Or is behaviour at all inclusive hotels hilarious?

[inaminute23]

So in the last 2 months, I've been to Dubai, Cyprus and Jamaica, and now I'm in Greece, and 3/4 of those have been all inclusive hotels.

I've got to admit, and I'm as guilty as any, but it's so weird just observing behaviour at all inclusive hotels!

Getting up and starting to drink cheap and sugary cocktails straight away!

Piling 3 plates full at the buffets.

Getting up for 6.30am to nab a subbed before they all run out.

There are probably so many more but I'm just sat at breakfast, after going to get a second full breakfast (though I've had a gastric bypass so it is all relative) and it's made me chuckle.

I'd love to read any other weird behaviours typical of all inclusive holidays!

This is LIGHT HEARTED for those who soon enough will tell me I'm judgemental haha.

AI hit the spot for us when the kids were younger. They wanted to spend the day in the pool or at a water park and were shattered in the evening. We’d three kids so always needed 2 parents at the pool

We did bring them to restaurants but they always had to be on the beach🤣 some countries like Portugal and France

When I get called a snob my usual response is Thank you, you're very kind, one does try to maintain some standards! Floors them every time.

I've not been to an AI Hotel for maybe 12 years? So my recollections will be out of date. But I find them so interesting! I'm telling you, the behaviour of people on these type of holiday is fascinating! (Everything I am saying in this post includes myself btw - absolutely no judgement). Suddenly, from nowhere, I had an absolute desire to have hot dogs between meals, to get two alcoholic drinks ten minutes before the bar closed....

People always joked a lot in the queues for check-in about how they were starving and hadn't eaten for 12 hours/24 hours/72 hours in order to get the most out of the holiday! (It was generally really friendly). People talked about it constantly for the first couple of days... it was a bit like being a kid I suppose. Well being a very spoiled kid. I think the over-engagement with all-you-can-eat-and-drink started wearing off for the majority after a couple of days, I think being overfull on holiday was not as good as people expected it to be!

If it hasn't changed and you like chatting to new people, you aren't judgemental and you want to feel like a kid for a couple of days I would recommend them. (I know you aren't being judgemental @inaminute23 )

I stopped going because of dietary issues with DC that meant I needed to cook their food myself. So started renting flats/villas instead. Might go back one day though!

Actually, there are quite a lot of people who don't drive, or minimise their driving, and also avoid or minimise flying.

There is a middle ground between not giving a fuck and living a perfect lifestyle. Few of us can live perfect lives, but that doesn't mean we have to carry on trashing the planet as if global warming wasn't happening.

Multiple foreign trips were not a thing for most people until the end of the twentieth century. No-one needs to fly for a short break or for multiple holidays a year. Yes, some jobs require travel - though we need to think about how essential that really is, and many people would not take a job that required frequent flying. And some people need to travel to see relatives. But accepting that we could all do more to reduce our carbon footprint is a bare minimum really.

That was the one complaint I heard about the food on our AI holiday - the labelling. We do not have any dietary allergies or requirements so wasn't something I really thought about. But things were not labelled as vegetarian, or vegan, and there didn't seem to be any gluten-free bread or pasta. Lots of nuts added to salads etc. Although I suppose if you have a seriously nut-allergic child or are coeliac you wouldn't choose that sort of holiday in hte first place.

I'm currently on an AI in Greece and it's not been like that. The only cf I encountered was a woman who asked my dd to play on a different float as her dd was shy. . DD's float is a whale and she doesn't have anymore. I have no idea what this woman meant. No one excessively drinking f or eating though.

Plus I don't really drink at home but am here but they give you it in little plastic cups so no chance of getting pissed. The plastic cup usage bothers me though.

Just back from an AI in Greece and everyone was boringly normal. No sun lounger wars, no excessive drunkenness, some over piling of plates but even that was boringly moderate. There were some regulars being a bit “I know everyone and everything and want to be seen as Queen Bee” but that was it.

This is my very limited experience of AI - really nice hotel with none of the listed problems, but some people who’d almost made a career out of returning to the same hotels and making a Facebook group for my them. Which wasn’t a problem, just something you could notice. Very useful Facebook groups I admit!

I haven’t seen the massive overloading of plates, all day drinking etc but I don’t have huge AI experience.

Longer ago, i did once go to a very cheap AI hotel also in Greece and it was more as described. People like vultures over the food, lots of very low quality booze. But still a pleasant atmosphere - most not UK guests to be fair, although there were some.

Oh and the cheap hotel had AI booze all day long from about 9 am when we didn’t want any, but in the evening when we wanted it the AI stopped at 10/11 am and they then charged for drinks! So was a bit useless for our group.

We ended up going out of the hotel a fair bit as the food was also awful which defeated the point a bit!

