Day 1 of holiday. Hell.

So now you know not to book all inclusive next time.
Go with your own suggestion next time or a nice villa. You’ll have to eat out or get your own food in but it’s much nicer.
But for this holiday, relax and enjoy it for what it is.

I hate how snobby these threads get. I assure you I have sterling middle class credentials but I have been on and enjoyed all inclusive holidays. I have young kids and sitting in a different taverna every night would be an absolute nightmare with my little ones. The joy of AI is that when your toddler doesn’t eat their lunch but declares they are hungry 30 mins later you can get them something to eat without being pissed off that you’ve wasted 20 euro on a meal they didn’t eat. It is predictable and samey which is exactly what little kids like and the entertainment may be rubbish for us but my kids love nothing more than hanging out in an upcycled garden shed colouring in with a bunch of German kids! I assume you have kids as why would you go AI if you don’t?? If so then try to appreciate the fact that you don’t have to shop, think about what’s for dinner, make a packed lunch or cook for a week. Put some armbands on the kids, shove them in the pool and read your book - that’s what AI holidays are for. Once your kids are older you can do nice stuff.

I love the Dorchester but would I want to stay there with a 3 year old… nope.

Do people go AI for luxury?

They must I suppose but the reason we do it is convenience. Couple of nights on the TUI website thinking about where looks best, click and pay. Done. When you've got tiring jobs sometimes you just want a fly and flop with minimal hassle.

Every few years we'll do a more adventurous holiday but that involves loads of research and frankly far more effort. I really cba with it a lot of the time.

I stayed at a horrible AI this summer in Spain. I have the same household income as you so I knew with my budget that I was at the lower end of the AI scale but in the past 'brits abroad' hotels we have visited have generally been fine. Food was meh but the atmosphere was fun and the dcs enjoyed themselves. I felt like I was able to have some r&r.

However, for an improvement we made the mistake of assuming that because the tripadvisor reviews were wider than UK guests that this summers hotel would be classier. Ooh big mistake! Turns out hotels aimed at low income spanish families are even worse than brit abroad hotels. I cried it was so bad and we spent a lot of money outside of the hotel (a little bitter here as dp refused to book the hotel i wanted which was £700 more than this place and we spent that eating out, on activities and escaping the resort).

I think this is probably the last AI we will do, at least for a while. We've preferred them in the past as buffets are easy with small kids and my eldest loves a cheesy disco, i also like not worrying about money but the dcs seemed to enjoy going out to eat each night, youngest doesn't give a flying f about the disco, neither really cared about the slides so a basic pool is all we need (i just need some peace - the hotel was so busy, cramped and noisy!)

All inclusive is fab. No thinking about spending money. Kids can fill up on all the pop they want so they stay hydrated. Pool bar always has kid friendly food, so you don't have to worry about if they'll eat lunch or tea. Loads of families so plenty of kids for yours to make friends with. Naff entertainment that again the kids adore. I'm happy with a sunbed and a pool. So everything else is about making the family happy. We don't really drink when we're with the kids so I don't know about the alcohol side of things. But I love knowing every meal and drink is covered and spends are just for fun stuff.

AI can be hit and miss, we have stayed in some lovely ones we have found the adults only ones or ones with adult only areas tend to be the best. With some research they can be fab for especially if want a do F all type of break

You dont do all inc in greece its not the place for that. Its breakfast in then taverna at night.

Why dint you go to sardinia? Or a 5 star all inc in turkey on lara beach.

Our last holiday (Greece) cost under £2K for a very basic but lovely apartment, the hire car, and the flights. We ate out a lot but also cooked.

Why would you book AI if you're not in to it?? It's clearly going to be shit!

I am somewhat tempted by the idea of AI as I like the idea of going on holiday just to flop, and DS would love it, but I think the reality is we'd get bored after 2 days. DH would absolutely hate it, so I will never get to experience the joys of sun bed wars 😁

Honestly though, it's just as easy to find an apartment or a a
Villa, why wouldn't you??

IKOS do nice all inclusive resorts in Europe. Unless you’re there of course.

I’ve stayed in a few all inclusive resorts when the children were younger, used it as a base, explored a bit with the guarantee of food when we got back. You’re not in a prison, you can leave, hire a car, explore.

Well said!

And why didn’t the OP look on TripAdvisor to see what the hotel was like before booking it??

