Are you looking for the ultimate in a romantic getaway? Overwater Bungalows are all the rage!
Overwater accommodations (aka overwater bungalows, overwater rooms, or overwater villas) tend to be pricier than typical oceanview or beachfront rooms, but they offer an unbeatable experience that gets you up-close-and-personal with the ocean and marine life within it.
TIP: Because of their popularity, many overwater bungalows tend to be booked pretty far in advance, so be sure you plan ahead!
AND it’s important to note that not all are “all-inclusive”, these on our list below ARE all-inclusive, so you can vacation the “no wallet, no worries” way.
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OR click here to watch our video on The Best All Inclusives with Overwater Bungalows on YouTube.
Fully All Inclusive Resorts with Overwater Bungalows
Palafitos at El Dorado Maroma (Mexico)
Check PricesEl Dorado Maroma is located on one of the world’s top beaches, renowned for its talcum-powder soft white sand. It’s a boutique 5-star adults-only resort that added 30 thatched-roof overwater bungalows, known officially as The “Check PricesPalafitos at El Dorado Maroma“. Each features a private infinity pool, glass-bottom floors (with underwater lights so you can enjoy nighttime marine viewing), a private outdoor shower, and a private patio from which you can descend a short ladder right into the ocean.
The bungalows are also part of Karisma’s new Connoisseur Collection, which offers guests a personal concierge, and the Palafitos also has their own exclusive restaurant and Spa, both located over the water, although Palafitos guests may also enjoy all of the El Dorado Maroma’s other restaurants, Spa, amenities, and beach.
Sandals St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Sandals Royal Caribbean (Jamaica)
All of the overwater villas and bungalows at Check PricesSandals Royal Caribbean are located adjacent to their popular off-shore resort island, which is open to all guests and features food and fun activities. Guests staying in overwater accommodations are met at Sangster International Airport transferred to the resort via BMW sedans (sweet!). Upon arrival guests are welcomed by a personal butler and transferred aboard an electric powerboat to their villa for the check-in process.
The overwater suites feature full kitchens and large private decks with temperature-controlled infinity pools. Two large windows set into the bedroom and living-room floors are illuminated in the evenings, allowing guests to view passing schools of fish, and all suites face the western sky so that guests can enjoy fabulous sunsets.
Sandals South Coast (Jamaica)
Each luxuriously appointed Overwater Bungalow at Check PricesSandals South Coast features a private patio equipped with an extended sun deck, outdoor shower, sun loungers, a private outdoor soaking tub for two, over-water hammocks, and a bistro set for two. Inside, glass floor panels and lit water ensure you can enjoy undersea views any time.
Bungalow guests will also receive the following additional inclusions: Exclusive in-room dining and room service menu. Personal airport greeting. Expedited immigration. Private transfers to and from the airport in chauffeur-driven luxury car. Welcome gift, including branded tote and towel set. Molton Brown bathroom amenities. This category also includes the exclusive indulgence of round-trip Private Airport Transfers.
Sandals Grande St Lucian (St. Lucia)
Just off shore from the main resort are six overwater bungalows at Check PricesSandals Grande St. Lucian, each featuring a private patio equipped with an extended sun deck, outdoor shower, sun loungers, a private outdoor soaking tub for two, over-water hammocks, and a bistro set for two. Inside, glass floor panels and lit water ensure you can enjoy undersea views any time.
Oh yes, the rooms are spectacularly luxe also, and Bungalow guests will also receive the following additional inclusions: Exclusive in-room dining and room service menu. Personal airport greeting. Expedited immigration. Private transfers to and from the airport in chauffeur-driven luxury car. Welcome gift, including branded tote and towel set. Molton Brown bathroom amenities. This category also includes the exclusive indulgence of round-trip Private Airport Transfers.
Royalton Antigua Resort & Spa
The Chairman’s Overwater Bungalows at Check PricesRoyalton Antigua are adults-only, and feature a separate master bedroom with a sumptuous king size bed as well as a relaxing seating area with a dining room, a swim-out infinity plunge pool overlooking the sparkling waters, an over-water hammock and glass floors for you to admire the vibrant marine life below.
As the top room category (all are part of their Diamond Club level accommodation category), a stay in their overwater bungalows includes numerous additional luxury amenities (yes, in addition to their Diamond Club upgrades), such as private luxury transfers between the airport and the resort, complimentary snorkeling equipment, a complimentary romantic dinner served in your bungalow, and much more.
Royalton CHIC Antigua Resort & Spa
Looking for even more all-inclusive opulence?
If budget is no issue or you’re looking for that once-in-a-lifetime celebration destination, consider the Check PricesWaldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi, or the Check PricesHurawalhi Island Resort, both in the Maldives and offering an ultra-luxury all-inclusive experience. Both are featured on our list of the Best Ultra Luxurious All-Inclusive Resorts.
Nearly All Inclusive Resorts with Overwater Bungalows
By “nearly all inclusive” we mean that these resorts with overwater bungalows offer some all-inclusive style benefits (such as the ability to add-on a meal plan, or they offer 1 or 2 meals daily included with other meals and beverages available at a la carte prices) but are not fully-all-inclusive and thus tend to offer greater flexibility, but at a higher price point.
Mercure Maldives Kooddoo (Maldives)
Definitely one of the more “boutique” options for overwater accommodations, even though Check PricesMercure Maldives Kooddoo offers 70 overwater villas (some with private pools!), it’s still a very small and intimate resort that provides a sense of seclusion as well as romantic serenity.
Located on Kooddoo island in Gaafu Alifu Atoll (in the southern Maldives), this resort has both all-inclusive and non-all-inclusive meal options and — even with fewer restaurants than many other resorts — their gourmet cuisine is winning rave reviews. Its beautiful location offers stunning views and plenty of recreation opportunities.
Coco Plum Island Resort, Belize
AND for those who may be tempted to loudly exclaim “But wait! I know there are more overwater bungalows than you have listed!” Yes, it’s quite true that there are — Bora Bora, Tahiti, Honduras, Panama, and a few other places sprinkled throughout the Caribbean — BUT they are not all-inclusive, and/or don’t offer meal plans…..any meals you enjoy will cost you extra, and in many cases it’s pretty pricey. Here at Best All Inclusive we stay focused on all-inclusive resorts (or those that do offer meal plans as an option, making them nearly-all-inclusive), so we’ll let other websites feature non-all-inclusive resorts.