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?

Why do you feel it's not luxurious enough for you? Is it just the other people there? If the food is nice at least you don't have to cook it yourself and wash up and the kids get a choice. Hopefully it's warm and you can relax with a book.

If you have such an income why haven’t you chosen a five star all full board or half board where the drinks are extra? We went to a lovely one last year with great facilities, adults only and you can still opt to eat out if you want.

I don’t think you are very good at booking holidays.

What are AI people?

It's ok to have different tastes. We don't have an amazing budget, but we always pick hotels that don't offer all-inclusive with drinks included, and that are adults only. I don't want to be around people who want to drink all day, whether that's twenty somethings doing shots or middle aged men slipping into beer comas while sunbathing all day.
Even better to book half board and have some nice meals out, rather than limit yourself to the hotel only!

Also I have never been to a bad all inclusive hotel. Although I only go 5 star. I don't always pay a lot as look for good deals. But europe doesnt do all inclusive very well unless its high end.
I have been to cyprus, dom rep, antigua, menorca, st lucia, jamaica, mexico hotels as all inclusive and always been amazing.
My DH doesnt like the fact you are based so much in the resort, I really love a vast sprawling resort with multiple pools and bars and the weekly bbq and the fish nights and beach parties. He isnt so keen on this. He would rather a villa or a boutique hotel. But with kids its so much easier.
Our AI hotel in cyprus last year was lovely. It even had an art studio where you could go and paint or make ceramics. Noone was drinking shots or propping up the bar all day. It was all verh civilised. But there were multiple beach bars with amazing cocktails and the food was amazing.our room was ground floor with the beach and beaxh bar in view. Which was really good as we sat on our deck chairs drinking pina coladas.
The room makes a difference too. If you get a crappy room in a nice resort it can ruin your holiday. I am quite fussy om the room and location of the room.

We went on an AI holiday earlier this year and at the hotel there was a barefoot guy who would always be barefoot, even to eat in the restaurant during the evening. I found it amusing to be honest. It was all tiled in there too and there were faint sweaty footprints where he walked. We all had shoes on so didn't mind

Long ago in another life I stayed at what I presume was a high end AI resort and it was just really, really boring, and even worse because it was obviously also so expensive and such a privilege to be there. Never again.

But you’re not a prisoner. Go out and about and find a good time somewhere else and just sleep at the resort.

Greece is better but you need a bigger budget there

It does look nice but you’re easily talking 13 grand for a holiday to Greece.

I get it, sometimes when you've experienced something else you can't help but compare it. Make the most of where you are, enjoying a break and some family time ❤️

Make tge most of this holiday op. The vast majority of brits can't afford one.
Just because it's all inclusive doest mean you are tied to it 24/7.
Have a hearty breakfast and take yourself off for the day or do a half day at the resort and then go for a fabulous dinner.

We went last year and the food was so poor we ate out every night, much better, soaked up the atmosphere came and went when we liked.

We went self catering last holiday and it was much nicer. Tea and toast in bed calm start o the day and then out and about not worrying about lunch or dinner!!

If you don’t have kids, don’t go all in!

Why do you hate it? I've never been but like the idea especially with young children.

Me and my teenage son had our first AI holiday this year just after his GCSEs.
It was just what we wanted - fly and flop. Nothing to think about. Glorious weather. We had our own little bungalow metres from the sea. Adults only (they show discretion with 16 and 17 yos e.g with family). The food was fine.

Walked, cafes, the pool (no music), I ran while he slept in, one excursion, lots of reading. We didn't partake in the evening entertainment, just relaxed in our rooms watching telly (it coincided with the women's Euros and Wimbledon) or reading.

We talked to a few of the other guests, but mostly people kept themselves to themselves just having a nice time.

I would never go an AI holiday for the same reason. However I like staying in hotels. I don't like large luxury hotels where there are often lots of rich but chavvy people, I like smaller interesting ones which have high standards. I have done half board and also B&B and eaten in various restaurants in the evenings. I holidayed this way often when my children were young, but also took them on self-catering holidays in a family member's holiday home.

