Are all-inclusive holidays during school holidays the hell that I imagine?

[TaDuck]

Daughter starts school in September so looking at holidays for next year in July/August. My DH is really keen to go to an all inclusive resort with kids clubs & entertainment as he has fond memories from when he was younger.

I've looked at a few and they seem nice on the surface but then I get into the reviews and the same complaints seem to pop up - long queues for food, food not being great, battling to get a sunbed, packed like sardines in the pool... honestly this is my idea of hell! But I do like the idea of having all the facilities and the convenience of it all so I wonder if I'm looking for a unicorn trying to find one that has everything but isn't heaving during school holidays? Is it a price bracket thing?

Could anyone recommend anywhere? Thanks!

There is a time in the lives of children when they’re great. I’d say 6-16. They can do they’re own thing, join in , find friends etc. However,
others are correct. Frankly you get what you pay for. Less than 5* in July/August is going to be not everyone’s cup of tea.

Avra beach in Ixia Rhodes, gorgeous beach front hotel, 4*, kids club, nightly entertainment and food was amazing. The snack bar and pool area really spacious as is the AI restaurant. quiet area with a few bars up the road, but a tiny bus ride or taxi to Rhodes town, old town is stunning.

AI is my idea of hell - I don’t want mass produced food. I want locally prepared dishes without a chip or hamburger in sight.
The only AI we did was to one of the IKoS group with speciality restaurants, low numbers of guests and high ratio of guests v staff.

Slightly off piste but do a sailing course get your ICC or day skipper and you will then have the most fab holidays. Ionian islands in Greece go on a flotilla and every day drift from one island to another with a little lunch stop in a lovely little an anchorage where the kids can paddle board and snorkel or explore caves. Lovely family time in the day, in the evening get into a little Greek port and the other boats of the flotilla get in too and the kids are instantly off to go fish/swim/explore/buy ice creams with their new mates while you kick back chill or get to know the other parents then either go for dinner with other people on the flotilla (normally max 12 yachts) or find a little taverna on your own. No fight for sun beds your own private yacht to stretch out on. No hoards of people just the pretty little ports. It sounds expensive but really isn’t as bad as you may think, around £4k for a family for flights, transfers and boat. Food you don’t eat much at lunch as it’s so hot we tend to live or taziki, hummus and bread and the tavernas in the evening are not expensive. No need for activities budget as sailing, swimming off the boat and exploring each port are the activities. Complete bliss.

I really do not like AI hols as food is such a huge part of the experience for me! My kids love it though… we tend to do AI in October hols. We did Skiathos a couple years ago, really small basic hotel but lovely poolside with bar/reataurant. Five mine walk to koukounaries beach which is lively and fun (but packed!). This was our compromise and our kids (than 10&7) LOVED it!!

The cheapest Ikos I could find for a week in August was 7000 euros, that's without flights, so let's say best part of £9k for a week's holiday for two adults and one child. Most people probably can't afford that!

OP - could you fit something in before English schools break up (around 18th July)? If so it will be cheaper and a bit quieter.

Correct, many can’t therefore it’s a lovely experience when you get there. Which is what almost everyone on the thread has said. You get what you pay for.

We did something similar when DT’s were about 11. We hired a skipper with the boat as we didn’t have the qualifications

Turkey was good, that was 5*
Spain good 4*

Splashworlds are good too. I wouldn’t say you need to go crazy, but I wouldn’t go somewhere like Benidorm…

We always go right at the end of August (so we’re getting home only a day or so before DD goes back to school). Holidays are a bit cheaper and quieter then as most people prefer to go earlier in the school holidays. Just means you have to be organised and get all the uniform etc bought before you go!

The more you spend the better they usually are. We go AI every summer hols (Dd11). We go Greece, Cyprus or Portugal

The Turkey Holiday Village is bearable, plenty of space and the foods good, with all the normal stuff for children.
Quite happy to be doing adults only with my grown up daughter this year but plenty of fun to be had at the AI family reports as long as your expectations aren't too high. Enjoy whatever you decide!

I did a couple of AI resorts in my 20s a long time ago.
I'd rather stick pins in my eyes now. It would have been awful for our family. DC don't like going off on their own or making friends etc. Prefer our own space. So we always did a villa in a nice place. Peace and quiet, used local restaurants.

I'd say that if you feel like you are put off by the reviews, you will probably not like a AI!

I think it very much depends where you go and how much you are prepared to pay.

Ikos is just an all inclusive resort aimed at drug dealers 😂

To answer the OP’s question, hellish beyond belief unless you are an alcoholic who drinks from morning to night.

I think you get what you pay for, ultimately if they charge less then they're making profit by squashing more people into the space and providing less high quality food and drink, less pool seating etc
If you want genuine no hassle luxury, try an Ikos. We did ikos Olivia and it was wonderful and so easy, felt really quiet too. For less money we did Grecotel aqua marine palace in Crete, may half term was still 28 degrees, lovely food, really quiet, always got a sun bed and never queued at any restaurants.
I'd go for one with lots of different food options/restaurants, it means that one of them is normally quieter or less popular than the rest or you can book into an a la carte style restaurants that are part of the AI which guarantees no queue and a table for you. Also one with snacks available all day means if you don't fancy the buffet or a restaurant you can eat the rest of the day. Personally I find all the entertainment at them a bit cheesy for me, but my little girl loves a mini disco and I find most offer that followed by a show or more adult focused stuff

We did a great one in Paphos, Cyprus. Louis Phaethon beach hotel. Perfect for youngish children. My husband wasn’t keen, but I had 10 days where I didn’t need to worry about food, drink or entertainment. Worth every penny.

A less positive experience in Turkey - Liberty Lykia. Terrible vomiting bug outbreaks with lots of people hospitalised. It was a shame because kids club was great there, but the hotel handled the illness really badly.

We went to an all inclusive in southern Italy, it was stunning. We went during the 6 weeks holidays, no drama for a sun lounger, there were plenty, pool was nice and steady. No queues for food, restaurants were available to book onsite, the complex was the cleanest I’ve ever seen. A nice walk down to the beach through woodland where they held bbq at an additional beach cafe. We loved it.

Yes

If your DD is starting reception (as opposed to secondary school) in September then I'd look at a few days either side of the May half term or a few days before you break up in the July. You'll get more for your money.

I did ai for the first time in may half term 4*, I am almost certain I will go back to half board in future, it's not my thing, half board you are treated so much better, I know you have to buy drinks etc but it didn't feel special like a holiday should it was just rushed and the drinks weren't as nice, but I don't really drink alcohol so didn't really get any benefit from ai, I also go out a lot in the day so nearly always missed lunch at the hotel, loved all my half board holidays though

Neilson is great. I suspect you get what you pay for, as it's £££££. I'm sure Tui and similar would be hell. And avoid ones where alcohol is included.

When is your daughter five? If it’s April or later I would just go in term time in June or very early July. Much cheaper and nicer experience.

I would check out Ikos. No queuing for buffets at all, you can just eat in the al carte restaurants every night so you avoid the buffet element of AI entirely. There is the buffet breakfast option but you can also sit down and have table service for breakfast.

No bustling for sunbeds either. They will set you up with a towel and drinks - have never had to wait for a sunbed before, no matter what time of day we make it to the pool.