Day 1 of holiday. Hell.

[gilesday]

This will come off really bad I appreciate that but sod it I have to speak my truth.

Day 1 of our family holiday we came to Greece. Have been excited for it. It’s all inclusive which is our second time, last year we did all inclusive and same thing I hated it. Don’t know why I thought it would be different but anyway.

I hate it. The hotel is just crap. The clientele are typical of what you would expect at an all inclusive and I just seriously regret it.

The thing is, I get I’m being a snob. Let’s be honest clearly we have the same budget as these people I’m slagging off (100k combined income) so should probably be a bit more humble, but I can’t. Every fibre of my being feels like I’m not built for this. I want better. I want luxury. I’m sooooo much more at home at high end places, where as the people here would probably feel uncomfortable there and like this better.

is anyone else like this?

What do I do, just avoid all inclusive from now on and stick to nicer hotels but just breakfast, eat out and explore more?

What do people do who are like me but equally don’t have the Dorchester budget?

Or you could go to a 5 star all inclusive?

Book better then?

I love the idea of an all inclusive but having done it once and spoken to friends i don’t like the people who do all inclusive (I know I’m a snob). Rent a lovely apartment somewhere pretty and go out for dinners different places every night. Still don’t need to cook but you don’t feel trapped with everyone.

You're there now. Have a drink, relax and try and make the best if it and book self catering next year.

Put in your headphones and listen to classical music and just act like the queen or Cleopatra, and they are all at your party.
Enjoy it as best you can.

We do all inclusive holidays about once a year. The only time we went somewhere that sounds like you're describing sas pre-DC, when we were younger and poorer and a friend chose it.

Find better hotels, they exist. If you want luxury pay for it. We went to a fantastic all inclusive in Greece at the start of September. No rough guests, no drunkenness etc

Book a better hotel. If I can’t afford to do a 5 star or maybe a 4 star (if the reviews are consistently great) then I book self catering.

Why on earth would you book all inclusive in the first place

If you think it's going to be shit, it will be.

If you think it's going to be OK, it will be.

Not going to insult you by telling you to believe it's going to be great but you've either got to find the positives, or make it miserable for everyone else, or go home.

You didn’t like AI last time so you thought you’d do it again? What a waste of money.

You don’t like the clientele but you’ve gone at the cheapest time of year. What did you expect?

Go somewhere else next time.

Ikos look nice for AI but I’ve not been so couldn’t tell you but …

If you hated it the first time why book all inclusive again?

anyway, you don’t have to eat at the hotel. You can go out.

Increase your budget and book better. Or lower your expectations. Those are your choices. Hardly rocket science.

Fair enough OP but as you describe it as a family holiday please don't tell us you have pulled DC out of school for this.

Went all inclusive a few years ago, not great but did the job. Went to an upmarket one this year. It was fabulous. Maybe I am very common. I can't comment on the other guests because both times I was too busy enjoying myself. Family income was about £45,000 the first time. Retired now.

We’ve just come back from an AI holiday. We booked a small, quiet hotel, had a hire car so we could go out and about, and expected it to be like an old people’s home (suits me down to the ground) as per the reviews. Then on day 2 a very loud, group turned up to celebrate a 60th birthday. They completely overtook the pool area, with their loud, drunken behaviour, so we spent most of the time at the beach and went out for evening meals.

We breathed a sigh of relief when they went home and we had a few days left, only they were replaced by another fucking group who played loud music round the pool. I’m never going AI again. It was the final nail in the coffin for me.

Why would you choose AI in Greece? Serves you right OP 😆

Please describe a bit more what it’s like and the aspects that you don’t enjoy (like what is it about the other clientele that bothers you), so I can better picture it! I’ve been on AI twice and would go again. I’m wondering if I’m the type of clientele that you find hideous 🤔

I’m confused. Are you saying that you can’t afford nice places because of your income? My household income is half yours, and we go on villa holidays every year. Lovely locations, our own pool etc. How can you not afford a nice hotel or a villa on £100k?

What did you pay out of interest?
Agree Ikos looks like there wouldn’t be any riff-raff.

Depends on the AI doesn’t it? Ikos resorts are WORLDS away from your bog-standard Benidorm 3 star AI. Different offering, different service, different clientele. Different amounts of money too though.

I think because the last AI was Spain… I thought Greece might be better. I was wrong.

Book a 5 star hotel, half board. Do you really need a big lunch? We go adults only and only go if it has 5 star reviews.

I'm a snob too, freely admit it. We go for quieter resorts, book self catering and just eat out every night.
This year we went to Northern France, we had a flat over a bakery, and ate lovely French seafood every night.

I went to a 5 star all inclusive fantastic hotel this year. You're just in the wrong hotel.