Somewhere nice, not overly touristy but all inclusive

[frazzled74]

Does this exist please? Looking for next year , possibly may half term but maybe July.

Err, no. The words all inclusive and touristy go hand in hand.

Yes I thought that may be the case. I think I just don't want fried breakfasts , karaoke and Irish bars! Although they can be fun!

Club Med?

Why do you want AI? Any reason? As lots of lovely suggestions but not AI.

Easily done if you book flight and hotel directly and ask the hotel for full board. Doesn't usually include drinks though.

We are going back to a lovely town on the Spanish coast, about an hour from Barcelona and not touristy. Booked it all separately

We usually go self catering but really fancy a change. It probably doesn't need to be AI really, just being lazy. There will be 6 of us including toddlers and teenagers!

I only ask because i think one of the nicest things on a foreign holiday is being. able to eat out in different restaurants and not being confined to average at best buffet style food.

Have you thought about Croatia/ Greek islands/ canaries?

It's a daft question really. Where exactly do you want to go?

I've been AI every year for the last 18 years - but each place is vastly different to the previous place. One hotel complex had 12 restaurants, one had 7, a few had a main buffet plus 2 or 3 a la carte you could book into.

Some complexes were so large that you didn't need to leave
Some we didnt want to leave because there was nothing outside
Some we could walk into town, some we took a taxi.

(But in none of them did we have Karaoke or fried breakfasts )

Yep club med.

Croatia really appeals to me , but so does Greece and the Canaries. I would like swimming pool, beach and town /shops/restaurants within walking distance. A couple of possible museums/trips. A choice of restaurants if AI. Decent size accommodation. And warm enough to swim, so probably not Croatia in May?

Medium haul??!
Cape Verde - lots of AI - not too touristy?

I love al for the convenience when we holiday with the dcs. We're off to a Greek island this summer and although it was painful at the time, it's now all paid for and they can eat and drink their fill.
Never do it if it's just dp and me though as love to choose where to eat each night plus we tend to go further afield.

We went to Kos last year. It was a 40 minute walk into town, or 10 mins in a taxi for €5. Hotel Blue Lagoon Resort.
Hotel had 1 main buffet restaurant, a second BBQ buffet and a Greek and Italian a la carte that you booked into.
Largest swimming pool in Europe, small waterpark (with snack bar)
Footie pitch, tennis courts, crazy golf!

We hired bikes and rode around the countryside
We spent days and evenings in Kos - both the old town with lovely little shops and restaurants and in the Marina with more rowdy modern bars.
We took a day trip on a ferry to Turkey and bought up the worlds supply of fake SuperDry and Converse.
We did day trips to paradise beach and to a monastery and castle fort.

Hotel was fine, not butlins but not the Ritz.
There is a sister hotel called the Blue Lagoon Village which is more upmarket but we thought it was too far out (we spent a weekend there)

Melia Atlantico Isla Canela, Costa de la Luz.
Brilliant AI hotel, non touristy, loads for kids, great food ( buffet style and restaurants), quiet resort. We flew to Faro and then just 45 mins by coach.
Really recommend it.

We went AI for the first time this Easter. Loved it so much we will go back next Easter. It was here Tenerife and we didn't really do the touristy stuff, pottered about, went walking, to the top of the volcano etc. It was a superb holiday

Thankyou, I'm going to look at some of your suggestions now.

Mitsis Roda beach hotel on Corfu sounds like it might meet your needs though it is a wee walk into town - about 15 mins so might want a taxi back with toddlers if they 're not in buggies.

Mitsis blue domes on Kos would work, short taxi ride to the village to eat but with 10 restaurants AI you wouldn't need to!

Awks, was the weather good at Easter? I really like the look of that hotel chain.

Cape Verde, Madeira, Malta / Gozo

We are just back from Lanzarote in May half term (staying in a villa). My brother was staying nearby in a hotel called Los Jameos Playa -all inclusive..He is fussy but was impressed, and food was fab. The complex was immaculate with 3 pools. Several options for days out.. volcano, caves etc. We hired bikes and really enjoyed cycling around coastline. Worth a look.

I've done AI and self catering over the years. DC are now 20 and 18 (and still coming with us this year).
AI is good for the following
Toddlers who struggle to wait in restaurants
Fussy eaters
Teenagers with enormous appetites who need food every 10 minutes and gallons of soft drinks
Adults who like to drink a lot of alcohol.
Organised day time entertainment for teenagers

AI is bad for
Evening entertainment
Enjoying local food
Variety
If it's cheap you will get Karaoke.
Sometimes they are in isolated locations.
Greece is cheap anyway, not worth AI, just buy drinks and snacks at hotel and eat out.

To avoid the "Brits abroad" you need to go 5* really and choose a hotel which caters for all nationalities.

When DC were tiny we went s/c.
AI worked for us when DC were 11- 16ish.
Now they are older we try to get a nice hotel with B&B so we can eat out at night. They can put drinks and snacks on the room bill.
Greece for us this year. Small hotel on beach near lots of lovely restaurants.
Beware saltwater pools in some resorts in Kos.

There was an article in yesterdays's Metro about Monte Negro being the 'new' adriatic sea destination. Might not be too touristy

Frazzled Tenerife is primarily a winter sun destination so weather is usually very pleasant around easter high twenties.

Mitsis Grand in Rhodes.