I use 2 rewards cards to get free vacations at all-inclusive resorts in Mexico and the Caribbean with my family

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Bahia Principe Hotels & Resorts

• All-inclusive resorts include your lodging, food, drinks, and entertainment for one low price.
• It's possible to pay for all or part of your all-inclusive vacation with the right travel credit card.
• The Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite Mastercard is a smart card option if you want the flexibility to book any all-inclusive property you want.
• The World Of Hyatt Credit Card is another card to consider if you're interested in staying in all-inclusive properties in Mexico or Jamaica.

Vacation planning can feel like a lot of work, and that's especially true when you have kids. Once you carve out the time you need between school and work schedules, you have several huge decisions to make - some of which will determine whether your trip is enjoyable or not.

How much can you afford to spend? Will you drive, or will you fly? Will you opt for a hotel, a rental condo, or a cruise? And what will you actually do when you get there?

Add in the fact that different family members may enjoy different activities, foods, and settings. It's always hard to please everyone on your list, but what if your choices please no one?

All-inclusive resorts let you take the easy way out

Enter the ultimate vacation for families who want to have fun without all the stress - all-inclusive resorts. When you book a stay at an all-inclusive resort, you book a vacation package with a selection of food and fun activities the entire family will enjoy.

Most all-inclusive resorts are strung along the beautiful beaches of Mexico and the Caribbean, which means you can take advantage of water sports or enjoy the great outdoors in a stunning, tropical setting. You can spend the day swimming, snorkel for a look at amazing sea life, or relax on the beach with a good book and a frozen drink.

Many all-inclusive resorts also offer high-quality shows that run the gamut from Michael Jackson impersonators to opera or reggae. And you'll never go hungry at an all-inclusive resort. While each resort has its own selection of dining options, most offer a few different restaurants and several bars to choose from any time of the day or night. Some all-inclusive resorts even offer room service and private butlers to make sure you have the best vacation ever.

The best part about all-inclusive resorts is that, despite everything that's included, they can cost less than traditional resorts - even when you bring the kids along. Take the Grand Bahia Principe Resort in Runaway Bay, Jamaica, for example. This resort starts at around $200 per night for a family of four with two kids ages 8 and 10 this summer. And remember, that rate includes not only your hotel but your meals, snacks, drinks (including alcohol), and activities.

And that's just a single resort - but a big one at that since the Grand Bahia Principe has three giant pools, seven restaurants and four bars to choose from, a children's water park, and a beautiful white sand beach. There are dozens of additional options to consider in less expensive Caribbean destinations like the Dominican Republic, Mexico, the elsewhere in Jamaica as well.

To summarize, all-inclusive vacations offer something many trips simply cannot:

• An easy way to book your entire trip in one place
• A smart way to pay for your entire trip upfront
• The option to enjoy your vacation without being nickel and dimed all week

With an all-inclusive resort, all you have to do is book a resort and your airfare (or a vacation package through a website like Expedia.com or CheapCaribbean.com) and show up. It's as simple as that.

Paying for an all-inclusive resort with rewards

While all-inclusive vacations can cost less than a stay at a traditional resort or a rental condo, it's possible to defray the costs or even vacation for free with the right rewards credit card. While there are several cards that make booking all-inclusive resorts an easy feat, here are a couple of the best:

Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite Mastercard

Barclaycard

If you're looking for a card that will let you book any all-inclusive resort you want, it's smart to consider flexible cards that aren't affiliated with a hotel loyalty program. The Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite Mastercard is a solid option due to its lucrative earning structure and big sign-up bonus, plus the simplicity of its rewards program.

With the Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite Mastercard, you earn a flat 2x miles for each dollar you spend. For a limited time, you can also earn 70,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 90 days of account opening. Since each mile is worth one cent, those 70,000 bonus miles are worth $700 in travel. An $89 annual fee does apply.

Since this card offers flexible points that can be redeemed to cover any travel expense, you can use them to book any all-inclusive resort you want - even a boutique property or small, family-run all-inclusive resort.

Read more: 6 reasons I still use my Barclaycard Arrival Plus 2 years after opening it

The World Of Hyatt Credit Card

Hyatt

If you love staying in Hyatt properties, you can also consider The World Of Hyatt Credit Card. This card's current offer is for up to 60,000 bonus points - 40,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first three months and 20,000 additional points when you spend $6,000 total on purchases within the first six months of account opening. You'll also earn 4x points on stays at Hyatt hotels, 2x points on restaurant spending, airfare, transit and commuting, fitness clubs, and gym memberships, and 1 point per $1 spent on everything else.

A $95 annual fee applies, but you can use points from this card to book some expensive all-inclusive resorts in Jamaica and Mexico. A stay at the Hyatt Ziva Cancun will set you back just 25,000 points per night for double occupancy, for example, while the Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos costs just 20,000 points per night. You will need to pay 12,500 points per night for each additional person.

In addition to Hyatt's family-friendly Ziva properties, Hyatt also offers adults-only Hyatt Zilara properties in Rose Hall, Jamaica and Cancun, Mexico. A stay at either of these properties will cost you just 25,000 points, which is an absolute steal since paid nights can easily cost $600+ or more.

Read more: 4 travel rewards cards I use to book free cruises for my family of 4

The bottom line

If you're tired of wearing yourself out planning your family vacations, try an all-inclusive resort for once. Like cruises, all-inclusive properties take care of most of the decision-making for you while making it easier to budget for your trip.

You won't have to cook for your entire vacation, and each of your family members can eat whatever they want. You don't even have to leave the resort if you don't feel like it since all-inclusive resorts offer an array of activities all day and night.

With the right rewards credit card, the vacation of your dreams could cost a lot less than you think.

Click here to learn more about the Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite Mastercard.

Click here to learn more about the World Of Hyatt Credit Card from Insider Picks' partner: The Points Guy.

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