Are all inclusive holidays worth it?

[Blueisthecolour1]

Just throwing it out there - I got excited and went online to book an all-inclusive holiday in Corfu next May half-term. Spent ages looking at various hotels - it's a once in a decade thing, for us so a really one-off opportunity. BUT:

Can't find many AI hotels that offer a family room with adequate space or number of rooms. Don't want to spend thousands of pounds to sleep in the same room as my two children for a week (ages 9 and 5.) I've got a better set up at home - i.e. at least one or two doors between me and them at bedtime!

Trip Advisor reviews - they really freak me out. Especially as every hotel has bad ones it would seem, which is to be expected I suppose however, a pattern of comments around the buffet-type food halls which in general, people seem to dislike after day 3 - one person describing them as cattle-sheds! Lots of complaints in general about food being under-cooked, and lots of queuing for the buffet. Clearly, you get great reviews as well but there does seem to be a theme to some of the concerns.

Lots of reviews complaining about other people - their mess, their noise, again, the queuing and overcrowding of certain favourite areas, like splash parks/play areas.

For the money, is it worth it? I know there's always a mix of opinion on these things but themes do seem to crop up with the all-inclusive topic and it's made me nervous about booking something. Some of them seem absolutely huge in terms of their layout as well - does it get a bit tedious having to make the same journey to get a bite to eat in the morning with young children, then perhaps queuing for ages to get to the buffet table? Then again at lunch, and again at dinner - some people seem to wait ages to get seated at mealtimes by which time the kids are grumpy, overtired, fed up.

I looked on Booking.com to see what properties are available for the location we're interested in and you can get a lovely 3 or four bedroom flat right by the beach for half the price - self-catering obviously. But no kid's clubs, no fun splash park, and all the easy wonders of an all-inclusive environment - IF that's what it is!!! I just don't know!

What are other's experiences opinions on this?

Exactly.

Just because somewhere is supposedly 5 it could be a hell hole. Staff could be rude, unapproachable... But at least it's got a spa which bumps it up to 5!!

I'm going to Greece next month. The hotel is a 2*.
Every single one of the reviews is positive. Saying how friendly the staff are, and would definitely recommend.

Our recent 2 star hotel in France was great - amazing location, big room, clean, really nice hosts. The bathroom was a little old fashioned but perfectly clean and usable.

But then we were using it to sleep, chuck.our bags and wash so did not need a lot more from it.

I've eaten a fair bit of all inclusive/all you can eat food and it falls some way short of being superb.

It has that kind of batch cooked taste and loss of flavour that comes from mostly frozen stuff. A lot of it is OK to good, but superb isn't a word I would use.

TBH an AI resort which produces superb level food is going to be out of business. A lot of the taste in food will be because it is fresh or properly aged and therefore expensive. Good quality ingredients produce good dishes, and if you spend money on that sort of stuff you are going to run out of money in short order in a competitive marketplace.

My worry with AI is if you go and the food is a bit meh, you then have to have it for the rest of the holiday.

We have all made a crap restaurant choice on holiday, but at least you don't have to go there again.

We’re at an AI now. The food is literally superb. There are six of us here (two adults and four teens) and everyone is loving the good. There are a la carte restaurants included in the AI that just need to be booked, but the buffet food is freshly cooked, you see them grilling the meat / fish etc. They even make sushi. Ok there are chips and plain pasta too but even those taste good, if a bit unadventurous.

TBH an AI resort which produces superb level food is going to be out of business.

There are AI resorts with Michelin restaurants. You don't get those stars or recommendations serving frozen gloop.

I go off reviews from trip advisor/Google before booking. Not off the star rating.

Of course you read the reviews but people's expectations will also be different, so 'excellent' for a cheap hostel is still something else than 'excellent' for an expensive resort.

Again, it's not all about the 5*.

I'm doing a 2* bed and breakfast in Greece next month. Every single review is positive.
The staff are approachable, the entertainment is great... the food is good.

I do not go off stars before booking. I go off the reviews.

That’s what I thought

Why is everyone hung up on the stars (both ways). ⭐️ should be an indicator of amenities, prices, and food.

Yes there are lovely 2 ⭐️ hotels and B&Bs, but they are not going to have the same amenities as a 5 star ⭐️ AI. They are different animals.

if you are staying at an AI you are aiming for a place where you will spend a lot of time on resort vs a B&B.

Because the service does not necessarily mean it will be 'better' in any way shape or form.

Yes, there could be more 'to do' but it doesn't mean it will be 'better' than a 2* etc...