It has to be said too, although you’re on AI you’re NOT tied to the hotel, you are free to explore the area. OK, so you will have to pay for meals and drinks but if money is no object……………🤷‍♀️

We can only afford self catering staycays so I’m struggling a bit to be sympathetic! It sounds like you’d be better off in private accommodation like a villa. Next time I’d also have a look at Italy and France rather than Greece/Spain.

j do several Greece all inclusive and they’re amazing. (Spain, not so much!).

without knowing which I you’ve gone to, or how much the ball park is it’s impossible to say if you brought this on yourself.

what was the cost?

Look everyone would feel more comfortable on a flight in first class but the majority of us end up in economy and we make the most of it.

can you hire a car and go exploring
go out and eat and other restaurants
and then just go with the flow

I have stayed at places varying from v posh to hostel and had fun at all of them work out how much you are the issue here

plus it’s term time it can hardly be that busy so you can get a seat by the pool

Went to an AI in Corfu and it was fabulous.

You get what you pay for, but you come across that you feel you are better than everyone else there - I hope you are not sat looking them up and down.

You are on holiday, immerse yourself in your surroundings, put down your phone and enjoy yourself.

At least the wine is included

£100k combined is not small fry, but depends in your outgoings, obviously. It’s about our level of income but we usually stay in 5 star hotels abroad We usually go for a week, not two which is enough for us. The hotel we last stayed in had one group which were rowdy by the pool for one day - v unlike the rest of the clientele who were young families or couples in the main.

Or could could stay in a lovely villa or apartment - when we’ve done this we’ve had breakfast in, but one meal a day out. It gives a lot of flexibility.

we did AI in our honeymoon 25 years ago and I wasn’t a fan. I don’t even like half board although we did this when the kids were young a couple of times

Find an area you like the look of that is geared for the sort of tourist you'd feel at home with, somewhere with a bit of history and culture. Book at an apartment/villa, and flights. Sorted. Go. Enjoy.

Speak my truth 🤮🤮

YABU because everyone there has spent what they could afford and wants to have a nice time, and you don't have to become best friends with any of them. You just have to mind your beeswax, get your head into a book and relax. If you can't do that if you're not in the Dorchester, go on fewer holidays and splurge once every three years.

Holidays are a luxury, full stop. We cancelled ours this year because when it came to paying the balance we didn't feel like we wanted to make a dent on the savings because money is really tight. I'm not pouting about it because I accept that it's a luxury - the cherry on the cake, not the cake. Hearing you gripe about other people that have worked hard to go on holiday is unedifying - I know you know you're being a snob, but how about a bit of personal growth and trying not to judge other people?

You don't have to stay on resort all week. Get out and see wherever you are in Greece - it's a gorgeous country.

Go out - one of the best things about Greece is eating out. Scoffing seafood or moussaka in a lovely little taverna overlooking the sea. Getting gyros while bimbling around a market. Sipping a strong coffee in a cafe with some baklava watching the world go by.

“Not built for this”

get a grip @gilesday

You are in Greece go out exploring.

Yes you sound like an idiot. The hotel
is a place to eat and sleep, that’s it. Sleep and eat at the hotel and smile nicely at the other people. Other than that enjoy the pools and weather, get out and about, swim, read, look at something interesting, go to the local shops, visit a market. Even on all inclusive you can still eat out if you want, and Greece is good value. Expand your horizons beyond your hotel.

Plus no one is meant for luxury, you have to have the money, brains and imagination to book it according to your tastes. I suspect everyone else there is looking at you thinking why is that woman looking like such a miserable kiljoy TBH.

I was going to say that..maybe there's 4 kids or something that are teenagers?

Joint income of £55k here with 1 kid and have done half board in an all inclusive place on a Greek Island and it was great.

Your post seems designed to be inflammatory.

Telling us your income doesn't tell us your budget for your holiday.
You don't complain about anything specific, you just focus on vague stereotypes.

Give some actual information and people will be able to give you actual advice

I don't know anyone who would dream of booking all inclusive because of the demographic it attracts.
You have done so twice.
Why?

Don’t book same type of holiday next time you clearly don’t like AI. Either save for what you class as better by maybe going every other year etc And please learn to be grateful there’s many people lovely hard working paying all their priority bills and just can’t afford to take their child on holiday. They would love to swap with you.