• My family's stay at a Mexico resort fell short despite a previous positive experience.
• The resort's lack of a booking system led to long waits for our large group of eight people.
• Mexico's tourism industry is growing, with a shift toward luxury-focused properties.

In August, I traveled from the UK to Mexico for a two-week vacation with my extended family of eight.

We stayed at The Fives Beach Hotel and Residences, an all-inclusive resort in Playa del Carmen that has five pools, 11 restaurants, and a spa.

We previously vacationed at the same resort in 2016 and loved it so much that we decided to stay there again on this trip for my uncle's 60th birthday.

But this time around, the hotel didn't meet all of our expectations and I would now think twice about booking an all-inclusive resort.

Our group of eight collectively paid at least £19,494, or around $25,434, for our two-week package vacation, which included flights from the UK.

Next time, I'd rather spend my money on an Airbnb or a different hotel that can better accommodate large groups.

We got upgraded on the second day

Half of my extended family lives in England, while my parents, my partner, and I live in Scotland.

We each booked the trip separately since we were traveling from different locations and had slightly different budgets.

My partner and I paid £4,394, or around $5,732, for our portion of the trip through TUI, a travel group that specializes in package vacations.

The price included our round-trip flights from Glasgow to Cancún, airport transfers, and our standard room at The Fives Beach Hotel and Residences with all food and drinks included.

Our standard room was supposed to have a king-sized bed, a bathroom, and a shower. But when we arrived, we noticed two single beds with a dresser between them.

We told reception about the issue, and to their credit, we were upgraded to a suite the following day for no extra cost.

Our suite had a king-sized bed, an open-plan living room and kitchen with two flatscreen TVs, and a balcony that overlooked the pool below.

This is the same type of suite that my parents booked, which cost an additional £500, or around $652.

We were delighted with the free upgrade; the resort more than made up for the mix-up.

A disaster dining experience

The resort's restaurants were vast, ranging from Mexican to Italian and Mediterranean food.

During our stay in 2016, there was a booking system for guests to reserve dinner each night. We never had an issue getting a reservation, despite the fact that there were nine of us.

When eight of us returned in August, we found out that the booking system had been scrapped, and guests were now required to show up without a booking.

We were probably impacted more than other guests because we were a large group. Sometimes, we had to wait in long lines, or we were asked to come back later. On one occasion, we had to wait for two hours to get a table for dinner.

We didn't have to wait as long for lunch, but this was because we were often asked to dine separately at two tables of four.

The only meal that presented no obstacles was the breakfast buffet, which was held in a giant restaurant with plenty of tables and staff.

We had paid a lot of money for this trip to celebrate my uncle's birthday. But this situation made my family and I feel like we were an inconvenience or an annoyance to the staff, who seemed to struggle to accommodate us.

A haphazard solution

During the second week of our trip, a staff member asked for feedback on our overall experience. My mom mentioned the issues we'd been having at the restaurants.

To our surprise, the staff member said the resort would make an exception for our group and allow us to reserve tables for the final week of our stay.

Our party was then given a timetable with reservations for dinner each night. We were thrilled by the turn of events.

This was definitely an improvement, but even after we were given the timetable, two of the restaurants completely forgot about our reservations when we showed up for dinner.

We tried ordering room service a couple of times, and we enjoyed it. But we couldn't keep this up every night, as the menu options were limited to mostly fast food and snacks such as pizza and nachos.

It's not unusual for all-inclusive resorts to host large groups such as wedding parties, bachelor and bachelorette groups, or families with children.

With that said, I couldn't understand why this resort would implement a system that worked against larger groups, who would evidently be paying a lot of money to be there.

Mexico ranks among the top 10 most favored tourist destinations worldwide, Miguel Turroco, the secretary of tourism, shared in a Visit Mexico report in June.

The country's tourism industry saw growth of 5.5% in the fourth quarter of last year — almost double the growth of the country's GDP — according to Turroco.

Duncan Greenfield-Turk, CEO of the travel agency Global Travel Moments, tells me that all-inclusive resorts have "maintained their popularity" in recent years, though he noticed a general shift toward luxury-focused properties "as major brands like Marriott and Hyatt expand their portfolios in Mexico."

But for groups who want something different, he recommends renting a property in Puerto Vallarta or Tulum, which he said have "plenty of space and personalized services."

Overall, my family still had a good experience, and we appreciated that the resort addressed our concerns.

I'm not saying I'll never try an all-inclusive resort again, but I won't be returning to this resort or any others without a booking system.

Next time, I'll follow Greenfield-Turk's suggestion to rent a private property that can better accommodate larger groups.

The Fives Beach Hotel and Residences did not respond to a request for comment.

• I paid $1,500 for a three-night stay at a wellness resort called Palmaïa, The House of AïA.
• My king suite with an ocean view was super comfortable and I loved the 24-hour room service.
• I left the resort feeling better than I did when I arrived, so I'd say it was worth the money.

For me, traveling is the ultimate act of self-care. So, when I came across a wellness resort called Palmaïa, The House of AïA, on Hotels.com's Perfect Somewheres list — which highlights some of the top 1% of hotels on the company's app — I booked a trip.

I'd seen some of my favorite influencers raving about their stays at the all-inclusive resort located in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, so I had high hopes for my trip to the wellness spot.

As a Hotels.com Platinum One Key member, I got a 36% discount when I booked my trip and paid about $1,500 for a three-night stay.

Here's what my experience was like.

The accommodations were more than comfortable.

During my trip, I stayed in a king suite with an ocean view.

I don't tend to sleep well while traveling, but at Palmaïa, I had no trouble getting seven to eight hours of shuteye. The king-size mattress was perfectly firm, and my room always felt cool.

