Is there some all-inclusive social etiquette I seem to have missed?

[packingcubes]

Just curious really…

I’ve just got back from holiday and all the reviews and Facebook groups absolutely RAVE about the animation team- how friendly they are, how inclusive they are and how they chat with everyone, they are the second family etc.

Meanwhile, I got asked once if I wanted to do aqua aerobics and once if I wanted to buy a kids T-shirt… and that was it. I kept seeing them sitting and chatting with other guests very regularly, hugging there children etc so I started wondering if there’s some kind of secret all inclusive social code that I completely missed. Even my kids were pretty much ignored (although they couldn’t care less or even notice)

I’m genuinely not annoyed, just a bit baffled because I’m friendly and chatty and was by myself too with the children… yet I somehow seemed to be invisible.

It did have me wondering whether there’s some kind of all-inclusive etiquette I’ve somehow missed… or whether I just really am the least interesting person on the resort

My kids usually engage with them to be honest. Not that they get ‘shoved in kids club everyday’ like some people seem to think is the worst thing ever. They actually enjoy going and playing the games and feeling independent of their parents for a couple of hours a day. They get to know the teams pretty quickly. It’s not a secret code, but you do have to want to engage. You say yourself that your kids aren’t bothered either way, they read that and would leave it.

Obviously. I’ve never been to an AI resort .. book all my travel independently.

AI hotels can be booked independently.

I think this thread is an opportunity for posters to be sneery and snobby.

Was just going to say the same thing. Some peak MN snobbery on this thread, more cringey than the animation team 🙈

think you dodged a bullet

Neither have I, but different styles - same goal, don’t you think?

And if you are an experienced traveler, you should already know this.

I’d take it as a compliment to be honest….imagine considering the animation team at a hotel like family….it’s like paying a prostitute and believing she’s in love with you

I think the animation teams give back what they get. I’m usually reading a book and minding my own business as I don’t really want to get involved and neither do my dc. The team will generally approach people who want to engage, are chatty etc.

The animation teams make most of their money from tips and then from gifts from guests - from cigarettes, shampoo and perfume to mobile phones from repeat guests.

They watch who is receptive, who looks like a good tipper etc and lay on the charm.

Often they offer "extra services" - once in a hotel in Turkey my friend and i were invited to a party with the animation team. When they realised we had no money (we had won the holiday through a work raffle) they openly told us about the "tennis lessons" that took place in bedrooms, reflexology massages that went much further than feet, and many other paid "extras"

It’s definitely not for me, I’d never stay in a hotel like that ever. It sounds like hell, to me and my family.

But, surely you can see that people are different? Obviously many families love the social interaction.

That said, tips and gift are probably a huge part of it.

We went on an AI to Egypt and the animation team were told they had to do so many reviews per day saying how great they were and the hotel. They would ask to use our phones to write the review. Tbey would get into trouble otherwise. 🙁

No hotels or campsites in France or Spain?

I think it is a Spanish thing? Saw it on their office door once, on hols - animadores or animacion?

That AI resorts have animation teams? I don’t know why I’d know that.
Different folks travel to different places for different reasons. .. that’s ok for me.

This has not happened at any hotel I've stayed at. Yes the staff work hard and put in long hours. But they are paid a salary for their work. At most places in the Med they work the summer season only, many of the young people we spoke to at a resort in Menorca were students who were employed mid May to end of September. Guests were not tipping them, I never saw one of them smoking or drinking alcohol while working and I wouldn't imagine they'd want shampoo..

And as for prostitution? Never even seen a hint of anything inappropriate in the hotels we've stayed in.

We are currently at an all Inc resort. There is an animation team but I’m not partaking in any of that nonsense 😂 tbh they haven’t approached me at all. I see them roaming around with their ‘summer gang’ T-shirts trying to offer them to people with kids (I have the kids with me they are just never at the loungers as they are on the slides having fun). They’ve not asked if I fancy the water aerobics (maybe my whale type body says nah she’s not into that 😂) tbh I’ve not noticed what else they are doing around the pool. We went to the entertainment this evening some circus show type thing after the mini disco, my daughter didn’t want to partake in that but also wasn’t asked by anyone. We don’t use the kids club as she doesn’t want to go. We’ve done All Inc before where she did kids club and took part in the mini disco the animation team there interacted more maybe it was because it was a smaller hotel?!

Weve holidayed a lot and I am a member of a few groups for places we’ve been (mainly join before we go to get a feel for the place and tips) I think those that seem to have life long friends do so because that’s the only place they holiday every single year, they’ve their favourite room number, the bar man knows their order, their nan, uncle and bestie all also visit sometimes at the same time. Don’t take it personally!

It's just another term for the people who organise the yoga, water polo and other activities.

I don’t understand this post. What is the animation team?

You didn't read any of the thread just to post that 😂

Have you heard of a site called Google?

I've been to Spanish hotels and they weren't called that. Haven't been to that type of hotel in France.

I had no idea about that either. And I would hate it. 😫😂 I am just saying that if people like it, then let them.
Maybe I misread your post.

Sounds like a French animation team .... I visited a hotel that used to only have French quests. It was then opened to other nationalities, however, the 'animation team' only bothered with French quests who wore different coloured all inclusive wristbands. Very odd. The 'entertainment' was also only in French and very boring since even if you spoke the language, the team were poor with no cultural enetertainment from the local area just the French animation team being silly, or dancing/singing to music etc.

This is so funny. We got back from an AI holiday a couple of weeks ago and I had this exact conversation with my husband. Why is it that certain families have “special relationships” with the reps while others (like us) are completely overlooked and ignored?!

Even on the flight, the family in front of us had two little girls who looked around the same age as my kids. The cabin crew were like “oh weren’t you good girls, maybe we see if we can get you to the cockpit” - meanwhile my two hadn’t made a peep the whole flight and barely got a smile from the crew 🤷‍♀️