I wouldn't stay at all inclusive. People assuming 5 star is classy may be mistaken. A lot of 5 star just means certain boxes are ticked in terms of facilities, but you might still be stuck with people or an in an environment which is not what you're hoping for. Some very nice smaller boutique hotels, which don't have the required 5* things, are significantly more luxurious and classy, it's not purely money related. I recently stayed at hotel Chocolat which was about £900 a night, and activities were quite a lot, the staff weren't very good, some of the other guest from the US, were just awful, have had much more luxurious holidays for a quarter of the price. Do your research. It's like cruises, some people think those are luxurious, and others would avoid them like the plague.

It depends what you want out of a holiday though. If you like eating everything with chips, flopping next to a pool shoulder to shoulder with other holiday makers with your wine in plastic cups, doing the conga while listening to some cheap singer on an evening, then AI all the way. If you like using your hotel as a base whilst you go off to experience the local culture and food, and the sights of the country you’re visiting, then maybe not. AI is my idea of hell…

Ive just been AI to Egypt and it was lovely, great food, considerate fellow guests and amazing service. £4000 for two weeks for 2 adults.
We stayed either around the adult pool (no music allowed so just quiet chatter, reading or sunbathing) or our adult only swim up room, so it was fairly quiet. There was also an adults only beach club for and additional fee or an adults only section of the private beach if you wanted a more laid back atmosphere. All day there was waiter service so you never had to lift a finger (even your sunglasses were polished daily)
It was a little more livelier around the other pools but there was never any loutish behaviour. The main restaurant was great serving everything from beef wellington to sea bass, 3 further included a la carte, and 3 additional paid for restaurants and a coffee shop meant there was always lots of great quality food choices.
Full days of activities including sunrise beach yoga, Pilates, even sunset gong meditation. A gym and Spa, countless excursions and a PADI dive centre.
The alcohol choice was a bit limited due to import taxes but that didn't really bother me, there was however a fizz hour with bottomless prosecco on the terrace every evening, that was lovely with a musician playing in the background and had no loud or drunken people. Even the evening entertainment was good. It was one of the most relaxing holidays I've ever had.

I like AI if I want a lazy book reading kind of holiday but only ever book 5* and tend to upgrade my room in the hope it gets me to a more exclusive part of the complex and away from the riff raff. Ideally in an adult only section as we don't have young kids anymore.

Nothing to stop you heading out for meals though and write off the AI aspect.

I dislike AI holidays too. Fortunately DH agrees.

For the last three years we’ve spent about 18 days in France. We drive. Three centres per trip. Stay in cities or large towns in nice hotels so we have a choice of places to eat and drink in the evening. At least one is on the coast and at least one will have a pool.

Lovely lazy days exploring, stopping for drinks, finding spots to sit and read, the odd museum. We tend to picnic once a day and eat out once a day. I’ve got the right gear to do simple, grown-up picnics and we love browsing food markets.

Absolutely not everyone’s cup of tea but it does give us nice hotels and plenty of opportunities for fabulous restaurants. We can also avoid other people!

We have less money coming in than you do, but we’re retired, have no dependants and live in Northern England, so disposable income may be similar. I would never book AI (I am the holiday organiser) because I can’t bear loud people drinking etc and we’re fussy about our food. We also don’t want to stay anywhere on holiday that isn’t as comfortable as our home and I like luxury, so I only book 5* hotels unless I’m travelling in an area where one isn’t available (think a few nights in Death Valley, or somewhere in Africa). You are not being unreasonable to be disappointed, but it was a bit irrational for you to book AI again.

I am not a snob but I wouldn’t last 2 minutes. I would rather stay home.

We hate AI (family of 5), we used to do AI when kids were little (mainly for evening entertainment), but I, like you, hated them for so many reasons (possibly I’m a snob too), so now we book Villas (have done each summer since my youngest DD was 3 (she’s 12 now). With a Villa we get to spend lovely quality time together, we go out in day trips, and to the beach but at the Villa you get your own space, own pool etc. we go out for food at night to try different restaurants each night.

this works best for us.

AI is my idea of hell for so many reasons. If you already knew you hated it, why did you don't again?! Just book yourself your own place - home/apartment/villa whatever. You'll have more space and can eat out or cook as suits and it likely won't cost you any more than you are paying.

If you lack the imagination to book anything other than an all-inclusive holiday, and apparently need to ask how holidays work if they’re not AI, I don’t think you’re in any position to be snobby.

Just book accommodation that looks nice, eat in local restaurants and do things other than the pool/beach. It’s not complicated.