The high ceilings, chic sitting area, exposed-brick wall, and enormous bathroom with plenty of counter space didn't hurt, either.

I loved the 24-hour room service and took full advantage of it.

When I arrived at the hotel around midnight, I was excited to learn the resort offered 24-hour room service.

Upon checking in, the receptionist took my order, and a piping-hot dish of black-bean enfrijoladas (a type of enchiladas served with a black-bean sauce) arrived just moments after I was escorted to my room.

Around-the-clock room service also came in handy when I was craving a snack or didn't have time to sit down for breakfast.

The resort's nomadic guide added a personalized touch to my experience.

During my stay, I was assigned a nomadic guide — a staff member who acts as a personal concierge. Each morning, my guide messaged me with updates about the day's scheduled activities and dinner reservations.

They even escorted me from my room to a class when I didn't know how to get there, replaced my room key when I lost mine, and arranged for a staff member to take me to a convenience store for medicine when I developed a sun rash.

There were tons of food options and nonalcoholic beverages to choose from.

The resort has four main restaurants, all of which I enjoyed dining at. Many of the creative takes on traditional Mexican dishes were flavorful and nutrient-rich — think waffles infused with matcha and plant-based poke bowls with marinated watermelon "tuna."

Palmaïa offered lots of vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free items. However, as someone who doesn't have any dietary restrictions, I appreciated that I had the option to add barbacoa to my tacos or real Parmesan to my salads.

I also loved that Palmaïa had unique nonalcoholic drinks with the option to add liquor. The restaurants offered wine and cocktails, but alcohol didn't seem to be a central part of the resort's social environment.

The activities were super unique.

All-inclusive resorts typically offer access to fun activities, but Palmaïa's daily itineraries were truly one-of-a-kind.

I participated in a few activities — including a mindfulness-focused drawing session and a primal-movement class — but my favorite experience was an outdoor cacao ceremony.

This session, inspired by Mayan tradition, involved setting intentions and drinking a ceremonial cacao beverage while listening to live music.

Getting around the grounds was a breeze.

I've been to resorts that are so sprawling it takes 15 minutes or longer to walk from my room to a restaurant. Luckily, this wasn't the case at Palmaïa — the grounds were super walkable.

Even better, Palmaïa offered complimentary bicycles for guests to use around the property. I used them when I was rushing to scheduled activities or just wanted to feel the breeze on my face.

I never had to fight for a beach or poolside chair.

Palmaïa had no shortage of places to swim or relax with a good book.

There were a few infinity, adults-only, and kid-friendly pools in front of the guest-room buildings. The long stretch of beach in front of the resort also had ample cabanas and lounge chairs.

There were even some cenotes — large natural pools — in a jungle area on the property.

The trip was a tad expensive — but I'd go back in a heartbeat.

This trip may have been a splurge, but it was well worth the $1,500. In the past, I've often found myself coming home from all-inclusive getaways feeling worse than when I arrived — maybe due to all the food, alcohol, and sedentary time on the beach.

However, between the engaging activities, the nutrient-dense meals, and the attentive staff catering to my every need, Palmaïa left me feeling refreshed, renewed, and invigorated — and (almost) ready to return to real life.

• I overplan every trip I go on, so I didn't think I'd enjoy vacationing at an all-inclusive resort.
• However, after staying at one in Aruba last year, it's become one of my favorite ways to travel.
• In my opinion, all-inclusives are great for traveling with friends and sticking to a budget.

When I go on vacation, I usually have every minute of the itinerary planned out. So, when I took my first trip to an all-inclusive resort last year, I wasn't expecting it to be for me.

After all, I couldn't imagine taking a trip to Aruba, one of my favorite places in the world, and never leaving the resort.

However, I was shocked when my stay at the Divi Aruba all-inclusive resort became one of the best vacations I'd ever been on.

The resort totally changed my perspective. Here's why I'm now a fan of all-inclusive vacations.

All-inclusive resorts are a great way to vacation with friends.

Traveling with a group can be challenging if everyone has a different vacation style.

Although some people like to wake up early, others prefer to sleep in. Likewise, some travelers feel best lounging by the pool with a book, while others want an action-packed day riding bikes or going snorkeling.

Luckily, a resort with a long list of activities ensures there's something for everyone.

For example, at the Divi Aruba, I could rest by the pool or participate in lots of activities throughout the day, including yoga, bingo, karaoke, and even salsa lessons.

It's nice that I don't have to stress about finding good food on the resort.

Like many all-inclusives, the Divi Aruba has multiple dining options on property, including table-service restaurants, quick-service spots, and buffets.

Because of this, I never had to worry about researching where to eat or stress about trying to snag reservations. Every night, I could just walk up and be seated.

That being said, I did visit the restaurants during off-peak times of the evening, which definitely helped me be able to dine wherever I wanted.

All-inclusive resorts can make budgeting easy.

In the past, I've gone on trips that have quickly and vastly exceeded my budget, as we ordered more than expected or switched up our daily plans. Worrying about what I'm spending doesn't exactly make for a relaxing vacation experience.

At all-inclusives like this one, the activities and food are wrapped into the cost of the stay. So, I can anticipate exactly how much my trip will cost me.

Plus, with meals and drinks included, I don't need to worry about feeling bad if a certain cocktail isn't for me or if my friends and I order multiple menu items to share.

I still love exploring while traveling, but it's nice to relax and focus on spending time with friends.

As a food and travel writer, it's literally my job to explore destinations and learn more about their traditions, cultures, and cuisines.

However, opting for an all-inclusive forced me to stay put and focus my time on relaxing rather than running around.

I still love exploring the towns and countries I visit, but I've since learned to really embrace a vacation where everything I need is on one property and I don't need to lift a finger.