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Original poster

Anyone disappointed by their holiday?

334 replies

Panic71 · 10/08/2023 15:00

Here now and really trying to throw myself into despite being really gutted by the hotel which is absolutely not worth the money we paid. Trying to just enjoy it but all the extras have come as a shock for what we expected and read to be all inclusive.
Turns out all inclusive doesn’t get you a sun bed either!

OP posts:
Original poster
Panic71 · 10/08/2023 15:01

Just feel like we saved so hard :(

OP posts:
PaperDoves · 10/08/2023 15:03

Oh, that's awful, I'm so sorry! Where are you on holiday? We did our first all inclusive earlier this summer and luckily it was all very clear what was included and what wasn't. By sun bed do you mean a pool lounger? I would expect that to be included, surely??

Original poster
Panic71 · 10/08/2023 19:11

thank you for your reply Paperdoves. Its just the basics really, hotel over capacity so sun loungers all taken before sunrise, waited an hour for a dinner table today etc

OP posts:
LaurieFairyCake · 10/08/2023 20:15

My friends just come back from a week in Spain - 2 adults, 2 young children - they've spent £7,500 and they said it was almost the same holiday they went on 13 years ago for £900

They're so pissed off - their wages have not gone up 8-fold in that time ConfusedHmm

They said it was a cheapish, bog standard holiday back then and obviously they were expecting a lot more this time

Xrays · 10/08/2023 20:25

We had a similar experience in June, paid £4.5k for a weeks all inclusive and food was so shite we spent another £1k on eating out and transport etc to get off the resort! Spending the extra money saved the holiday and everyone said they had a good time but I’m now trying to pay back the money we borrowed to bridge the gap on the credit card and I wish we’d just gone self catering and eaten out as we did instead!

frozendaisy · 10/08/2023 20:36

Have you left your resort? Is there anywhere local you can get to especially during the peak hotel busy times?

Could you find a local, cheapish restaurant?

I mean if you have already spent a fortune can you put a bit more on a credit card to bump up your experience. It's unlikely to suddenly become amazing at the resort but perhaps a little looking around.

Noodledoodledoo · 10/08/2023 20:36

I wasn't disappointed but I think AI has lost something. We had similar sunbed issues, food was well managed so no long waits but the menu was poorly planned - food was good but parts didn't marry up - lots of choice but things like chinese night with no rice!

I am definitely rethinking things for next year as we are not getting the value form the AI anymore.

CeeceeBloomingdale · 10/08/2023 20:41

It's peak season so places will be busy and prices are high. We have just returned from a lovely holiday but there were some disappointments (didn't have a very usable balcony, hotel had no lifts although we knew that in advance etc).

Food is important to us so we go self catering and eat out, choosing restaurants with nice views, quality local produce, good service etc. This is good for the local businesses too. We can't be bothered with sunbed wars so go to the beach. There were spare sunbeds in the hotel, just nowhere to set them up as every inch of floor space was being utilised.

All inclusive is not a luxury experience in my opinion unless it's ultra all inclusive in the Indian Ocean or Caribbean where there is a beach in the resort. Instead it's holding guests captive in the hotel bar and restaurant as many can't afford to eat out after paying up front for AI. We are much happier for realising self catering does not require you to actually self cater and by the figures quoted up thread it's much cheaper too.

inky1991 · 10/08/2023 21:21

It's threads like this that make me very anxious about my future holidays . I.e when my child gets to school age and having to holiday at the most expensive, and heaving times. I actually just don't think I will do it, as I think I'd be in the same boat as you OP . I would really not enjoy it and feel ripped off the whole time.

Is there a reason parents don't just take their kids out of school during term time for holidays occasionally and just take the fine?

PetersSpecialCheese · 10/08/2023 21:35

It's the time of year. We've been to the same hotel in the canaries about 10 times over the years.

In March/October it's fab. Never a queue, plenty of sunbeds, loads of space, get served quickly.

A couple of times we went in the Easter and summer hols and it was hideous, completely different holiday experience, pool like a moshpit, no loungers.

PetersSpecialCheese · 10/08/2023 21:36

inky1991 · 10/08/2023 21:21

It's threads like this that make me very anxious about my future holidays . I.e when my child gets to school age and having to holiday at the most expensive, and heaving times. I actually just don't think I will do it, as I think I'd be in the same boat as you OP . I would really not enjoy it and feel ripped off the whole time.

Is there a reason parents don't just take their kids out of school during term time for holidays occasionally and just take the fine?

I would honestly happily absorb the unauthorised absence fine and take them out of school for 2 weeks if they're not in an exam year.

WhoHidTheCoffee · 10/08/2023 21:39

They often do, @inky1991 - especially around half terms or Easter when going two or three days before most schools break up can make a massive difference to the price.

Sorry some of you have had such disappointing holidays. We have hesitated to go abroad on that kind of holiday since having kids, especially since Covid - it seems like such a lot of money (and would be a stretch for us), and what you get isn’t necessarily in line with what you’ve paid. Though everyone I know who travels more regularly says the prices are insane this year.

