The Brand That Pioneered the All-Inclusive Wants to Double by 2030 — Here's Its Next Move

Club Med broke ground last week on Club Med Koh Samui, a new upscale resort on Thailand's second-largest island and the clearest signal yet of how fast the original all-inclusive brand intends to grow.

At an Aug. 25 ceremony, executives and partners from Central Capital Group planted native Samui coconut seedlings to mark the start of construction. The property will be Club Med's second in Thailand, joining Club Med Phuket, which has operated for more than 40 years. It will also be the country's first entry in the brand's higher-end Exclusive Collection, and the third such property across the East and South Asia, and Pacific region.

The groundbreaking fits a larger ambition: Club Med has set a goal to double its number of resorts worldwide by 2030, with a heavy tilt toward the premium Exclusive Collection tier that competes with luxury all-inclusive names in the Caribbean and Mexico.

The expansion is not confined to Asia. Club Med recently broke ground on Club Med St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, a resort set to open next year that marks the brand's return to U.S. soil. Openings in Canada, Italy, Oman, and Indonesia are also in the pipeline, while Club Med South Africa opened in July and Club Med Borneo, in Malaysia, is due to open by the end of 2026.

For travelers who know Club Med mainly from its Caribbean footprint, such as Club Med Michès Playa Esmeralda in the Dominican Republic, the push toward Exclusive Collection resorts suggests the brand is chasing the same affluent, experience-driven guests fueling the all-inclusive boom closer to home.