Are all "All Inclusive" resorts like this?

Dimple said:
I go every year on all inclusives since 1995 and never had a problem.
We don't book anywhere until we've gone through Tripadvisor with a fine toothcomb.
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Yup never had a problem. Been on some great all inclusive holidays (Maldives and Egypt) and some that were cheaper, less flashy but still perfectly good.

Like the convenience of it personally.
 
I think you just failed to do your homework OP.

I've been all over the world to AI's. Going to a small AI place in Jamaica in a couple of weeks.
My wife was offered a fantastic industry only deal to a big 5 star AI in Mexico, but she said we would both hate it for the very reasons you've just given.
 
Glaucus said:
Why would you ever want to eat there, or spend a night there. Find somewhere interesting. Even if it's a proper dive, it's a better experience.
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You've just said that it sounds **** so obviously have never been all inclusive.
We've been lucky that every one we've gone to we've been very happy.
For 19 years we did the 'normal' go to a hotel, go out for meals, find a different bar every night and so on but Mrs Dimple says that from 1980 to 1999 we did it that way, going all over the place and spending a fortune and then tried our first AI in 1999 (not 95) and never looked back.
Like I said we normally spend 1 day by the hotel and then 1 day visiting/boat trips etc and it works for us.
 
Dark_Injection said:
Well im living in the Himalays and have been for 3 months, traveling and hiking through the mountains with no plan insight. I dont mind what you think im just saying how I do it.
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It just sounds pretentious like those ****** back packer types.
 
Glaucus said:
It is for some off us.
I can sit in a pub at home and relax, talking to mates.
Going away for me is all about exploring, moving about and preferably with little pre booked so if I see something interesting just go do it.
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Just recently been talking to two couples, one went to Hurghada and the other to Sharm so of course the Pyramids & Luxor etc cropped up but they weren't interested and just wanted to sit around a pool :(
I don't get that personally but I have to respect how they want to spend their money.
 
We stayed in an all inclusive just up the road from there (Now Sapphire) and it sounded pretty much the same. Whenever we went down by the main pool it was FULL of screaming kids and the 'parties'. Evening entertainment looked the same as when I used to go to Greece as a child in the 90s. Didn't bother with any of that.

Luckily we had paid for the 'Preferred Club' which included a pool just for 'Preferred Club' people (it was almost always empty, had it's own bar and nice palapas to chill out on), private section of beach, etc. The company we booked through didn't tell the hotel that this is what we'd booked so spent the first day arguing with them that we had.

My parents go to the El Dorado Royale and they always say how good it is. That's an adult only resort and from what I've seen of it, isn't anything like the one you went to.
 
A lot will depend on location, all inclusive in magaluf will be very different to Antigua.

That said if you go to a sandals resort or similar there's less chance of riff raff.

I always go all inclusive in places like the carribean, wouldn't bother in Europe though. It's nice as you don't need to worry about food and drink, just money for excursions or taxis for day trips.. For a beach holiday all inclusive is great, i always go for one with a private beach as I'm happy as a pig in mud snorkeling and chilling on a beach, with for or five excursions over two weeks.
 
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From the experiences here, unless you pay extra on top of your inclusive to the next tier - preferred club or whatever name it is in that resort. You are likely to be faced with families on their inclusive holiday.

I can understand why a family would a holiday like this, the kids can't escape the compound so you know where they are, you don't need to worry about bring spending money and you can budget for it easily.

But for a couple on holiday, surely there are better places that is just as relaxing ?
 
Raymond Lin said:
From the experiences here, unless you pay extra on top of your inclusive to the next tier - preferred club or whatever name it is in that resort. You are likely to be faced with families on their inclusive holiday.

I can understand why a family would a holiday like this, the kids can't escape the compound so you know where they are, you don't need to worry about bring spending money and you can budget for it easily.

But for a couple on holiday, surely there are better places that is just as relaxing ?
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Depends what you want from a holiday surely.. And where you are going, if I was going going somewhere like Thailand I'd probably not book any accommodation and travel around a bit, carribean I'd go all inclusive, but somewhere more exclusive.. I've never felt the need to upgrade from standard accommodation.
 
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In my experiences it's always been the food that has always been the let down. I've probably stayed in about 3 or 4 all-inclusive resorts from the costa del sol to sharm el sheikh. But after the first one, I kind of expected the food to be average at best in the rest and I was right.

In terms of relaxation though without the kids etc the best one I stayed at was in Bodrum. But I can't for the life of me remember what it was called. I went back in about 2010.
 
Went to a 5star all inc in Benidorm last year, was the biggest mistake of my life..

Probs got about 2 hours sleep the whole week, was dreadful, I was sat with a sulk all week, and the missus who can sleep through anything said I was being a big baby.
worst holiday ever.
food was bad, everything was bad, I actually cant find one positive about it apart from the fact that the hotel was clean and pool was good but crowded.

was about 750 pp all inc

Went to a 3 star all inclusive year before in santa ponsa, best holiday ever.
Hotel was a lot cleaner, food was FANTASTIC and you could go get food when ever you wanted all day, they even had a bbq type thing all day long outside in a garden next to the pool etc with a bar.
Pool wasn't as big or as good, but it was SOOOOO quiet It was 10x better, sometimes was just me and my missus in the pool was good ;)
Drinks was much better, area much better.
Every thing was just 100x better,

and it was only 399 all inc 2 summers ago.

Went to a 3 star all
 
I've stayed AI in the Dominican before, it was ok.. But I've not done it since, I prefer to not feel as if I need to stay on resort to get my money's worth. I can see the good points and bad points, it all depends on what you want to get out of a "Holiday" but yeah some will be great and others pretty nasty as with everything.
 
All inclusives I've been to in the likes of Mauritius, Bali and St Lucia are the best hotels I've ever stayed at, in terms of service, choice, things to do, food etc. These are expensive holidays though and are a million miles away from what your average all inclusive in the Med is. I even met royals staying at one of them.

So in short, all inclusives are not all alike.
 
Bear said:
It just sounds pretentious like those ****** back packer types.
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Well im an English teacher working with extremely poor kids and giving them a chance in life instead of slaving and being used for work...in my spare time traveling the mountains. I hope thats pretentious enough. Ive done lots of traveling and I can really say I don't see myself as what your describing as a backpacker.

The whole point was that I merely don't like all inclusive. End.
 
We went all inclusive in Playa de las Américas - Tenerife it was ok but the restaurants just outside was great and cheaper too. Next time when booking a holiday room only.

PS thanks guys now I want to go away but have no money :(
 
Dark_Injection said:
Well im an English teacher working with extremely poor kids and giving them a chance in life instead of slaving and being used for work...in my spare time traveling the mountains. I hope thats pretentious enough. Ive done lots of traveling and I can really say I don't see myself as what your describing as a backpacker.

The whole point was that I merely don't like all inclusive. End.
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I dont care if you were the second coming of the Mother Teresa healing the sick. You said

Dark_Injection said:
Now a days i dont go on holiday anyway, i just travel.
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Which was why I said

Bear said:
It just sounds pretentious like those ****** back packer types.
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My wife keeps harking on about an AI we went in Sorrento because all our meals were a proper waiter service and you chose off a menu & it was very quiet.
She loved it but I hated it because I'd rather go and get my own food and I like a bit of noise.
Horses for courses and all that.
 
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