There’s a particular kind of email I love getting from clients. It usually starts with “I keep seeing this new resort all over my feed…” and ends with “is it actually worth it?” And right now, my inbox is full of them — because we are in the middle of the biggest wave of new all-inclusive openings I’ve seen since I started this business.
Between now and early 2027, Mexico and the Caribbean are getting a genuinely remarkable lineup of new properties. Some are brand-new builds, some are big-name brands trying all-inclusive for the first time, and a couple are complete reinventions of resorts you might already know. Here’s my honest take on the ones worth knowing about — and who I’d actually send to each.
The headliner: UNICO 18°77° Montego Bay, Jamaica
If you only remember one name from this list, make it this one. UNICO — the brand behind the beloved Unico 20°87° in Riviera Maya — is opening its first resort outside Mexico on March 1, 2027, in Montego Bay. It’s adults-only, all-inclusive, with 451 rooms and suites (nearly all with ocean views and private outdoor spa tubs), nine restaurants and bars, four pools with swim-up bars, and a 32-room Esencia Wellness Spa. Reservations are open now, and opening-season rates on a brand-new property are historically some of the best value you’ll ever get on it. If you’ve read my Unico 20·87 Riviera Maya destination wedding guide, you already know why I love this brand — I’ve written a full first look at the Jamaica property separately.
Costa Mujeres keeps collecting big names
Just north of Cancún, Costa Mujeres is quietly becoming its own destination. The newly arrived St. Regis Costa Mujeres brings 163 rooms, suites, and signature villas (note: it’s traditional luxury, not all-inclusive), while the JW Marriott All-Inclusive Costa Mujeres brings 283 rooms of true luxury all-inclusive to the same stretch of beach. If your picture of Cancún is the hotel zone party scene, this area will genuinely surprise you — it’s calmer, newer, and increasingly where I send couples who want polish without the crowds.
Cancún proper isn’t sitting still either
The Grand Hyatt Cancun Beach Resort arrives this September in Puerto Cancun with 500 rooms (another traditional-stay headliner rather than an all-inclusive), and The Sens Cancun — an adults-only Tapestry by Hilton property with nine restaurants and a rooftop bar looking over both the Caribbean and the Nichupté Lagoon — arrives late this year. The Westin Resort & Spa Cancún is also mid-conversion to all-inclusive. And if you missed it, the reimagined Hyatt Zilara reopened in May — I covered what actually changed in my Hyatt Zilara Cancún guide.
Riviera Maya goes upscale
Park Hyatt is opening its first-ever all-inclusive resort in Riviera Maya in late 2026 — a real statement about where the all-inclusive category is headed. Chef-driven dining, quiet luxury, and a beach that speaks for itself. For couples who’ve “outgrown” the classic all-inclusive but still love not carrying a wallet, this is the one to watch.
The Dominican Republic and the islands
Punta Cana adds two heavy hitters: Secrets Macao Beach (adults-only, 406 rooms, 111 of them swim-out suites) and Moon Palace’s The Grand Punta Cana, which opened in March with day and night clubs, a golf course, and Moon Palace’s biggest footprint yet. Further out, Jamaica gets the adults-only Royalton CHIC Paradise Cove in Runaway Bay, Barbados gets the wellness-focused Royalton Vessence, and Curaçao gets The Pyrmont, a 300-room Autograph Collection resort with an adults-only rooftop and a diving center.
So… should you book a brand-new resort?
Honest answer: it depends on your tolerance for small hiccups. Opening season usually means the best rates and pristine everything, but also restaurants that phase in gradually and staff still finding their rhythm. My rule of thumb — if the deal is right and your dates are flexible, opening season is a gift. If it’s a once-in-a-lifetime trip like a honeymoon or a wedding, I’ll often steer you to a resort in its second year instead, when prices are still soft but the kinks are gone. That’s exactly the kind of judgment call I’m here for, and it changes resort by resort.
FAQ
When does UNICO 18°77° Montego Bay open?
March 1, 2027, and reservations are already open. It’s the UNICO brand’s first resort in Jamaica — adults-only and all-inclusive, with 451 rooms, nine restaurants and bars, and a 32-room spa. Opening-season availability tends to go fast for high-profile properties like this, so if 2027 is on your radar, it’s worth a conversation now.
Are new resorts cheaper to book?
Usually, yes. Brands typically launch with opening offers to build occupancy and reviews, so the first six to twelve months often carry the best rates that property will ever have. The trade-off is that some amenities may still be phasing in — I always check what’s actually open before I book a client.
Which new resort is best for a destination wedding?
For 2027 weddings, UNICO 18°77° Montego Bay is the most exciting new option — it has a grand ballroom and flexible indoor-outdoor event spaces, and Jamaica is wonderfully easy for U.S. guests. In Mexico, the Costa Mujeres properties give you newer venues just twenty minutes from the Cancún airport. If you’re weighing regions, start with my guide to Mexico vs. the Caribbean for your destination wedding.
Do I pay more booking a new resort through a travel advisor?
No — my planning services don’t cost you anything extra, and I can often layer advisor-only perks or promotions on top of opening rates. You get the new-resort deal plus someone watching your booking if anything changes before opening day.
Dreaming about being among the first on one of these beaches? Reach out — I’d love to help you figure out which of these newcomers actually fits the trip you’re picturing, and get you the best opening-season rate while they last. The world is waiting. Let’s go.
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