Please remind me to never go on an all inclusive holiday ever again!

[MouthBreather]

Just back from an all inclusive holiday. Thought it would be easy with teens and a nice rest for the grown ups.

I didn’t factor in inconsiderate, greedy ‘Brit’s abroad’ into my holiday calculations.

Sun beds were all gone by 7.30am, made worse by no one occupying them until after lunch. People playing loud, shit music over the top of the hotel music, kids bombing round the pool shouting football chants, people making ‘communal’ plates of food for their table at breakfast and taking all the freshly cooked stuff, then not even bloody eating it!

I’m looking into a private island for next year. Anyone want to come??

Have to say we've done plenty of AI in a few countries and have loved it, food and drinks good, only in Mexico and Gran Canaria did we find sunbed reserving, in Mexico one family did turn up to the pool with speakers and playing their music, security dealt with it.
Hotels we've stayed in have been between 3-5 star, been happy with them all. Love AI, so easy

We always go on all inclusive and have never had this,most recently Greece.

@MouthBreather was the hotel Brisas Guardolavaca?

DesDamonasHandkerchief that's weird about the recycling/eco thing. We're currently in Mexico (to be fair it's a very quiet AI beach hotel in Riviera Maya but we have no single use plastic, no plastic straws and recycling bins outside each 3 rooms. No suncream or bug repellent aloud unless it's biodegradable.

@youarenotkiddingme funnily enough, yes. But it was Hotel Saturno when we went! It was the first 'whole family' holiday we took (baby DD and pre-teen DSD) and boy did we get it wrong!

Virginiawolfhall we're in a place called Azul Beach Riveria Maya. It was a last minute swap from a larger nearby hotel. This one only has just over 100 rooms.
Weirdly it's got VERY mixed reviews on Trip Advisor with some in massive capitals saying AVOID AT COSTS. It made me really really worried before we came.

The food is only a buffet at breakfast. The rest of the time it's smaller restaurants for lunch and dinner. Some of the food is hit and miss but some quality has been really good. We've just had to find out which ones we like. We also upgraded our room to something bigger and more in keeping with we booked at the other hotel. Tui are paying for that upgrade. It's not an exclusive Tui hotel.

We're with teens who are happy to chill out completely between trips out. The WiFi is excellent so they're happy!

The staff are wonderful and so attentive. We've had 3 trips out to a Mayan Temple/village, Xplor Adventure park and Xsavage ( a white water rafting experience). Really great experience.

Unfortunately (or maybe it might be better?) the hotel is changing next year to a place called Hotel Margarita. So maybe look it up nearer the time?

Oh and there's no problem with Loungers and beds. We have our pick. I've had a free shady Bali bed most days right by the pool and pool bar

Sorry to keep adding on....I think it's going to be called Margaritaville.

Exlteve we stayed in Neptuno. Apparently that's the best hotel. We read reviews about small rooms etc. But I got a great deal. I decided that with all the pools and stuff to do plus water park it was worth the risk.
We actually had a great time. I'm happy for sun beds in the shade and ds loved the river type pool. But I could witness the people who were reserving sun beds at 4am and on them all day. Right around the edge of the pool obstructing others. We went end of August bank holiday and noticed (luckily!) how much it empties out at the weekend (we went thurs to thurs) But it isn't really my idea of a holiday. I didn't hate it because we made it fun. But I wouldn't go back

Thank you OP for making me feel better for never having gone on one.

I think a large proportion of the hotel had booked because it sounds exotic and was hot, with no real thought of the country they were visiting

We get it OP. Your family is far superior to other holidaymakers. Accept my gratitude for letting us know this fact.

Ive been to a few all inculsive places and havent encountered this.

I don't do resorts. When I go on holiday I want luxury and for me that isn't being surrounded by other people and then having to sleep in what is essentially a bedsit.
DH has his heart set on an AI and I am doing my hardest to put him off. BIL's recent videos of family foam parties and conga lines to the kids club are helping.

I’ve never had this on an all inclusive, but I go in tent time to avoid kids and teens!

Try a cruise next time, I can report back in a couple of weeks if my teen likes it. There is a buffet (open 24 hours of course) but there's 3 other waiter service restaurants included in the fee and all drinks including milkshakes and granitas for the kids. Rather than the (expensive) organised excursions we are taking the train sightseeing when we dock - Italy is incredibly cheap for trains and kids go free into most attractions it seems. There's teen activities on board and a gym if like mine they are fitness freaks. On paper it seems perfect.

They’re pretty grim. Like butlins. I hate other people on holiday. Rent a house instead

Cruises sound worse. Fat people in polyester

I have PM'd you Virginia

I really would hate to do a cruise, when I watch the TV programs it puts me off even more.

Have been lucky with AI in Mexico. we go about an hour down the coast from Cancun. I can't fault the resort we stayed in.

Thank you very much Millicent and ihatethecold 👍. Really useful.

Oh goody, another virtue signalling 'we hate AI' threads.
It's quite cringe worthy that on MM you cannot judge ANYTHING - apart from AIs.

*MN!!

&AmateurSwami
“What a helpful comment. Especially as I’d consider all inclusive to be stupidly expensive”

What a helpful comment in return. Especially as there are far more inclusive places in the 3-4 star range than 5. Not spectacularly expensive. Sometimes overpriced, but often just cheap buffet and overcrowded hotels. Hence the issue with finding a sunbed by a pool. One of the “hidden” luxuries of more expensive hotels is that there’s always a place for you by a pool.

Must admit an AI would be my worst kind of hell. Meals in huge communal halls with mixed up euro buffet food, days spent by the pool and the towels debacle, 'entertainment' in the evening. I simply don't get the attraction.

I've always preferred to experience the country I'm staying in, touring around seeing different scenery and environments. I'd be bored to death stewing in the sun and so would my kids.

You're holiday reinforces all my prejudices. But different strokes for different folks right?

I always just take any sun beds that are unoccupied. I’m not sitting around fuming whilst a towel gets a nice sunbathe. And no, I don’t move when the ‘owners’ saunter over at 2pm to claim their sun lounger. Cheeky fuckers.

I've stayed at some amazing AIs around the world but by far the worst was the Melia Jardin Del Rey in Cuba. I'd never go back to that part of Cuba.