Are all inclusive holidays worth it?

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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?

I'll pm you.

Ikos is wonderful for AI and avoids almost all the concerns that people have . Beautiful food in various a la carte restaurants . Just amazing !
You really need to go top end for AI in my opinion.

I hate an AI. I live wandering round and finding a nice restaurant. Waiter service. Not queing for a buffet the greed too (me included !)

I honestly don't think it's that much cheaper either. Provided you budget !

What’s the name of the hotel please?

I recommend Olympic Lagoon Hotel Phaphos the AI food choice is amazing & excellent quality
More than one restaurant
Next to beach
30 mins walk to the town

We did AI for the first time this year, with two kids (3 and 1) and I’ll admit to having been a bit snobby about AI in my pre-parent life. But it was a revelation with young children. The buffet was really great - I hate taking my children to traditional restaurants because my youngest won’t wait nicely for food and my oldest decides he hates something between ordering and its arrival at the table.

We were able to travel outside school holidays and get somewhere 5* that would have been really pricey in school holidays though.

I don’t like using buffets because of how grim some peoples habits are. I did see the worst clip of buffet grossness on SM recently of a guy tasting sauce using the ladle and putting it straight back in to the pot.

So that’s not strictly AI.

Our experience of AI has always been excellent BUT to some extent I think you get what you pay for and we are fortunate enough to be able to pay a bit more than the minimum. If I was on a very tight budget, I wouldn't go AI personally.

I also spend hours researching the destination and hotel before booking, and I am extremely fussy about reviews and won't even look at anywhere rated less than around 4.5 on Trip Advisor. The place we're going this year has well over 10,000 reviews and less than 80 of them are 1 or 2 stars while 97% have 4 or 5 stars (mostly 5). That gives me confidence but I tend to read through every single bad or mediocre review anyway to see what patterns emerge. In the case of the place where we're going this year, the main complaint seems to be patchy Internet coverage which isn't really a massive concern for me because we don't spend a lot of time online when we're on holiday anyway. Even the bad ones are pretty positive about the food, cleanliness etc, so overall, I reckon it will be OK. I have ruled out many hotels over the years because of bad reviews though... even when it's only a minority complaining, there is sometimes a pattern that I don't want to risk ignoring. Your descriptions from the reviews of the hotel that you are looking at would be raising red flags for me.

Whether AI is the right option for you will also depend on what you want from your holiday. I have never minded sharing a room with my dc in the slightest - we co-slept for years in any case! - but the idea of self-catering on holiday is my worst nightmare and I absolutely wouldn't contemplate it. Other people will have different priorities so it's important to know what you want. We like the ease and relaxed vibe of good AI hotels, being able to get drinks and snacks etc without worrying about cost. We usually choose places with more than 1 dining option - the one we're going to this year has 4 a la carte restaurants that we can use once each week as part of the AI package alongside the main buffet one, so there is some variety. We also don't stay in the AI resort all day and we will likely eat a couple of meals out when we travel further - we will get a "packed lunch" from the hotel on those days but find local restaurants for dinner. Again, it helps when the budget is not so tight that you feel like you have to eat in the hotel every night because it's already paid for...I would find that too restrictive personally, because I don't go on holiday to just sit in a resort all day!

I have been on 2 AI holidays. 1 in Spain for adults only, good hotel. Good food but overcrowded pool area. The other. Nana Beach (now Nana Golden Beach) in Crete was v good for families. Several pools, 2 large buffet restaurants, and in a good location. I read a TA review of a hotel we have just been to (not AI) complaining that the food didn't cater fir English tastes. This was in Spain, with a variety of nationalities, and we had found the food good. So, don't take too much notice about reviews, as long as the majority are ok, and you have a positive attitude, I am sure you will find what you want. I think th at although TA is very useful, it has turned loads of people into Hotel inspectors, looking for faults instead of enjoying their holiday.

Another you get what you pay for comment!

For the most part they offer value for money if your requirements are pool, entertainment and plenty of food washed down with plenty of drink, even more basic hotels. At the more expensive end you get a choice of hotels, multiple pools, entertainment value choice etc - and whatever star it will be less than eating out 3 meals a day if that would be the alternative (I'm not one for cooking on holiday!)

The food isn't as good as good restaurant's but the budget they provide it on is small - I've just booked a 5* ai for £700 per head including flights & private transfers, I need to be realistic what that can provide, it's not going to be Michelin starred food at the savoy!

Pleased IKOS is getting some love. We loved AI when our children were little, took all the stress any from meal times, if they didn’t want lunch they could snack, get an ice cream a soft drink. They really enjoyed those holidays, with kids clubs, sports etc. when they got older we booked villas with private pool and ate most meals out. I am sure you will love it, enjoy your holiday.