TheChosenTwo · 10/08/2023 21:40

We haven’t been on ours yet but like a PP we like to have a villa as it gives so much flexibility and always enough sun loungers, go out to eat when we want and have food at the house for breakfast so all totally easy and convenient.
That Doesn’t help you now so what I would recommend is leaving the hotel for meals and even during the daytime, are you near a beach? if so there will often be somewhere you can rent sunbeds for the day or for a few hours for a few euro, might be worth looking out for.

cocksstrideintheevening · 10/08/2023 21:51

We're ai at the moment but based on previous experience we went for a cheaper hotel and are eating out every night. The food is frankly shit. It's great for ice creams / snacks / drinks for the kids during the day and using the hotel as a base. We paid 2k more last year and there was nothing in walking distance so we were stuck in resort.

I think ai has had its day tbh.

MmmmSausageRolls · 10/08/2023 21:55

Holiday was free and low expectations. Perfect recipe for a good time. However, son broke a bone and I got bitten by a venomous spider. So our holiday continues into a summer plaster cast nightmare (luckily no op) and I'm still on antibiotics and antihistamines nearly 3 weeks later! Ousing a bit of pus here and there. The holiday that keeps on giving! Kinda wish we didn't bother going really.

toomanyleggings · 10/08/2023 21:58

Yep we’ve just come back from a weeks all inclusive we couldn’t afford. I couldn’t wait to get home and am completely exhausted from the experience

justasking111 · 10/08/2023 22:04

The holidays are so much more expensive this year. 2 to 3k more. I'd definitely go self catering. Mind you we were going to the silver coast in June had to back out. The same places in September are fully booked. Many parents are holidaying in term time now.

Maireas · 10/08/2023 22:08

It's a pity that your hard earned savings have not given you a better holiday. Maybe don't go abroad again - is it the sun and heat you wanted?

BiddyPop · 10/08/2023 22:14

We woke Monday morning to teen dd with food poisoning (she was staying home for work and to mind DDog) and DH feeling rough. So instead of flying on a 3 night break, we stayed at home and I played nurse/taxi driver all week ...

Dd bounced back in 24 hours and went to work as expected.

DH turned out to have a serious case of cellulitis and needs iv antibiotics for a few days - but as no beds available public or private, I need to bring him to A&E daily instead. And I am turfed out to the spare bed so he has room to toss and try to sleep. (He was expected to be admitted by GP).

And b cause it was last minute cancellation, I am hoping insurance will cover some but no refunds available for flights, airport parking or hotel.

SilkenPilken · 10/08/2023 22:18

The problem with going on holiday in term time is that you still have the kids off school for another 13 weeks of the year and we get 5 weeks leave each. While financially it could add up the kids would hate having to do 6 weeks of holiday club.

PetersSpecialCheese · 10/08/2023 22:25

MmmmSausageRolls · 10/08/2023 21:55

Holiday was free and low expectations. Perfect recipe for a good time. However, son broke a bone and I got bitten by a venomous spider. So our holiday continues into a summer plaster cast nightmare (luckily no op) and I'm still on antibiotics and antihistamines nearly 3 weeks later! Ousing a bit of pus here and there. The holiday that keeps on giving! Kinda wish we didn't bother going really.

Oh no, ffs 😬 that sounds like a nightmare! Are you in AUS?

LondonLovie · 10/08/2023 22:25

toomanyleggings · 10/08/2023 21:58

Yep we’ve just come back from a weeks all inclusive we couldn’t afford. I couldn’t wait to get home and am completely exhausted from the experience

Oh gosh this sums up our AI holiday for me too. Last year we had a fab time, this year it was just a slog. From the 2.5 hour delay to leave the UK, standing in the passport queue to get into the country for just under 2 hours at 1am.
Hotel was a huge complex and it was such a long walk in 34degrees to get to breakfast and around the place. Not enough space in the room for a family of 4, lacked places to put clothes so by day 3 it was like student accommodation !

All of it was exhausting and I'm just not getting on a plane next year and doing it again. I came home exhausted

Hedonism · 10/08/2023 22:28

My DD has just broken her leg so looks like our holiday next week won't even be happening 😭

daffodilandtulip · 10/08/2023 22:32

We've holidayed in the UK since covid as I couldn't face the faff. We've just had a rubbish week in Wales and I'd only decided this week that we were going back to abroad holidays. Argh!

toomanyleggings · 10/08/2023 22:34

@LondonLovie did we have the same holiday? We also had a two hour delay, didn’t arrive at the we hotel until nearly 3 am with three children. Took twenty minutes to find anyone to check us in and then the keycard didn’t work. When we got in there they’d only made three beds up so we were a bed short. We’d paid for a family suite but it was more like a small double. It didn’t get much better from there for various reasons. We also had a lovely time last year so was lulled into a false sense of security.