Oh for crying out loud. Everyone knows that floating whales are friendly! Always liked the whale ones when my DC were small... If your kid can't deal with a friendly floating whale you have a problem!

I hope your daughter has a great time!

@BishyBarnyBee
But accepting that we could all do more to reduce our carbon footprint is a bare minimum really.

it’s true, but until we collectively choose to elect a government which will impose restrictions, it can only be a matter for an individual’s own conscience - and I don’t think we have much right to judge others actions. For who gets to arbitrate? The family with three cars judging the family who takes three foreign holidays? The person with three children judging the person with three cars? The person who eats lots of meat judging the person who started a business manufacturing whatever, with all associated pollution?

The snobbery on this thread about AI, and also about the ‘right type’ of AI hotels is hilarious.

I’ve been on a few AI holidays, especially when my kids were younger they were the ideal type of holiday. I’m also into city breaks, culture, backpacking (year travelling in Asia before kids). The split between ‘people who do AI and those who don’t’ that some posters are convinced exists is simply false.

And the posts along the lines of ‘you’re not going to the right kind of AI’ (aka ‘I have more money to spend on holidays than you’) are equally silly. I’ve seen immaculate behaviour at 2/3 hotels and absolutely awful behaviour at 4/5 hotels.

The only thing that makes a difference is the scarcity of resources - if a 2 hotel has less sunbeds than a 5 one then of course people are going to be competitive over them. Nothing to do with 5* hotels attracting a better class of person, as implied by some posts.

I have limited experience of AI - I prefer self catering or just breakfast, but the one AI we stayed at was pretty civilised. No excessive plate piling or drunken guests at 10am. There were the odd sunbed hoggers and a few regular guests who had that smug air of ‘I know everyone here’ but all in all , pretty normal & boring I’m afraid.

Apologies, I’ve no idea why random parts of my post came out in bold!

@BishyBarnyBee
and many people would not take a job that required frequent flying

I think the vast, vast majority would accept a job involving, say, couple of flights a month if the salary was sufficiently attractive. So as I say, we either elect a government to impose restrictions … or we accept that people will more or less do what they want under the current accepted social framework and we don’t really have any moral right to judge them for doing so.

😂I was wondering why you were highlighting those certain bits. It seemed kind of random!

I knew this thread would bring out the snobs 😞

I always take my ex on AI holidays as they love the water parks, pools, unlimited drinks and buffet style food. We can’t afford high end but always go for 4 star which are good enough and worth the money for the facilities. The rooms are usually really lovely and we pick ones with a good selection of restaurants and bars.

I also pick them in places where we can actually travel and do leave the hotel, so while my dc are young we get the best of both worlds. We’ve been to lovely places, Greek islands, Marrakech, etc, and experienced different cultures but based from an AI hotel.

I book trips and taxis locally and never book my AI holidays through a ‘rep based’ company like TUI.
My boys (and I) have adhd and love the constant access to slides, tennis courts, basketball and swimming.

The snobbery is actually quite upsetting to be honest 😞

My dh and I try to go away without the dc every couple of years and we never pick AI so for us it works for the family but it isn’t necessarily my actual preference.

To go back to the OP, sun bed wars are a real issue but not just in AI resorts. I have found this happens since first going abroad in the 1990s!!!

We have done a couple of AI and never seen this. It’s all boringly civilised and very nice. The morning drinks around the pool were more likely to be iced coffee than cocktails and the food and drinks were outstanding. They were perfect for an easy week away.

I don’t think AI would suit me, but I can certainly see the attraction if you have children.

So are the Royle Family. You can always count on the inverted snobs rushing straight to the page any time this kind of thing comes up. Can't have people having holidays they enjoy, can we! You must be one with the people, or else.🙄

And of course someone trying to make us all feel guilty as well.😔😔😔😔
Like what you like, but try to understand that for other people it might be hell on earth, and that's ok too

Never, never will I go skiing ever again...

You dont have to take it so personally. That's your choice

Theres nothing wrong with people who want to enjoy the nicer things. Doesnt make them snobs

@HappyBinosaur

Your holidays sound lovely! Don't worry about the obnoxious posts, I am convinced mumsnet has a lot of young adults who like to have an opinion about stuff they know nothing about! AI doesn't mean cultureless, greedy, slovenly people. The majority of hotels I have been to were empty during the day because people were out and about. Enjoying their holiday. If you lived your life based on what mumsnet thought. You would have nothing and do nothing. Oh wait! They would say something about that as well!

Enjoy you AI holidays!

Im impressed with your holidaying ability - 4 holidays in 2 months is cracking on with it...!

where are you off to next?

The snobbery is actually quite upsetting to be honest

don't take any notice - its your holiday and as long as you enjoy it - who cares what others think to AI