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?

Who cares if there are oiks everywhere? Who cares what other people are doing on holiday? Lie in the sun, read a book, enjoy your children's company. Enjoy not having to do meal prep.

We've had some lovely AI holidays. They were generally 4* but I was meticulous in checking every detail so I wouldn't be disappointed and I never have been. I haven't ever noticed any unsavoury behaviour. Our last 2 AIs were to Turkey & Tenerife. We've had some good ones in Greece though. This year we thought we'd do something a bit different & booked an apartment via Booking.com & went SC, on the outskirts of Athens. Great holiday but back to AI next year!

It's nice to have AI as a backup option if you've got kids, even if you're out and about most of the time.

Is it the 70 year old in skintight leopard print and loads of makeup being a drunken gobshite at 3:00pm that put you off? Or the barefoot guy who leaves clammy footprints in the dining hall?

@MyElatedUmberFinch I love meeting people when I’m travelling.. just not on a floating or otherwise AI setting.

You sound delightful.

You should have paid more so you could avoid those you see as beneath you

@Allthatshines1992its all the above plus the big buffets, no one doing anything other than forced entertainment and the endless moaning about something of someone… they are shite!

Most people can't afford Ikos and other AIs with comparable price tag. So they would base their opinion on experience from cheaper ai resorts.
Even more so, we did a 5*, a notch lower than Ikos price wise (still 4k a week for 2 adults+1child) and experience was a massive downgrade for food and quality of service.

My heart bleeds...

Look, we'd all like more luxury. But if you're walking around imagining yourself to be a cut above everyone else, you'll never be truly happy.

You're no better than anyone else (just as nobody is any better than you) so take the cat's bum look off your face and make an effort for the sake of your travel companions.

I agree it can be hard to find a non AI hotel in tourist resorts. I stayed at what I thought was one of the better hotels this summer. Turned out was a AI hotel as well. So whilst the hotel and location was stunning, it felt like an absolute zoo most of the time.

I am completely common on holiday.😁 It’s the only time I smoke and I love a cold beer on the sun lounger. I do however sneer at sun lounge baggers. I also winced when I was having a coffee and croissant on the balcony watching the sun on the sea to hear “mums just done an enormous shit” from a small boy on the balcony above.
We moved hotels to smaller, cheap apartment hotel for the rest of it 100% nicer.

I only go to 5 star resorts for this reason

I went to ikos Greece last year. Just myself. From memory it was around 2.5k for a week including flights, transfer, everything and AI in ikos resort. There was amazing classes each morning yoga being nicest one. The food and restaurants were amazing. You had a concierge WhatsApp and could text what you wanted at any time of the day or night. Drinks, food, buggy to take you to restaurant etc. the food in the restaurants was amazing. The beaches were amazing. The pools incredible. Something really bothered me with it all. And I’ll never do AI again. It’s partly i think that it’s not good to just be able to have whatever you want when you want it. I have no discipline! Probably a me problem! There were lots of other things on that I didn’t do e.g shows every night and I think probably lots of kids activities so very good for families and obviously higher cost when more than one person.

I’m in Greece just now and with the thunderstorms and that I’ve decided I’m never leaving my home country again!

Why would you bother posting this on MumsNet? You know the answers.

Where was this please? I can never seem to find a decent AI in Croatia!

Is your surname Bucket, by any chance? 😁

I completely understand. We are also at an all inclusive in Greece. We booked half board at an adult only hotel but on arrival were shunted to « sister hotel » with all inclusive as a sweetener. It is full of very large greedy people who chain smoke so even on our terrrace there is no escape. The wine is disgusting and the food is just about acceptable. The shower is worse than the one at home and to cap
it all it bloody rained today! I feel your pain. DH and I were literally having the same conversation last night…..!

So you're at a shit AI then. That sounds rubbish for you.

But itsnot compulsory to stay at an AI resort for every meal. I used to take kids when younger as DD was so fussy I didn't want to be wasting money on stuff she didn't eat. Also it helped with drinks and ice cream. But still went out for lunch/ dinners and exploring. You aren't locked in lol

Hmm see id find a villa in a quiet place very boring with a couke of kids to keep amused and nothing going on

I've tried AI 3 times, with and without kids. Spain, Turkey and Greece. It's not for me either. We have a lower family income than OP. We fly/drive and rent S/C in places that look interesting and with things to do with a mixture of things. We had a brill family holiday in York. Also been to Germany, Italy and Sweden is next on the cards. We live in Manchester, if I was closer to Dover etc I would do the ferry to France personally and rent a place but it feels like a long drive from here for a week when I can fly to Germany, etc easily and cheaply.

With your income you would have been able to afford a nice hotel in the centre of a village but either way, you're not being held hostage OP. The places that offer the actual experience of being in Greece are generally a short distance away. Just go for a walk, or get a taxi?

Malta both times.

For a good AI experience then I recommend Jamaica, Bahamas, Saint Lucia and Mexico 5*

Book for the school holidays and you will find that because it’s about £10k per week for a family of four (more if you want a suite rather than a room) that the people there are quite wealthy, the US citizens there are keen to demonstrate this by behaving slightly strangely be carrying wads of USD in a money clip on them at all times! Luckily they are not used to the strength of the spirits and beer and disappear by about 9:30pm.

Alternatively do you research and book a good quality hotel with AI outside a main tourist resort, again book for peak season, and pay double…

Don't book outside peak season when hotels are at their very cheapest in a popular tourist resort and complain about the people there!

They have paid just as much money for the experience as you have, and they are entitled to enjoy it however they like!

I always book AI but often eat in restaurants as we are out seeing the country we are visiting and seeing the historic, cultural and natural treasures that have drawn us there!

I have school age children, so we accept the inflated prices because we consider our children’s education to be the most important factor!

Who's doing the moaning? The other guests or the hotels?