff. They stay out of your hair unless you want them. They prepare all your meals and do all the shopping. They take requests for whatever you want and also provide a menu. They purchase the food and drinks and then simply add up the cost and give it to you at the end. This way, you don’t just pay a flat fee and have to eat or drink yourself to death to make it work. Just eat or drink what you want. They pack coolers for you and take you on your excursions. They brought us tacos on the beach one day. Guac/pico and chips on demand. When you head to breakfast in the morning, they clean your room so it’s always clean and serviced. You put your laundry in a basket and they provide daily laundry service.

Excursions/Activities: Manzanillo isn’t as built up as Puerto Vallarta. We had private couples massages one day, snorkeled, Rode horses, visited local towns and did a volcano tour, and took a tortilla making class with our chefs. We spent a lot of time just laying out on our deck chairs or hammock, chilling at the pool, going to the beach, going on walks, playing tennis, etc. At night, we played group games and hung out.

If you didn’t really want to be around the other people, there was plenty of room for privacy. It was certainly 100x more private than a busy hotel. But you do eat your meals together. Sometimes people didn’t go on excursions and they would stay back and have the whole house to themselves.

Anyway, this is a great option for those looking for all inclusive feel without crowds or need to pay for a ton of food/drink you don’t consume. Not any clubs or tons of equipment for kids. You do end up hanging out with some other folks and some might hate that. Just thought I would throw out the option to see if it might inspire some.