Waves Resort & Spa, Barbados, An Autograph Collection All-Inclusive Resort

Waves Resort and Spa faces sheltered Prospect Bay on the Platinum Coast, the calm leeward side of Barbados. Seventy rooms, two restaurants, two pools: this is a wellness resort with an all-inclusive band around it rather than an activity resort, and the Autograph Collection badge is doing less work than the treatment list. The water here slopes gently and stays clear, hawksbill turtles nest along this coast, and the sargassum that troubles the south and east shores mostly leaves the west alone.

What is included is unusual. Spa treatments come with the rate, though how many depends on your room category and how long you stay, so the arithmetic rewards a longer booking. Waterskiing and tube rides are included alongside the paddleboards, kayaks and Hobie Cats, with lessons at the on-site Aqua School. Dining is the trade-off: Seascape covers Mediterranean plates and themed nights, Shiso does Asian fusion and sushi, and a coffee bar and deli fills the gaps, with a dine-around at sister Marriott properties on the island for variety. There is no kids club, and the resort does not pretend otherwise.