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Original poster

All inclusive

26 replies

Nish21 · 19/05/2023 14:42

Hi just wanted to find out from those who go for the all inclusive holidays. I have not been in a while normally go airb&b. But this year we want to try something different. I have to be mindful of cost of living. I have read a few tips.
Anyway is it cheaper to go all inclusive, or half board and upgrade when we get to the hotel or?. At times I would like to venture out and try restaurants outside. Just need advise on the best way and also value for money.

OP posts:
tanstaafl · 19/05/2023 16:04

If you’re careful what you eat and drink, quantity wise, I’d say AI isn’t worth the cost.

The exception is where someone ( most cases Mum ) is expected to provide all meals otherwise ( self catering ) to lunch or evening meal ( half board ). In that case AI allows Mum to have the same holiday experience as everyone else.

reluctantbrit · 19/05/2023 16:40

We did AI several times when DD was younger as I found it easier and while we went out for a day quite a bit and ate dinner elsewhere, the convenience of just taking a drink/ice cream/snack when we wanted was worth it.

We normally also looked at resorts who have several restaurants. It does work but we found we needed to look up menus beforehand/email the hotel to get more information, big failure one year where the restaurants had only a tiny set menu and the booking system was a disaster.

Drawback of AI food is also that the main restaurant is typically a buffet, the food can be everything from piping hot to luke warm and if the resort is big, it may be chaotic. It can also be very boring as often food is repeated every couple of days.
Drinks can also be difficult, I found wine is always lower quality, one holiday I moved over to cava fully. Cocktails are a hit and miss and normally contain less alcohol than if you go out.

The best ones we had were the hotel was part of a villa resort and the restaurants were also open to the guest staying in the villas and who paid for each meal, hotel guests had a certain allowance for dinner but it normally covered the food. During the day and the bar in the eveing was part of AI.

If we would go again, I think we would do Half board for breakfast and lunch and then do dinner outside. But DD is now a teen and doesn't require constant ice creams and slushis anymore.

DesperateHousewife2018 · 19/05/2023 19:07

I'm currently at the best all inclusive hotel I've ever stayed in. It's in Portugal. I have eaten and drunk more than I could afford to pay for if I was paying for each drink etc. The food has been amazing. It's not always like this in AI hotels, but for us, this has been absolutely perfect and completely worth it!

Derbybound2022 · 19/05/2023 19:31

Please can I know the name of the Portuguese AI as I'm currently looking for a holiday?

HollyFern1110 · 19/05/2023 19:31

We only went AI once & it was dreadfully disappointing. 2 weeks of plain pasta, strange looking (dry) fish & a nightly stew/stroganoff. It was also very expensive when we realised we could have stayed in an apartment complex nearby & eaten out at the lovely local restaurants each night for considerably less.

We would only buy one main meal a day out though usually. Possibly stop at a cafe for lunch if out & about, otherwise we would make a toastie or something in the apartment for lunch.

sittingonacornflake · 19/05/2023 19:34

@DesperateHousewife2018 do share the name!

FoodieToo · 19/05/2023 19:42

AI needs to be top end . I recommend Ikos !

Flowersun6 · 19/05/2023 19:49

It depends are you going as a single person or a couple of people?

Huge difference between this and having a child to cater for too.

You can easily compare prices half board and all-inclusive. Depends on the destination also... not every where is cheap to eat out twice every day if you like your food!

mycatsanutter · 19/05/2023 20:11

We have gone AI for years now with the dc , I like not having to save any spending money or think about meals at all . I don't want to be doing a supermarket shop or preparing food on holiday . I do lots of research before booking and have not been to a bad one yet .

Lykia · 19/05/2023 20:16

FoodieToo · 19/05/2023 19:42

AI needs to be top end . I recommend Ikos !

This

You need to to your top budget so that you're eating good restaurant quality food every day. Ie lots of à La carte restaurants on site do you can vary what you eat every day.

Filter hotel reviews on T Advisor using "food" in the search bar to read what the food is like.

shoulditbethishard1 · 19/05/2023 20:22

FoodieToo · 19/05/2023 19:42

AI needs to be top end . I recommend Ikos !

Bloody hell I’ve just looked for a week in Kos in September - €5000 for 2 people and that doesn’t include flights 😳

anon12093 · 19/05/2023 20:25

We go AI because the amount of juice, snacks and Ice lollies the kids have between meals when we're abroad is costly so it works for us.

