Why going all-in on this all-inclusive is worth it.
Consider me a wanderlust wanderer while traveling. If there’s a non-snobby market to peruse with people barking and haggling every which way, that’s the preference over an everything-handed-to-you, high-end stretch of boutiques. Bonus points if my shoes get dirty. Whatever the local version of an empanada is? I find joy in zig-zagging an unknown landscape, aimlessly trying one at every mom-and-pop haunt possible. As for a hotel? Give me a nice bed with a non-down pillow (I’m allergic AF to them, unfortunately) and a decently-priced meal that will actually leave me full; otherwise, get me to Taco Bell.
Okay, you probably catch my drift on how I genuinely prefer to drift. By definition, I’m not an all-inclusive, stay-put, picky (okay, except maybe the pillow part), 38-year-old dude whatsoever.
Enter a generally off-brand booking to North America’s only Club Med resort–nestled in the green mountains of Quebec’s ski-loving Charlevoix region. My wife and I live in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, so for a trip, we wanted the mountains, crisp air, and a place to truly unwind. This vacation was truly unlike anything we’ve ever booked in our 10-plus years of marriage–a colder weather destination, all-inclusive, and a bit of a jaunt to get to.
A Long Trek to Get to a Club Med
My mantra for most trips is, “If I have to check a bag or have a layover, it’s not worth it.” Well, we checked a bag, booked a flight with a layover, and off we went. We opted to do a four-day trip to Club Med’s spot in Charlevoix, spanning a Friday through Monday. From Miami, it was a 3.5-hour flight to Montreal and then an hour flight to Quebec City. From there, it was an hour and 15 minute shuttle ride along the evergreen mountains-meets-water landscape of the St. Lawrence River. The final mile or so of the drive to the hotel, we hugged the river’s shore and winded through quaint villages, culminating in the gated, modern complex that is Club Med Quebec Charlevoix.
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Tucked into the shadow of Le Massif mountain, with ski gondolas dangling every which way in the distance, the property is visibly newer. It opened in 2021 and features 300-plus total rooms throughout its stately-meets-ultra-modern, gray-paneled buildings with pops of cream, blue, and red along its facades. The building–inside and out–pays homage to Quebec and the First Nations.
Our room was a deluxe family room with a balcony overlooking the St. Lawrence River. After spending half an hour or so from our balcony gawking at cruise liners slowly gliding by and taking in the coastline beautifully dotted with black rocks, the question quickly became, “Okay, we’re here for four days… what now?” This is the moment any regular all-inclusive goer would ease right into the oodles upon oodles of amenities and endless food (more on that momentarily), but I didn’t know what the hell I was doing even though everything had been beautifully and meticulously explained to me upon check-in and pre-trip.
The first evening equated to wandering off-property, through the woods at the bottom of the hill to a quaint, cabin-like coffee shop, the Café du Domaine a Liguoiri. Once caffeinated, we had the resort book us a taxi to the closest town, Baie-Saint-Paul, about 25 minutes north, where we proceeded to bar hop, and made a few Fireball shot-buying friends along the way.
Waking up the next morning, yeah, our new friends in Baie-Saint-Paul probably could have held back on that last Fireball shot. Between the hangover and finally realizing, “Wow, we really don’t need to go anywhere after that and have absolutely everything right here,” we fully embraced the all-inclusive spirit.
All-In on All-Inclusive
The bulk of Club Med Quebec Charlevoix’s amenities are accessible within a singular, central, multi-level building. It houses the property’s two main restaurants–Le Marché, a buffet concept, and Le Chalet, a gourmet lounge with a killer daily charcuterie offering with locally sourced cheeses and meats as well as, for an added fee, a Tomahawk prime rib or fondue experience.
Also within the building are an elaborate children’s club, a teen’s club with a pool table, an indoor pool complex with a steam room, deck area with a whirlpool, a full-service gym, a fitness class studio, a spa by Sothys, gift shop, a wine bar, lounge bar, main bar, and theatre area where guests can try… trapeze and circus skills. Yes, there is a lot going on in this building, y’all, and it’s the undeniable epicenter of it all. There are even more amenities available for those booking a stay in an “Exclusive Collection” suite, including a private bar with champagne service, lounge with a jacuzzi, and breakfast room service.
In no time, I found myself dabbling in strings of activities and mounds of elegant culinary offerings that I typically wouldn’t. Downing six lobster rolls at Le Marché? Check. Signing up for a couple group fitness classes? Check. Watching the choreographed production featuring all the kids staying at the resort in the theatre area? Yeah, sure, it was great. And so was the variety show put on by all the employees at the resort (more on them in a second), featuring everything from a drag queen Dolly Parton to a Backstreet Boys lip-syncing performance.
The overarching vibe was active-meets-tranquil, with a nice balance of families wanting to go to bed by bed-time and couples, or small groups of friends, wanting to close down the central bar at midnight and then have a nightcap by the mountainside firepit.
The Club Med Charm
After one stay, this much was clear: the undeniable glue to any Club Med experience is its unique culture and its staff. Upon arrival, I saw a lot of guests donning shirts with the number 45 on them. At first, I thought they were all a bunch of Donald Trump lovers. In reality, in 1995, Club Med created a commemorative t-shirt with the number 45 on it to celebrate its 45th anniversary–it has since become a cult favorite of sorts for guests, and the gift shop had all kinds of 45-branded swag.
Also integral to the experience are two acronyms–GMs and GOs. Guests are known as GMs (short for gentil membres) and the staff is known as GOs, or gentil organizers. The same GOs were seen wearing multiple hats throughout the day–for example, we noticed one GO working in the gift shop in the morning, then performing in the variety show at night, and then, the next morning, he was hanging out with us at breakfast. It’s all part of the culture at Club Med–GOs are encouraged to hang out with guests, snag a meal with them, and, essentially, be an integral part of the social experience. We later learned that a good chunk of the staff actually lives on-site. And anyone we talked to loves their job.
It all felt like a giant summer camp experience for GMs, GOs, and the in-between. And, we weren’t even there for peak season, as it is very much a total outdoorsy-skiing destination come wintertime, with hiking excursions aplenty, horseback riding, a full-on ski center, and 40 kilometers of slopes for all levels.
On that note–and being the warm weather-loving Floridian that has no grace whatsoever–I’ve never even attempted to ski in my life. But, given that this trip of many firsts with Club Med ended up being such a blast. Throw a coat on me, buckle up my skis, and let’s hit the slopes. Just make sure there’s one of those lobster rolls at the bottom of the hill for me.
