Coming to the end of our first all inclusive and wondering if they’re all a bit like this…? Or if it’s our family that doesn’t fit them?

[Xrays]

We’re staying at a 4/5 star resort in Ibiza. It’s got very good reviews on trip advisor, good reviews online elsewhere etc and I know - before someone pounces on me - that we are incredibly lucky to have a holiday at all, yet alone this one, considering how much people are struggling financially right now. This holiday was booked and paid for with some inheritance money from my Mums passing just before covid and has been rebooked and cancelled many times. It’s our first time abroad as a family, Ds aged 11 who has autism and dd aged 20 (normally at university). We’re a close family, and dd really wanted to come, no issues with all being together etc (I know lots of people here are often horrified at older teens etc going on holiday with them)!

But it’s all been a bit underwhelming. Mainly the food aspect. Most of the food is buffet style with kids running riot, it feels like a school canteen with lots of kids screaming, everything feels sort of cheaply done - pizzas that are freshly cooked only have a small amount of topping in the very middle and edges bare etc, the pasta dishes are basically like pasta bakes you could make yourself from a jar from Tesco, lots and lots of chips and everything at breakfast feels like it’s sat out there for ages - except for omelettes which they cook in front of you. I’m kind of sick of omelettes now…! Feels a bit like if Haven did an all inclusive- and just to be clear, I love Haven and we go there every year but I wouldn’t consider Haven 4/5 star and pay to eat there all inclusive!

I guess what I’m wondering is if we were / are just a bit unlucky and other places are better / have more fresh food cooked to order or if they’re all a bit like this? Or maybe we’re just really fussy? (Perhaps we are). I’m thinking ahead to our next holiday and just not sure whether to look at another all inclusive or whether to go for self catering - and use that as a base and eat out (and that’s basically what we’ve ended up doing this time, we’ve given up trying to eat here, which is a shame as we’ve paid ££££ already for food…)! I don’t feel I’ve had a holiday if I have to cook as I do that all the time at home.

Looking to see what other’s experiences are and if you have any ideas of better AIs or elsewhere throw them at me….! Or just tell me they’re all like this and I’m being too fussy and I’ll look for self catering apartments etc.

I've been to Ibiza quite a few times and honestly it is one of my bottom (if not the bottom) ranked place for food in general. I also think all inclusive resorts, particularly in Europe, aren't great either

That’s definitely not typical of the AI hotels I’ve been to although I’m not sure I’ve been to a 4*.

If you go to bigger hotels they usually have the option of evening meals in various a la carts restaurants. I don’t think I’ve ever been to one where it’s just a buffet, and even in the buffet restaurants a lot of the options have been from cooking stations so hot and fresh.

I think you’ve just been unlucky with the hotel you chose. If you book another try and find one with a la carte restaurants as well as the buffet. There’s quite a big difference between 4 and 5 star too in my experience.

We tried AI once in Cyprus. The food was excellent, the staff were lovely but the whole concept of the holiday just wasn't for us. It felt a bit like a fancy prison. After a couple of days we hired a car for the rest of the holiday and explored all over the island. We had breakfast at the hotel and we're out all day and dinner elsewhere. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the hotel. It just felt claustrophobic eating there all the time and there was food everywhere 24/7 which was rather overfacing, and I speak as a glutton who loves my food.
Horses for courses really. We prefer a more independent, less structured sort of holiday but if you're exhausted with small kids I can see it could be a good option.

If we stay in a hotel we only ever go B&B. Then you can get out and about and buy a small lunch and choose a nice restaurant for a lovely dinner later on.
Having said that,. Mostly we go self-catering, buying food for breakfasts and some lunches, then have some lunches out and all dinners out.
Also gives you a chance to see the resort etc, and try different cuisines including local fare.

I've only been to AI once, in the Carribbean for a wedding. The food was amazing, lots of restaurants to choose from, steak one night, Japanese or Italian the next... The buffets were full of beautiful fruit and vegetables, lovely fresh cooked dishes, lots of fresh seafood. They had pop up afternoon tea, multiple bars, staff would bring you drinks and fresh coconuts all day long. The food was delicious and we planned a lot around it!

However I wouldn't go back to AI. You wind up feeling very captive, like an animal in need of (very nice) feeding. This may have been due to the part of the world we were in, where you can't really wander off the resort, but it all started to feel a bit overly opulent and gross after awhile.

I don't think Europen AI compares with the likes of Mexico. Food was outstanding in Mexico.

OP such a shame it didnt live up to what you thought,we are booked AI in a couple of weeks AI Lanzarote 4* and i keep reading the reviews and they dont sound great and they keep mentioning Cockroaches

i have been on a few AI and they have been really good Turkey.cruises etc but i think so many hotels now do AI as pretty standard standards have gone down im afraid

also op i hate that people feel the need to say they are lucky etc to be able to go on holiday only on MN it feels like you have to account for anything that costs money,im sure you deserve a break as many do and dont feel you have to justify yourself because somebody may not be able to afford a holiday maybe they prefer to spend their money on home improvments/nice car etc

But she did, she read reviews from various sites. What else could she have done?

You've been unlucky. I would recommend AI in Mexico - at a good resort it's in a different (amazing) league. We've had some great AI holidays so i wouldn't discount but do more research. And you don't need to justify a holiday to anyone! Its a very british thing to feel you have you have to be self deprecating.

I've been AI in Ibiza, Majorca, Tenerife and Mexico. Mexico was brilliant as it was a la carte and you could have your pick of restaurants to eat at. Plus lovely extras like jars of cookies and coffee stations in the resort, a juice bar (fresh) and cocktails on the beach. The Spanish ones were all much as you've described with the food quite same-y and not always great. However, I still love AI as it's all done for us. I hate having to find a restaurant every night and tbh sometimes they aren't brilliant either. I'm quite a good cook but I find with AI, I can always get something I like and it tends to mean I don't feel too sick after a holiday of rich meals which would happen if we ate in other restaurants.

