Can anyone talk to me all inclusive?

[Finlaggan]

Ok so we have never been AI, we always also book flights and accommodation separately to ensure we get the accommodation that suits us best. We have two kids aged 8&4.
This year we have done a week in a city and a week at eurocamp park but not with eurocamp (1st time in camp site abroad). Kids have loved site immensely, pools are perfect for them, restaurants on site, small fun fair, entertainment etc basically everything is very accessible and effortless and they love it.

DH and I think it's ok, accommodation is alright basically a posh caravan but we each have our own room, but it's not cheap. We booked directly with the park to get the best accommodation we could. When we add up everything we have spent for a week here, it's pretty eye watering, having to pay for sheets and leave a 90euro deposit to do so has really irked me, the pool is perfect for the kids and quite effortless for us but would be nice not to have to queue up for the pool opening to get one of the 30 odd loungers. So basically we are thinking it may be more cost effective and slightly more luxurious to go AI next year but have reservations as follows:

We would all need to stay in the same room, therefore DH would have no space to relax in the evening.

Pools might not be quite as brilliant for the kids?

The food might not be what we like. DH and I are vegetarian, we have one v fussy child the other will eat most things.

We'd like a naice resort, i.e. Loungers when we want them, v clean, decent accommodation.

Does all of this exist without blowing the bank? Are there any examples to look at?

We'd consider most locations except turkey and Egypt.

We have taken the boys to kos twice, first time we had a maisonette it was a like a normal hotel room but it had a flight of stairs inside to a second bedroom, second time we had a family room which had a sliding door to a separate 'room' with two single beds.
We always go AI as it urinalysis isn't much more expensive and it's nice not to worry about the drinks/ice creams/snack prices as they soon add up

I have no idea what a urinalysis is 😂 should have said usually isn't

These aren't my pictures but I googled rooms at the hotel we stayed in

Hi- we go AI most years
Pools can be fantastic for kids you can get hotels with water parks! Or plenty of slides etc (the link below has an example of one with lots for kids)

Yes you would all be in the same room. But you have a balcony.

I don't eat much meat mainly fish and I've always found something to eat. But even when we go AI we eat out in the local town quite a lot at evening meal time too and then go back to the hotel for entertainment

Never had an issue with clean sunloungers always been high standard.

Here is an example of one I looked at for this year in Cyprus
www.thomascook.com/packages/H0000787/?connectorCode=1&contentId=aec5e473d41f8ef4612a2fd98f0f62489d130d8f99f76b60&startDate=2018-07-25&endDate=2018-08-08&roomPackageId=TCHHOL_A@7004842&boardType=1&brand=TCU1&room=1APT02,2,9,5&context=uk&freeChildFlag=No&seasonCode=S18&depAirport=LGW&selectedDate=2018-07-25&duration=14

It's just over 5k for July next year maybe a bit pricey!!

Here is the one I'm going to this year
www.firstchoice.co.uk/holiday/bookaccommodation?productCode=028186&tab=overview&noOfAdults=2&noOfChildren=2&childrenAge=5,9&duration=14&flexibleDays=3&airports[]=MAN&flexibility=true&noOfSeniors=0&when=26-07-2018&pkg=518031134/3/1302/14&tra_o=916984263/1159293&tra_i=916984374/1159294&units[]=000806:RESORT&packageId=028186CYLN009615325632000001532649600000TOM241815338592000001533859200000TOM2419F0B01518031134/3/1302/14&index=5&multiSelect=true&brandType=F&room=&isVilla=false&searchType=search&finPos=5&modifiedDuration=1413

Again seem to be looking at around 5k!!

AI is quite specified...In a way I mean you are kind of restricted the will of the crowd you don't have the same autonomy as euro camp you need to be a certain type of person and enjoy mini disco and we love i t!!

Gaah I've asked for my second post to be deleted

What is your budget? We stayed here last year ikosresorts.com/rooms/oceania/. And we are staying here this summer www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g1222290-d674923-Reviews-IBEROSTAR_Playa_de_Muro_Village-Playa_de_Muro_Majorca_Balearic_Islands.html.

I really wish we'd tried AI before. It is brilliant with children as pink says. There are loads of AI options out there. Just make sure you check what is covered. There is a hotel that has a sunbed allocation system that I've seen mentioned on MN. I think it's in Cyprus. Not sure if it's AI though. I'll have a look....