Ha! Yes, the bad reviews of the AI place that we stayed in Spain mostly complained that there were too many Spanish people and that the restaurant had too much Spanish food instead of catering to British tastes. That was enough to persuade me to book it tbh!

The food isn't as good as good restaurant's but the budget they provide it on is small - I've just booked a 5 ai for £700 per head including flights & private transfers, I need to be realistic what that can provide, it's not going to be Michelin starred food at the savoy!*

There are AIs with Michelin starred food as well, but yes those would be more than 700.

For me, the main benefit is removing the mental load of planning what's going to be eaten by who when.

I think from the perspective of lots of ice cream and drinks included in the price they are handy though I don't think necessarily cheaper now. I think unless you are a heavy drinker which we are not they are not worth the money and the food can be boring and lack taste.

I’m sure the Ikos resorts are lovely but aren’t they about £10k for 4 people sharing a room in summer holidays?!

No.
Go and Google each one and you will see rhe reviews.
Places like that tui apparently rent the worst hotel rooms for their customers.

It's a bit like the euro camp myth.

It's such a good pr job, I'm doing euro camp.
. Like hoover.

Euro camp rent land on usually private holiday site. They cram in cheaper caravans in small space. If you actually rented direct with the holiday site the accmd is much nicer, more spaced out.

Tui etc always get a cut.

I don't want to hand over my hard earned cash to large faceless companies who don't care about you if something goes wrong and who are skimming some how on my holiday.

Local hotels and b and bs are usually much nicer and more quirky than these huge white monoliths and their gastroenteritis buffets.

To some extent it depends where you go and what you are willing to pay, personally usually book all inclusive, never had an issue with food choice, though only go for a week so understand that it could become monotonous if longer, but again depends where, recently went to Turkey, brilliant hotel and massive choice of food,it’s just nice to not have to put your hand in your pocket every time you want a drink or a snack

Throw more money at the situation and you’ll get something nicer.

I think the package thing became a lot more attractive because of covid. The disruption has died down now but the change in behaviour hasn't been reversed.

Also with self catering one of my pleasures abroad is fhe local supermarket and market.

One holiday high light was stepping into the most incredible French supermarket on a non descriptive industrial place.

The presentation of the foods was extraordinary, the range was extraordinary. I still remember my feelings of joy packing the boxes into the car stuffed with goodies.

Do you mean unattractive?

Surely package holidays and covid spreading over food being breathed and spat on and from each other as people jostle in the queue mean it would be less popular?..

We go AI because we travel with children and it’s just easier.

As others have said, I never go less than 4 star and always pick hotels with more than one restaurant. We’ve been to some fabulous ones in Turkey, but I wouldn’t go AI in Greece again.

We do leave the resort and eat out some evenings but it’s brilliant to be able to relax knowing that the kids can get snacks and drinks when they want them, we go for hotels with water parks to keep the oldest entertained and so far it’s worked out great. I’ll go back to SC when the kids are older or when it’s just the adults.

It's all a bit holiday camp esque.

The siren goes off and the horde waddles slowly to the restaurant to stuff themselves with food. Then its back to collapse by the pool. Repeat x3 times per day.

It is less hassle and I understand why some people would prefer it. But there does feel an obligation to stay on site, rather than going off site and exploring and having different food etc.

But 'package holidays' aren't all AI.

A package holiday is just a way of booking accommodation and flights together, which gives certain legal protections. Hence the popularity after COVID. People suffered the consequences of flights being cancelled but not being able to get a refund on accommodation they'd booked separately.

The accommodation can be anything, from various types of AI hotels, villas, apartments, naice boutique hotels, etc. What the holiday looks like and how it was booked are not dependent on each other.

You can book AI direct with the hotel, and your flights separately. So you're not going on the dreaded 'package holiday' but you are going AI.

To answer the question about 'isnt IKOS £10k a week', well yes it is, but this being MN, you 'just have to throw more money at it' as if everyone thinks it's reasonable to spend £10k on a week's holiday as a matter of routine.

Just for fun, I looked on the IKOS website for a random week in August 2024 and the price for a family of 4 excluding flights, is between £8k and £35k depending on which room you book.

https://ikosresorts.swapsystems.com/?_gl=1qy7q8i_gcl_auNjkxOTQ1Mzg2LjE2OTExNDEzOTU._gaMzM5NjY1MzMyLjE2OTExNDEzOTU._ga_KG3YK9XP04*MTY5MTE0MTM5NC4xLjAuMTY5MTE0MTM5NC42MC4wLjA.