Have you ever checked out of a resort--following a glorious week of wining, dining, and water sports--and ended up with an itemized bill long enough to have destroyed a rain forest? When you vacation "a la carte," the nickel-and-diming at check-out time can be shocking, to say the least.

No doubt that's part of the reason for the growing popularity of all-inclusive vacations. Though you might think these typically are found at cookie-cutter mega-resorts--with endless buffets of mediocre food, impersonal service, and organized activities that remind you of summer camp--the trend now is toward more exclusive and intimate resorts offering a full meal plan or all-inclusive price.

March 2009