I also prioritise trip advisor/Google reviews when booking, but the star ratings are also a good indicator of what you can expect.

I have stayed in some super 2 star B&Bs etc on short trips away, but I want a bit more luxury than that for my main holiday- just a personal preference.

Excellent TripAdvisor ratings on a 2 star property tell me that the accommodation is fantastic for what it is, but I would expect a lot more from a 5-star hotel with similar TripAdvisor ratings. The two different categories measure entirely different things!

Yes of course there are plenty of perfectly fine 2 or no star facilities around, nobody is arguing otherwise. But no, star ratings are not just about a list of services but an experience as whole. I travel a lot, I've stayed everywhere from hostel dorms to luxury hotels and what I would rate as an excellent hostel would not get the same rating if it advertised itself and charged as luxury resort.

Exactly! The star ratings are a convenient short cut to helping people understand what to expect, and the TripAdvisor ratings will mostly be given with those expectations in mind.

I would rather prioritize how friendly the staff & approachable they are than, how clean the place is than how many stars the hotel has & how the food is....

Cleanliness and staff being approachable tops any kind of stars imo.

Some of us want good food and excellent facilities and cleanliness and friendly staff. So we look for hotels that offer all of those.

I always read trip advisor ratings plus the stars thing

You can have all that in lower stars.

I've been in 3* which offer gyms/saunas...

Yes! We have amazing food, the staff are all really friendly and helpful, it’s clean, there’s a gym and lots of bars and restaurants. Plenty of pools and sun beds. So the hotel is 4/5 star but we also checked out the trip advisor reviews, especially the ones in the last 6 months / year. So far so good.

You really can't get the experience of a 5 star hotel in a 2 star hotel. Yes, some lower star properties might have some facilities, but if they had everything that the 5 star hotels could offer, they would apply for the extra stars themselves!!

Don't get me wrong, I have stayed in some really lovely, comfortable hotels with lower star ratings and I have thoroughly enjoyed my stay, but it's always a very different experience from a really good 5 star hotel.

If you don't understand what that difference is, then you've clearly never stayed in a really top good 5 star hotel. Fair enough... there are some lousy ones out there that really don't deserve the rating and probably don't manage to hang on to it.

But that doesn’t matter in the world of AI…Which is what this thread is about.

I think the confusion is coming partly from what the stars mean. Here’s a pretty short article that explains https://hoteltechreport.com/news/hotel-star-ratings

• One star: basic accommodation, small rooms; these properties do not guarantee ensuite bathrooms, 24-hour reception, or daily cleaning. Think hostels or backpacker motel rooms.
• Two stars: often, two-star hotels are in old buildings that can’t be renovated. These properties are a step up from one-star spots in that they probably offer a 24-hour reception, cleaning, and a basic ensuite bathroom. Amenities are still limited, but you might get a continental breakfast and a room with a phone and TV.
• Three stars: a typical hotel will have three stars and offer room service, ensuite bathrooms, daily cleaning, a desk or table, and Wifi. This is a standard hotel experience that most travelers expect unless they’re on a strict budget.
• Four stars: these hotels offer an on-site swimming pool, gym, bar/restaurant, or valet parking. They have nicer rooms and larger lobbies. Fast internet is standard.
• Five stars: high-end, luxury hotels get five stars. There will be a nice bar and restaurant on-site, as well as a spa, gym, big bathrooms, and comfortable beds.

Amenities and facilities take a starring role (no pun intended) in achieving a higher rating. But, it’s also important to recognize some of the nuances built into OTA star ratings and the differences between countries to best assess where to spend your budget.

Then you now have add in guest ratings (so things like trip advisor) which also uses a star rating. so it’s very possible for a 2 ⭐️ hotel to get a 5 ⭐️ customer rating.

Now you get add in the nuances of AI, which will be measured against like resorts. So an AI like Sandals or beaches with 15+ restaurants, several pools, top shelf liquor will rate a 5 ⭐️ (that’s their claim) vs another AI that has 1 pool, sirens to call you to buffet meals and bathtub gin.

So nobody is poo pooing the 2⭐️ Family owned hotel, it probably does have a 5⭐️ customer rating.

Yes, the whole chefs cooking things fresh in front of guests thing has been around quite some time now. Dare I say, it's verging on standard...

Seconding Olympic Lagoon in Paphos! We booked direct, lovely fresh food, great kids club and friendly staff.

We did an AI this year, second time ever. There were nine restaurants about the resort and only one buffet, which was the breakfast at one of the two restaurants that was open for breakfast. We don't normally book AI, this was the second time ever and we thought it was great value.

*whoops repeating myself.