AI and other people's kids

[TurnipsGalore]

We (dd10, ds9, dh, me) usually do a villa with a pool for peace and quiet or a city break for food and culture.

We've never been AI but fancy trying it this year as the children are keen.

My worst nightmare is trying to eat a meal if there are families around with kids watching screens. Can I avoid this at a certain price point? Or is this just modern life in a family hotel?

Good shout. Or somewhere with poor Wi-Fi.

Ive been to AI in the Indian Ocean many many times and never seen screens at meals.

I did come across a British couple who were drunk out of their minds with a bunch of friends in the swim uo pool bar who had their parents look after their very young children so they could get pissed. Grandparents brought the kids to the pool and handed the baby to the mother and on a slippery poolside she was swaying so bad I had to yell at her to sit down as she almost dropped the baby. Maldives - five star luxury resort. Money doesn’t buy class.

Oh to be able to edit my OP!!

I don't mind quiet screens with headphones.

I don't like noise

I don't like feral children.

I'm not rich but I am snobby about feral children and screens without headphones.

Genuinely appreciate all comments as I try to understand what a resort restaurant might be like.

I’ve never noticed kids on screens at AI resorts.

biggest problem at the one I stayed at recently which had an elite tennis training camp attached to it was the tennis players grabbing all the protein at the buffet

I've been to a lot of resorts in Turkey where Brits are the minority, and still the most polite, so heading somewhere not predominant British isn't going to help!

We go AI, mine aren't allowed devices when we're at a table, neither on holiday nor at home, but other people on devices we barely notice unless the volume is loud (rare I think, and usually worse on the flight than in the restaurants)

Don’t forget the “hearing condition”!!!

I don't like feral kids (or feral adults) either OP but fortunately I'm of an age where I don't have to holiday amongst them any more. Personally, I'd stick to a private villa holiday.

AI is what it is, lots of other people doing things that may be noisy, may annoy you or may mean you meet someone you get along with brilliantly. The buffets are full of people who may be on screens with sound on. You do have to be prepared to rub along or ignore for a week or so. If you can go with the flow it's a super easy relaxing holiday, if you're going to be negatively impacted by people's noise you're not going to enjoy it.

We generally go AI. I don't recall seeing a lot of kids on screens but AI buffet restaurants are usually really loud. Lots of people walking around, glasses etc.

I'm just here to find out what an all inclusive chain restaurant in the UK is.

From a price point perspective, the higher end AI hotels do tend to have more a la carte restaurants. So you could avoid the busy buffet dining rooms which are likely to be busier and noisier.
Probably less likely to have kids in them too, as I have found the a al carte options to have less "typical" kids foods.

I meant COSMO buffet

Ok so that's an all you can eat buffet. No such thing as an "all inclusive" restaurant just like there's no such thing as a "half board" or "bed and breakfast" restaurant.

Sounds like you just need to find somewhere where you can eat outside as noise is less annoying outside than in.

Btw we went AI and ours were the only ones without screens at meals - that meant ours were the noisiest, not the quietest. 🤷

Apologies for my terminology! I assumed all inclusive resorts contained all you can eat buffets, but as i said, I've never been.

Outside is very helpful for me, good idea.

Yes you probably will encounter it 🤣 if other people annoy you you might be better with a villa again

That’s the least of your worries on an AI holiday.

Try other people’s kids sticking their fingers in the buffet food for starters.

You could take ear defenders??

Although you do sound like you would enjoy a trip completely without other people in close proximity a whole lot more than any resort of any price point.

Absolutely 🤢

Any resort could have a buffet restaurant.

All inclusive means all meals, snacks and drinks (including basic alcoholic drinks). It does typically involve buffets yes but any big hotel will likely have a breakfast buffet regardless of board. Some AI hotels will have a la carte restaurants.

We're going AI but will eat out most nights as he buffet isn't relaxing - still worth going AI for breakfast, lunch, endless snacks.

My worst nightmare would be us contracting those worms that eventually leave your body by eating through your eyes. On the plus point it would stop your kids watching screens.

Valid question, op and the very reason why I tend to stay in a villa unless it’s a long-haul, luxury, adults-only resort. I don’t care if that makes me sound like a snob, or a nob head, or whatever.

This would obviously be unpleasant too! Any sort of noise is difficult for me.

Then AI is not for you. Restaurants do tend to get quite busy and loud. Same with the pools and "entertainment " music most of the day.

A final thank you to all replies, including the sarcastic ones as now I know what to expect!

I think it appears that I don't have the budget for anywhere with al la carte restaurants and that it is the buffet style places that will be noisy.

I will therefore stick to a villa and take the kids to a water park instead.

Seriously OP look at how you phrased the question. If you'd posted about AI resorts with small or quiet restaurants people would have answered accordingly, but asking if there's a price point at which you can avoid other people's children was always going to get responses in a similar tone. There's no way anyone will believe your OP wasn't deliberately inflammatory.

I love the idea that kids on screens is just a British thing. It's very revealing about how well travelled the posters are. I'm not British by the way.