Here you go www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g190384-d291037-Reviews-Alexander_The_Great_Beach_Hotel-Paphos_Paphos_District.html

I know the exchange rate is particularly bad this year but when we tally up everything we have spent, including extremely cheap flights, we have spent over £4K on food and accommodation this year.

Just how busy are the resorts? Are the pools rammed or do the kids have space to play?

Oh and thanks for the posts so far, they are encouraging!

Sorry another question, do you book through a travel agent or do you DIY? Not been to a travel agent for over 10 years!

Well IMO the cheapest but best AIs are in Turkey and Egypt, but if they are out then there are plenty out there.

I never look at less than 4 star, nor less than 4 trip advisor stars. People will mark down for food quicker than any other complaint.

I tend to look for chains, i.e. Riu, Louis, Atlantica, Jaz as they are more consistent.

There are plenty of places that used to be SC but are now AI so you still get a living room and bedroom which would give you more space, particularly in the Canaries.

I look at complexes for more pools and better amenities. First Choice Holiday Villages are great but more expensive, as are Thomson Family Hotels.

Europe is more expensive now. For Eg - 2 years ago we paid £4K for 3 of us at the Blue Lagoon Holiday Village in Kos. This year the same hotel, same dates was £4800. In contrast this year we are going to a 5 star hotel with partitioned bedroom (family suite) and on site water park in Turkey for £3500.

We've always booked online although this year we have moved away from all inclusive to a villa for the first time. Kids are 10 and 13. The last AI holidays we had, we made sure they had a waterpark nearby or on site. They are good as you don't need to take as much cash with you. We have also had places with separate sleeping areas for the kids so we aren't all in the same room.

We book through first choice/Thomas Cook usually but not adverse to using something like holiday pirates/ice lolly etc

Our favourite AI was the holiday village in Tunisia and we actually went there twice.

Always used to be a bit snobby about AI, but have done it a couple of times now. So much easier. As others have said, it's the extra drinks and snacks during the day that can otherwise add up, and it's great that children can go and get a drink or ice cream without pestering you all the time! Food has always been good and varied - I'm a fiend for reading reviews before booking! We've found it cheaper to book as a package than separately these days. I compared prices if we arranged it ourselves and it came to a lot more, once you added transfers, luggage etc.

All inclusive in the Caribbean/Mexico is not the same as all inclusive in Europe. If you have the budget , do try to go across the pond. Kids clubs, pools, food and drink are really, really good. Last time I was in Cancun I went to the Finest, booze was too shelf, tuna steaks and lobster were also included!

Vegetarian food could be an issue IMO. Friends that go AI (out of my budget, sadly!) say food quality is usually the issue.

The hotel we stayed at last year, that I linked to above, was fully booked (August) but didn't feel overcrowded at all. I agree with Eve about star/trip advisor ratings. We book with Sovereign holidays. Although I spend hours googling beforehand! Their prices include luggage allowances, private transfers, airport lounge access. They have a good selection of AI hotels as a starting point for you. www.sovereign.com

We are looking at booking the Aegean blue in Rhodes for next summer, has a bit of a water park at the hotel

Can I tag on thread and ask if there are any AI places for introverts? I love the idea of AI but we're not join inners. Hate 'entertainnent' or having to sit with people and socialise.

scrappy I know a couple of hotels in Mexico that do AI as a separate plan, they're not cheap though. The Fairmont in Playa del Carmen was around £400 a day for a family of four, St Regis in Punta Mita was closer to £700

Placemarking as we are thinking of doing this next year. Has anyone been to Portugal AI?

I'm veggie and have always found lots of options - loads of salad, pasta, local cuisine etc

If you want half decent food look at 5 star, with a number of a la carte restaurants included. For luxury on a reasonable budget agree you're best looking at Egypt and Turkey, you get so much more for your money and it's no more unsafe than the costa del sol, in fact if you look at specific terrorist threats aber the past few months, it's safer! The Egyptians have massively stepped up security as they rely on tourism in the Red Sea resorts. I have honestly never felt safer there.

We tend to go with Thomson or Thomas cook (I think Thomson 5 star are better than TC though).