Marriott International’s new 522-room all-inclusive resort in Montego Bay, Jamaica, announced July 23 and expected to open in 2028.
The groundbreaking of Club Med St. Croix, a 150-suite resort scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2027
The Caribbean resort landscape continues to evolve as major international hospitality groups invest in new all-inclusive concepts, luxury retreats and large-scale beachfront destinations.
This week’s most important development stories include a future Marriott Hotels all-inclusive resort in Montego Bay and the official groundbreaking of Club Med St. Croix. These announcements follow several other significant 2026 developments in Cancún, the Riviera Maya and Punta Cana, where hotel groups are introducing increasingly specialized experiences for adults, families, wellness travelers and luxury guests.
Here are five of the most important new Caribbean and Mexican Caribbean resorts to watch.
Marriott International and Catalonia Hotels & Resorts announced on July 23 that the former Catalonia Montego Bay property will be converted into a Marriott Hotels All-Inclusive Resort.
Expected to open in 2028, the beachfront resort will introduce Marriott Hotels’ flagship brand to one of Jamaica’s best-known vacation destinations. Plans call for 522 rooms, 13 dining venues, three swimming pools, a spa, a fitness centre, tennis and pickleball courts, a lazy river and approximately 12,917 square feet of meeting space.
The property is located near Sangster International Airport and is expected to offer more than 2,130 feet—or approximately 650 metres—of beachfront. Although the opening remains several years away, the project is significant because it illustrates Marriott’s continued expansion into the all-inclusive segment through partnerships with experienced regional resort operators.
As of July 2026, Marriott reported 38 operating all-inclusive properties in nine Caribbean and Latin American markets, with another 16 properties representing approximately 5,600 rooms in development.
Club Med and VICI Properties have moved forward with the redevelopment of the former Carambola Beach Resort on the northwest coast of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Publicized on July 20 following the resort’s groundbreaking ceremony, Club Med St. Croix is expected to open in the fourth quarter of 2027. The project will transform the historic beachfront property into a 150-suite resort within Club Med’s high-end Exclusive Collection.
The planned resort will feature three dining concepts, four bars and lounges, an infinity pool overlooking the Caribbean Sea, a full-service spa, pickleball, beach volleyball, yoga, non-motorized water activities and guided outdoor excursions. It will cater to adults, couples, groups and families travelling with children aged 12 and older.
Club Med also intends to preserve elements of the property’s original architecture and landscape. The former resort was designed during the 1980s according to conservation principles associated with Laurance Rockefeller, incorporating native stone, hardwood and buildings designed to blend into the surrounding Davis Bay landscape.
Club Med St. Croix is expected to create approximately 200 direct jobs, with the company estimating that about 80% could be filled by local workers. The redevelopment is also targeting BREEAM and Green Globe environmental certifications.
Travellers will not have to wait until 2027 or 2028 for every new opening. Hilton and Fuerte Group Hotels announced that Amàre Cancun Adults Only All-Inclusive Resort, Curio by Hilton is scheduled to open on October 31, 2026.
Located on Boulevard Kukulcan, approximately 24 kilometres from Cancún International Airport, the resort will contain 429 rooms and suites in two adjacent buildings: a 20-storey main tower and a six-storey secondary tower. Each tower will have a rooftop pool, while every guestroom is planned to offer an ocean view.
The adults-only resort will include nine restaurants, nine bars, a coffee shop, three outdoor pools, a spa with nine treatment rooms, a fitness centre and nearly 10,000 square feet of meeting space.
Its culinary and entertainment programming will combine Mediterranean influences with Mexican and Latin American ingredients, art and music. Hilton has also announced rotating exhibitions by Mexican and Latin American artists, entertainment led by resident DJs and live performers, and dining concepts developed with Michelin-starred chefs.
The property already operates under the Amàre identity and will complete renovations and brand-integration work before joining Curio Collection by Hilton. It is therefore best described as a major conversion and brand debut, rather than an entirely new-build resort.
Hyatt is preparing to bring the Park Hyatt brand to a secluded stretch of the Mexican Caribbean between Cancún and Puerto Morelos.
Scheduled to open by the end of 2026, Park Hyatt Riviera Maya will be located within AMAI, a private coastal development reached through a mangrove landscape. The relatively low-density resort will offer 148 guestrooms and suites, including accommodations with private or plunge pools and a 2,300-square-foot penthouse.
Unlike the large-scale buffet-oriented model historically associated with some all-inclusive properties, Park Hyatt Riviera Maya is being positioned around personalized service and entirely à-la-carte dining. Its culinary program will include seven venues focused on Mexican cuisine, seafood, international influences, Mexican coffee, wine and premium spirits.
Each guest will be assigned a Resort Ambassador beginning before arrival. Planned amenities include a beachfront pool with private cabanas, an open-air spa garden, daily wellness rituals, indoor and outdoor event spaces and preferred access to El Tinto Golf Course.
The project demonstrates how established luxury hotel brands are adapting the convenience of an all-inclusive stay to a quieter, more residential and service-intensive resort model.
One of the region’s largest recent openings has already welcomed its first guests.
On July 7, Lopesan Hotel Group officially opened three interconnected resorts in Punta Cana: Lopesan Caoba Lagoon Resort Spa & Casino, Lopesan Serenity Bay Spa & Casino and Lopesan Splash Cove Spa & Casino.
Together, the properties add 1,035 rooms to Lopesan’s Dominican Republic portfolio and represent an investment of more than US$350 million.
The three resorts have been designed for different audiences:
Lopesan Caoba Lagoon is the largest, with 554 rooms arranged around a 127-metre lagoon pool, cenote-inspired architectural elements and 10 waterfalls. It will also include a convention centre capable of accommodating more than 2,000 participants.
Lopesan Serenity Bay is an adults-only retreat with 239 rooms, quieter pool areas and dedicated restaurants, while retaining access to the entertainment, nightlife and dining options of the larger complex.
Lopesan Splash Cove is a 242-room family resort featuring a wave pool, water-park attractions, sports and multigenerational entertainment.
The properties are connected through The Boulevard, an open-air pedestrian district with restaurants, cocktail bars, shops, nightlife, an 820-seat theatre and a casino. Lopesan expects the complex to support approximately 1,100 positions once it reaches full operational capacity.
These openings reveal a broader transformation taking place across the Caribbean resort industry.
Rather than treating all-inclusive resorts as a single category, hotel groups are creating distinct products for adults, families, luxury travellers, wellness guests, groups and loyalty-program members. Marriott, Hilton and Hyatt are also expanding through conversions and partnerships with established resort owners, allowing them to introduce their global brands into mature Caribbean destinations more quickly.
At the same time, larger developments such as Lopesan’s Punta Cana complex are functioning almost like self-contained resort districts, with multiple hotels, convention facilities, entertainment venues, restaurants and public gathering spaces in one integrated destination.
For travellers, the result is a wider choice of resort experiences. For the hospitality industry, these projects demonstrate that the Caribbean remains an important testing ground for new luxury and all-inclusive concepts.
Opening dates are announced targets and may change because of construction schedules, renovations, regulatory approvals or operational decisions. Dates should be reconfirmed with the resort company before publication or booking.