Anyone disappointed by their holiday?

[Panic71]

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!

Honestly guys, book villas or high end apartments and flights. You end up usually being able to pick better flights, have more space and get some variety. Some of the prices on here are insane. I've only gone back to hotels when no kids involved. I priced up on another post found a James villa in august plus flights for a nails on EasyJet and it came to £2800 - even if you factored in £1500 of spending money for a week (£200 a day) - some people on here are paying well over this. I think you are being fleeced for often very average food ,watered down drinks and 1 modest room. -

Would far, far rather go self-catering and eat out wherever we choose!

I’m very tempted to do the whole villa / separate flights etc thing but what worries me (and perhaps I’m being daft?) is if your flights get delayed or you have some sort of issue there’s no back up plan is there? I think in my head I feel better knowing I’ve got a rep to contact and it’s all covered as part of the same package… ?

We always take our son during term time and just suck up the fine. But - he’s got complex needs and attends a specialist school so the pressure isn’t on academically in the same way. With our eldest dd now aged 20 we did take her out of school too but once she got to GCSE / secondary age it was more difficult as she was missing important modules etc and found it hard to catch up.

I haven't been to many hotels where I didn't have to get up at 7am for a sunbed. There was one where the pool didn't open until 10am which was nice but food was terrible. We've just accepted one of us spends a couple of hours down there before the rest joins but you don't feel like you've had a holiday by the end of th week.

@toomanyleggings we literally did!! We arrived at 3am too. My DS was honestly nearly hysterical (ADHD) as he was just wired at this point. Took me 3 days to get over the journey! A villa wouldn't work for us, our kids are too active and like making friends.

When I think how much we paid, I just can't see we'll want to risk a repeat next year...

Eurocamp or something like that might work better.

Or a cruise from the UK.

OP I feel for you but I'm with everyone who says independent works out much better and the point about avoiding AI unless extremely top end.

With young kids a Eurocamp holiday is far better than a below par hotel if you want other people around and kids clubs. France do a range called Siblu which I would recommend.

Otherwise take the filght out of the equation and consider cruising out of the UK. For me, with kids, that's the perfect relaxing holiday (but I know it won't suit everyone) I really didn't think I'd like it till I tried it.

We've decided AI isn't for us, as we don't really drink so just not good value. We went self catering this year in a nice apartment with a simple pool. Ate out most evenings, but also cooked in the apartment one night and had takeaway pizza on the beach one night. Kids said that was their favourite!

Even self catering was eye wateringly expensive though! And now I have a lingering credit card bill to pay for all the meals out...

There is a reason why we are going on holiday to the same apartments with our grandchild that we took our children to 20 years ago ! Guaranteed amazing heart stopping view ,beach and pool in front of apartment and we have our own sunbeds to take to pool .All very boring and predictable but we know exactly what to expect.We once went to AI In Croatia and hated feeling so restricted.

We have been to villas in Majorca many times.we rent a car and do transfers ourselves. There are always people from the company you have hired the villa from in the resort - and they have always been easy to contact and very helpful if there are any issues. More so than holiday reps from the big companies imo. It’s definitely in their best interests to ensure you return to their property again

Majorca is our go to destination and we hire a car ..so cheap and flexible.

I’ve not done an AI since my 20’s when I didn’t know better.

We had 17 days in South France the other week. Two of us and a dog. We drove there, so 3 full days travelling out of the holiday, more or less. But we both enjoy driving and there’s plenty to look at.

Everything - road tolls, tunnel charge, accommodation, meals etc cost us £3k and we had a wonderful time. 30+C every day, no rain, our own chalet, a pool that was never too busy, a river that ran through the site to swim in, lovely meals and days out in the local area…….

There are so many places in the world to see and explore, but people cram into a resort and then complain it’s busy, cramped, rubbish food……

Bloody hell the cost of some of these AI holidays is mental.

We went to Croatia for 12 days, self catering in a luxury mobile home with pool. 4 adults, 2 teens. Had to do Scotland to London via train, 2 nights at airport hotel, flights, car hire, lots of eating out and going to campsite bars. Did loads of sightseeing and touring about.

Spent less than £5k all in.

The reason we went all inclusive is I really don’t like cooking and cleaning up on holiday. I do it enough at home. We have stayed at fantastic all inclusives in the past with fab food but they are hard to find. We weren’t lucky this time. The age of our youngest is a problem as well. Terrible twos travelling is bloody hard. We also picked a very ‘fun’ hotel and frankly it was a bit too ‘fun’. Huge water slides, slash park, foam parties, loud music… The kids just wanted to do everything all the time which obviously meant me and dh we’re exhausted

@inky1991

"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?"

As @PetersSpecialCheese says take them out during term time.

I used to be a massive rule follower pre Covid and would never dream about taking them out during term time. But after schools were closed for Covid, a virus that children were the least at risk from, I have completely changed my views on unauthorised term time absences.

No I wasn't disappointed.

I researched it so well and it came good. The food was delicious, drinks amazing, lovely wine, private beach and no sunbed issues. In late july. Money well spent.

Right get up early, throw the fucking towels off eat all the best food xx

I haven’t done a package holiday in 20 years - we’ve lived in Australia for 15 and you don’t really get them over there anyway.
This year we had a villa in Corfu with our own pool for 10 days - 3 bedrooms, kitchen, big living room, three bathrooms and the most amazing view for £3,000. Ate out every night and most lunches too. It was amazing. I don’t want to be all crowded on holiday if I can avoid it , plus I don’t really sit in the sun, I prefer to read in the shade or go in the pool, so we always go private villas and eating out.

We booked to go to Hawaii, Maui. The place we are booked at the whole town just burnt down. Many dead, lots displaced. I think we may just fly to another island instead, we have a few weeks to decide. Poor people who have been affected. Our holiday is minor in comparison

I don’t really get the whole “towels on sunlounger” thing. Surely people aren’t on a sunbed all day long? Like, what do you do, just lie there all day?
Cant you just go out and do something in the morning and then head to the pool later?

After two relatively disappointing holidays in the Canaries (crap food, no culture), we returned to Greece this year and it was wonderful.
9 nights half board, family-run hotel with no sunbed wars, Greek dancing, lovely tavernas nearby for simple lunches. £3k for 2a 1 teen.

Sounds daft but we all had a discussion about what each of us want from a holiday and then did lots of research to find that.
DH - lots of sport, good food and nice drinks, hot weather
Me - a town to wander around, comfy beds, good food, no riff raff or large groups, international feel
DD - big pools, good WiFi, short flight

Not when it's 40°

I lie there, peoplewatch, swim, play in pool, read, nap, chat, maybe join in an activity, nap again 😂 it's great.

Oh no that's awful! AI isn't what it used to be. We have just got back from our first holiday abroad in six years. It was wonderful mostly because, well six YEARS!

Our hotel was basic and I never enjoy the food. I start to miss the things I enjoy at home. We was over a mile from the beach so got the odd taxi into town or the beach. Ate out a few times but just sandwiches and chips. Was lovely just eating with service and a different view. Even had McDonald's.

Being further out on a small complex was better and although we still paid to eat and get out, the kids made lots of friends and we got chatting to people. I did think I'd like to live somewhere like it, a little commune 🤣

But I think smaller is better with AI or it feels like a processing plant after a few days. No sunbeds is a universal issue I think. We got up to swim at 8.30 -9.30 or you'd not a spot until early evening