I've only been to AI once and the food and drink were absolutely awful. There was also very little choice of restaurants/bars in the resort. I was shocked that there was no fruit juice, only squash and only basic white sliced bread - the rest followed the same basic level.

I've only been to AI once and the food and drink were absolutely awful. There was also very little choice of restaurants/bars in the resort. I was shocked that there was no fruit juice, only squash and only basic white sliced bread - the rest followed the same basic level.

I wouldn't say that's standard. You're practically drowning in fruit juice at any of the ones I've been too and there's usually a large selection of bread.

Too? To!

I had a similar experience in St Lucia. We went for a friend's wedding. First and only time. I much prefer self catering as you have much more options.

You're selling it to me! I've got young, fussy kids and that's exactly the vibe I'm hoping for, for our ai holiday in the summer.

It's a different strokes thing isn't it? The food isn't what matters to me, free access to pop for the kids and me(since I don't drink but dehydrate easily), ice cream and snacks is all I care about. Quantity over quality. When the kids are the same age as yours I think I'd prefer self catering. But who knows?

Oh and much more space, you normally get bare minimum of an apartment.

We went to a Mitsis hotel in Greece and the food was great! It was still a buffet, but there was fresh meat / fish cooked all the time.

I loved this hotel chain in Kos, the food and drinks, along with service was fabulous. Lots of fresh local type foods. But they did supply past and chips with pizza for those that wanted it, nothing wrong with giving everyone ample choices

The only AI Ive been to that had reasonable food was Club Med, and that was paying extra for the gold version or whatever it is. Other than that I would not do AI again.

I’ve been AI once and, to be fair, it was good. 5*, Greece, but it was expensive. I can’t imagine being able to afford to do it again now.

The buffet was really nice and you got book to go to the a la carte restaurants instead if you preferred.

We also really lucked out on the room. Essentially we ended up in a little poolside villa (rather than two adjoining rooms on the 4th floor, which is what we were expecting). So we had a terrace with our own sun loungers on it near the pool.

Turns out, that was the best bit about it all.

What I make of that is that you’re narrow-minded.

i have been to an AI couples only resort in the Caribbean and that was all a La Carte menus and very much like eating in a 5* restaurant.

That was 5* and definitely no buffet, even for breakfast.

TBH I think if you don’t drink and you want nice food and a relaxed time then a holiday home/Airbnb with a private pool, dishwasher, washing machine and tumble dryer and eat out each night would probably cost you the same or maybe less

I must admit if I was going to on holiday as a non drinker I wouldn’t choose an AI hotel I would only choose 5 hotels as I know a 4/5 would have something that wasn’t quite right. (When it comes to holidays I am very fussy and I know I can have issues even in a top hotel if say the colour of the room isn’t to my taste. It really grates on me.)

I also find that when you are looking at the blurb the hotel has put about itself, if it starts off with how fabulous the views are or how the hotel is so conveniently situated these are things that bare no reflection on the fundamental running of the hotel.
It sends red flags that management think the best bit about the hotel is where it was built.
Service, food, interiors and cleanliness are not the greatest otherwise that would be the first thing you read.

I think it depends on what you enjoy as a holiday - there are often activities on site such as water parks, mini golf, tennis , gyms etc so can probably save you money with activities and of course if you drink alcohol that is included .

I haven't been to one myself . My son and his GF went last year to one in Tenerife - and their food pictures looked similar to what you describe . They had a choice of restaurants, sports activities and entertainment, cost them around £800 pp in September but was good value for them as they are big drinkers .

OTOH a friend went to one in Turkey, proper 5* and their food looked absolutely amazing.

We normally stay in apartments or villas and do a mixture of quick snacks at home and eating out in various restaurants. For me, I like to have the extra space, I would hate to have just a bedroom as my only personal space for a week or more .

Most AI are the equivalent to going to an all-you-can eat and drink buffet. If you want to eat loads, drink lots and have food and drink available non-stop all day and not have to worry about the budget, it’s for you.

People choose it because they worry about either saying ‘no’ to their kids who keep wanting a drink, and not knowing how much their total bill will be. Lots of people worry about any unknown costs for anything and so choose an inclusive fixed price option, whether it’s dentistry, boiler servicing, buying and servicing cars or all kinds of other things.

If you just want to eat a light breakfast and one small evening meal, don’t drink alcohol and will only drink tap water all day, it’s not a good deal. For the same price as AI you could have the smaller number of meals you want and no booze in some lovely restaurants, or stay B and B or half board in a much nicer hotel. It depends how much you want and value AI and knowing exactly where you are with it all and especially with the spend.

There are more luxurious ones but they will cost a lot more. Unless you’re loaded and money is no object and you can go to a top notch one , AI often only really works for people who want to consume and consume and consume and it’s more about quantity than quality.

You pay for the convenience and ease of everything arranged for you and the unlimited food and drink. Other people will choose to put in more time and effort choosing in advance or choosing restaurants whilst on holiday and arranging outings etc for themselves and meal……you take your pocket if which approach works for you.

They’re all like that to some extent. Yes some do more fresh items, some have a la carte (although these are usually restricted and sometimes difficult to book) but ypu can generally get better food by choosing a restaurant. It’s a captive market, they don’t have to compete in the same way. It’s convenient but the concept is quantity over quality! I think you’d be better going for a hotel if you want to eat out, possibly half board as it’s often a la carte. Even more so if you don’t Drink.

We’ve never done AI for this reason exactly. Eating out in local restaurants is such a big part of a trip for us. Love finding the best coffee shop in a place too.