What Should Plus Size Women Check Before Booking an All Inclusive Resort?

Every resort on the internet is inclusive. It says so right in the name. What no resort website will tell you is whether the pool loungers hold, whether the restaurant chairs have arms that cut into your hips or whether the excursion you booked from home is going to turn you away at the gate on day three.

I have been booking travel for 23 years. Here is what actually matters before you commit to an all inclusive.

The Word 'Inclusive' Does Not Mean What You Think It Means

It means the meals and beverages are included. That is the whole meaning behind the claim. It says nothing about body types, furniture weight ratings, seating dimensions or whether anyone at that property has given a single thought to what the experience is like in a plus size body. That research is your job and it should happen before you pay the deposit.

The Furniture Problem

The room is rarely where things go wrong. The pool deck is. Or the restaurant seating. Standard resort pool and beach loungers are built to a weight rating of 250 to 300 pounds. That is the industry default and you will not find it published anywhere on the resort website because publishing it would require acknowledging it exists.

What you are looking for is solid wood frames, reinforced construction and chairs that sit high enough off the ground to get in and out of comfortably. Restaurant chairs with arms narrow the usable seat width regardless of what the weight rating is. Booths with fixed tables do not move for anyone. These are not dealbreakers if you know about them in advance. They are dealbreakers when you find out at dinner on the first night.

The Questions to Ask Before You Book

Email the resort directly and ask specifically:

• What is the weight rating on your pool and beach loungers?
• Do your restaurants use chairs with arms or armless seating?
• Do your dining venues have fixed booth tables or moveable chairs?
• Do you stock robes larger than XL and if so what sizes are available?

Pool Access Is Not a Small Detail

Zero entry pools are what you are looking for. You walk in on a gradual ramp. No ladder, no grip strength required, no awkward moment at the edge. They are standard in newer resort builds and they are worth specifically searching for when you are comparing properties. The alternative is a vertical ladder which is hard on the knees and requires more upper body work than it should. Some properties have pool lifts. If the photos do not show a ramp entry assume it is a ladder and factor that in.

Excursions: Where Most Plus Size Travelers Get Caught Off Guard

This is the part that does not show up in any resort review because it does not happen at the resort. It happens at the excursion and by then you have already paid. Weight limits on activities are set by the tour operator and enforced at the activity. They are not the resort's problem and the resort booking desk often does not actually know what they are.

• Ziplines in the Riviera Maya cap at 286 to 300 pounds depending on the specific circuit with a separate harness waist circumference limit of 47 inches. That circumference number matters as much as the weight.
• ATV tours in Punta Cana typically run 300 to 350 pounds per rider.
• Catamaran and snorkel tours cap around 250 to 350 pounds per person.

How to Read Resort Photos When You Know What You Are Looking For

• Zoom in on restaurant and pool photos and look at the chairs. Do they have arms? Do the tables appear fixed or moveable?
• Look at the pool and check for a visible ramp entry or just a ladder.
• Look at beach access and check whether there is a boardwalk or ramp down to the water or steps.
• Wide angle lenses make rooms look much larger than they are so focus on the actual clearance between furniture rather than the overall impression.
• If a resort does not show the bathroom in any of its photos that is information.