VICI and Club Med are bringing the all-inclusive playbook back to the U.S.

Back to the beach

VICI Properties and Club Med just announced a plan to acquire and redevelop Carambola Beach Resort in St. Croix, giving Club Med a path back to U.S. shores. Translation: the all-inclusive vacation machine is revving up again, and VICI gets another shot at turning a sunny destination into a cash-generating asset.

Why this matters

This isn’t just a hotel facelift and a brochure refresh. It’s a bet on experiential travel — the kind where people pay up for convenience, scenery, and someone else handling the buffet logistics. For VICI, that means more exposure to a niche it knows well: real estate tied to how people actually spend their leisure dollars.

The investor angle

A few things to keep on your radar:

• Club Med gets a headline-worthy U.S. return after years away
• VICI expands its experiential portfolio with another tourism-linked asset
• The deal leans into the idea that premium travel demand can stay sticky, even when consumers get picky elsewhere

Big picture: VICI doesn’t need every resort to be a blockbuster. It just needs enough travelers to keep showing up with sunscreen and a credit card.