Meliá Hotels & Resorts

Meliá Zanzibar

Melia Zanzibar holds sixteen hectares and 300 metres of white sand at Kiwengwa, on the north coast. A natural coral reef protects the beach, which makes swimming calmer here than most of the island manages. Six restaurants and five bars sit across the estate, along with a spa of six treatment rooms and pools that include an adults-only one for guests over sixteen. The all-inclusive is real but it is tiered, and the tier is the thing to work out. The base package covers the restaurants, the kids club for ages five to twelve, and the beach activities. The Level, the resort's premium tier, is what adds the stocked minibar with alcohol, 24-hour room service and the premium drinks, and guests who felt the food and drink were poor value were mostly comparing a base rate against a friend's Level one. Spa treatments, diving, kitesurfing and the excursions are charged on any rate, and so is the airport shuttle. Our samples run from 343 dollars a night to a median of 417 for two, which is good value for this much resort, and the accommodation range is unusually wide: rooms from 50 square metres through romance pavilions to ocean villas with their own pools, the smallest of which runs to 350 square metres. Two things to plan for. Zanzibar's tides decide when the swimming is best, so ask about the tide table for your week. And the estate is large enough that a room near the beach is worth requesting.

Meliá Punta Cana Beach Wellness Inclusive - Adults only

Melia Punta Cana Beach is an adults-only all-inclusive built around wellness, for couples who want calm, yoga and a spa focus rather than a party resort. It is about 25 minutes from the airport, on the Bavaro shore, with fourteen restaurants and bars, four pools and The Level, the upper tier with its own dining and quieter spaces. The identity is wellness before nightlife, and the guests who rate it best knew that before they arrived. Guests praise the peaceful atmosphere, the beach and pools, The Level's exclusive areas and the wellness programme and grounds. The complaints are room maintenance and hot-water issues in some reports, membership-style sales pitches that some guests found hard to shake, and drinks and food that vary. The thing people wish they had known is that The Level and the standard resort can feel like two different stays, and that airport transfer, spa and golf all sit outside the plan. The plan covers the restaurants and bars and Wi-Fi throughout, with premium-brand rules unconfirmed; the YHI spa, the golf and the transfer cost extra, though The Level rooms may include a massage with conditions. The Level Suite Tropical Palms is the couples' upgrade, and the Master Suite at 84 square metres is the largest listed. Decline the membership presentation without guilt. Anyone who wants late bars and a lively scene should look elsewhere in Punta Cana.

Meliá Cozumel - All Inclusive

Holiday World Riwo, Affiliated by Meliá

Meliá Puerto Vallarta

Melia Puerto Vallarta is a value family all-inclusive in Marina Vallarta, for parents who want a big pool and a strong kids' club near the airport. It is a four-star on the marina side of the city, with four restaurants, a small beach and the Kizzu kids' club for ages four to twelve, and the marina's restaurants a short walk away. It is priced as a family resort and looks like one. Guests praise the kids' club and the family programming, the large pool, the Marina Vallarta position and the value. The complaints are rooms that feel dated, renovation noise reported in some stays, a la carte dinner reservations that are rationed to a very small number per stay, food that varies and a beach that is small and can be rough. The thing people wish they had known is that this is a value family resort rather than a polished luxury one, and that The Level upgrade gets mixed verdicts on whether it earns its price. The plan covers the all-inclusive dining with the reservation limits above, the kids' and teens' clubs, Wi-Fi and the kayaks and boogie boards; the spa and the airport transfer are extra, room service and premium spirits are limited, and some premium dinner items carry a charge. Book the ocean-view room, which is the one guests consistently praise, and reserve the dinner restaurants the moment the hotel allows. Couples after quiet luxury should look south along the bay.