What adults only hotels offer
Most adults only hotels remove the facilities built for families: there are no kids' clubs, children's pools or family entertainment shows. In their place you usually find quieter pools, spas, cocktail bars and restaurants that run later into the evening, with music and activities aimed at grown-ups.
Adults only is not the same as couples only. Sandals, for example, requires every guest to be 18 or older but welcomes friends travelling together as well as couples. That makes these holidays a good fit for honeymooners, couples marking an anniversary, groups of friends and parents taking a break without the children. For ideas, see our guides to luxury holidays for couples, the best honeymoon destinations and Sandals holiday deals.
How to check a hotel's age policy
A label on a listing is a starting point, not a guarantee. Before you book, check:
- Where the rule is written. Look on the hotel's own website or in its booking conditions, and note the exact minimum age.
- Whether it covers the whole hotel. Some family hotels keep only a pool, wing or restaurant for adults, while the rest of the property takes children.
- Every stop on the route. On a multi-centre or touring holiday, one hotel may take families even if the others do not.
- The youngest traveller's age. If anyone in your party is under 18, give us their age when you enquire so we can check it against each hotel on the trip.
Choosing a destination
Choose by the kind of trip you want: a villa and beach stay such as Indulge in a Luxurious Romantic Escape to Bali or Barefoot Luxury at Cempedak Private Island, a touring holiday such as The Ultimate Brazil Explorer, or browse our Egypt holidays page. For more on the destinations themselves, read our Bali holidays page and our luxury Brazil tours guide.
Entry rules differ by country, and some need a visa or an online arrival card before you land. Check the FCDO travel advice for Indonesia, Singapore, Brazil and Egypt, including any country you only pass through.
Adults only holidays FAQs
Are adults only holidays all inclusive?
Not automatically. Adults only is an age rule, not a meal plan, so a hotel can be adults only on a room-only, half-board or all-inclusive basis. Check the inclusions on each trip page, or see our luxury all-inclusive holidays guide.
If a hotel has an adults only pool, is the whole hotel adults only?
No. An adults only pool restricts that one pool, usually to guests over 16, 18 or 21, and there is no industry-wide standard. Children can still stay at the hotel and use its other pools, and some hotels only run adults-only sessions at set times of day.
Can I go on an adults only holiday on my own?
Yes. The policy sets an age limit, not who you travel with, so solo travellers are accepted as well as couples and friends. Some brands, Sandals among them, still design their resorts mainly with couples in mind, so ask us for a single-occupancy quote and a hotel that suits travelling alone.
What if my children are under the minimum age?
Look for a family hotel with an adults only pool or area, or ask whether the hotel group runs a family property nearby. Cempedak, for instance, points families to its sister island, Nikoi, which has family villas and kids' activities.
