Club Med

Once synonymous with beach escapes and bottomless buffets, the all-inclusive resort is showing up in unexpected places—and Club Med is driving the change. The French hospitality giant that pioneered the concept in 1950 has spent the past two decades nudging it steadily upmarket, phasing out its midscale portfolio and focusing exclusively on premium properties, often in more complex categories. (For example, mountain resorts—which include lift tickets, gear, ski lessons, and dining—now account for roughly 35% of Club Med’s global business, with more than 20 properties across the Alps, China, Japan, and North America.) “It’s about offering an experience people can’t easily put together on their own,” says Carolyne Doyon, president and CEO of Club Med North America and the Caribbean. With nearly 60 resorts across 40 countries and more than 1.5 million guests in 2024, the company will add its first South African resort, a beach-and-safari concept on the Dolphin Coast, in 2026. “This isn’t Club Med!” Oh, but it is.