Itsanotherhreatday · 19/05/2023 20:28

We’ve been AI with kids and it’s been fine, they loved the choice and extra puddings. Ice-cream and drinks anytime without having to ask.
Going 4* AI in a few weeks and see how we get on, I do however feel for the local restaurants who may well be out of business.

I might go half board with my friend next year and compare but 4 days AI V half board and there’s nothing in it - a few drinks and snacks make it worth while.

snoozingbaby1476 · 19/05/2023 20:34

We've done a couple of AI but have decided they aren't for us anymore. Our kids are a bit older & we want to get out and about more. We paid £5.3k for 10 nights in Majorca last august for 4 of us and then spent about another £700 on top so they aren't always that cost effective. I can see the appeal of them though as it's easy. The place we went to was a really generous package....no limits on drinks etc.

FoodieToo · 19/05/2023 21:01

shoulditbethishard1 · 19/05/2023 20:22

Bloody hell I’ve just looked for a week in Kos in September - €5000 for 2 people and that doesn’t include flights 😳

Show quote history

It's very expensive at peak . I have only been with girlfriends , haven't brought the family yet as it's just too dear ( there are 7 of us !!!).

I will bring them at some stage though, just the once. It's incredible .

Plankingplanks · 19/05/2023 21:02

I've just seen a week all inclusive in January in Tunisia for £223 inc flights. Pretty sure that's better than any self catering

Internationalwomendayheadquarters · 19/05/2023 21:09

Won’t Airbnb & sourcing your own flights be cheaper, though? Genuine question.

Nomorescreentime · 19/05/2023 21:10

They were the perfect style of holiday for us when the kids were younger. Not having to plan buying food/where to eat/what to cook was very relaxing for us! Now they are older we prefer the freedom to self cater, but when we were toddler wrangling AI was great.

DesperateHousewife2018 · 19/05/2023 21:41

sittingonacornflake · 19/05/2023 19:34

@DesperateHousewife2018 do share the name!

It's calked the patio suite hotel. It's near Albufeira about 40 mins from faro airport. Staff have been amazing, brand name drinks, kids club and brilliant food. Well worth the money!!

rookiemere · 20/05/2023 08:04

We usually go self catering but last October we went here with teenage DS and his pal www.los-jameos.com/.

I'd booked HB as it was ridiculously good value - less than £10 per person per day if I remember correctly. The food was excellent and drinks not that expensive to buy. For lunch you could pay for a salad plate from the buffet for only 5.5 euros, or you could swap dinner with lunch if you wanted to go out. With teens it was great being relaxed about dinner time and how much they ate.

We upgraded to AI for the last few days at the boys request. It was expensive- 25 euros per person per day. It was nice being able to go up for coffees and soft drinks during the day, but I just don't drink enough alcohol to make it worthwhile, and felt that we spent our whole day eating- the selection was great, but I have little self control.

mdh2020 · 20/05/2023 08:15

As two adults we go AI. We like the fact that once the holiday is paid for, we don’t need any pocket money and we don’t need to worry about what we are spending or budget day to day. It adds to the holiday feeling.

DustyLee123 · 20/05/2023 08:15

We book flights and hotel separately, book directly with the hotel.

FrillyGoatFluff · 20/05/2023 08:19

We've just come back from a week in an AI and decided that wee doing b&b from now on.

For all the reasons mentioned above, and the fact that the hotels are usually larger, and therefore more out of the main resort/town. Fine if you just want to lie by the pool but pain in the arse if you want to go exploring.

KEG05 · 20/05/2023 08:20

mycatsanutter · 19/05/2023 20:11

We have gone AI for years now with the dc , I like not having to save any spending money or think about meals at all . I don't want to be doing a supermarket shop or preparing food on holiday . I do lots of research before booking and have not been to a bad one yet .

I agree with this. I have 3 DD. The absolute convenience of them being able to eat when they want to and what they fancy is worth it’s weight in gold. The ice creams and drinks alone. And I don’t have to cook. Which is my annual treat hahaha. We always go out to eat one night just to change it up but lots of the hotels have onsite al a cartes that are included in the AI and nice for a change from the buffet. If it was just DP and I we probably wouldn’t go AI but with DD it’s the way forward

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