Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

European All Inclusive Resorts- Cocktails and Restaurants

30 replies

Lardychops · 10/06/2025 08:45

We went to Riu Palace Mexico last year which was spectacular. Stocked mini bar and optics in the rooms, room service, five restaurants with no restrictions on how often you used them and proper cocktails in the proper glasses made in the proper way (not a separate menu for AI guests with odd watery squash like flavours and the decent ones needing paying for )
I just went to book a Riu Palace hotel again in Europe for a week with my sisters as one is unwell. I can see that it’s no comparison at all! It seems the level of luxury and facilities food drink etc is only if you go long haul?
Does anyone have any suggestions in Europe of places they have been that sound similar ?

  • beautiful location, beachfront, near a small town, lovely views
  • Proper cocktails as part of the AI not a separate paid for menu for decent ones.
  • Restaurants on site as well as a buffet that you can use as much as you want are not just the one visit per stay

Thanks in advance x

OP posts:
OrangeCrushes · 10/06/2025 08:46

Following with interest

Verite1 · 10/06/2025 09:27

ikos.

Karlsonn · 10/06/2025 10:48

Ikos in Corfu

Piratejenny99 · 11/06/2025 11:54

What's your budget? I agree Ikos is what you are looking for but you will probably find it costs more than going to Mexico.

I haven't been myself but have heard that some of the luxury hotels in Turkey are amazing e.g. Maxx Royal / Regnum Carya but I would expect them to be very spendy too.

Twilightstarbright · 11/06/2025 15:29

Rixos in Egypt/Turkey?
Tui sensatori might be worth looking at too.
mitsis is meant to be a decent chain. Ikos is too expensive for me in school holidays.

MooreMooreMoore · 11/06/2025 15:30

Ikos -Greece or Grand Palladium Ibiza

2catsand2kids · 11/06/2025 16:19

If you are happy with adult only then the Mayia Exclusive in Rhodes has a really good drinks selection included and a la carte restaurants.

Clearinguptheclutter · 11/06/2025 16:24

ikos gets recommended all the time on here but the prices- at least in school hols- might make you fall off your chair

Europe is expensive

TimeforaGandT · 11/06/2025 16:26

TRS Ibiza might fit the bill.

Decapitatedsausage · 11/06/2025 16:27

Ikos as others have said, does what you want but is spendy. We have been grecotel lux corfu in Dassia and that was nice - not on the same level, but still good. Riu palace in Sal also good. The cocktails round the pool are standard watered down crap, but the ones from the bar were good and you have optics in room etc.

Yogaandchocolate · 11/06/2025 17:52

2catsand2kids · 11/06/2025 16:19

If you are happy with adult only then the Mayia Exclusive in Rhodes has a really good drinks selection included and a la carte restaurants.

That looks lovely! Do you think it would be ok as a single traveler (ie not too couple-y)?

samarrange · 11/06/2025 18:17

Lardychops · 10/06/2025 08:45

We went to Riu Palace Mexico last year which was spectacular. Stocked mini bar and optics in the rooms, room service, five restaurants with no restrictions on how often you used them and proper cocktails in the proper glasses made in the proper way (not a separate menu for AI guests with odd watery squash like flavours and the decent ones needing paying for )
I just went to book a Riu Palace hotel again in Europe for a week with my sisters as one is unwell. I can see that it’s no comparison at all! It seems the level of luxury and facilities food drink etc is only if you go long haul?
Does anyone have any suggestions in Europe of places they have been that sound similar ?

  • beautiful location, beachfront, near a small town, lovely views
  • Proper cocktails as part of the AI not a separate paid for menu for decent ones.
  • Restaurants on site as well as a buffet that you can use as much as you want are not just the one visit per stay

Thanks in advance x

It seems the level of luxury and facilities food drink etc is only if you go long haul?

I suspect it's a function of the number of Americans who will be there. Americans have a higher budget per day for their holidays, and generally higher quality expectations.

Slightly OT, but I fondly remember our first AI holiday. It was in Majorca, at a hotel that had just launched an AI offering that year, and so most people were still on half-board. So you got the drinks menu and of course you could only have the cheaper wines on AI (but still half the list), but the whole cocktail menu was included. And because the barman didn't know if you were AI or not he made a proper cocktail, and rang it up on the till, and we signed for it to our room, and then at the end of the holiday when we checked out, the bar section of the bill was zero Euros.😍

Since then, of course, various forms of cost control have been working their magic 🙄 and so the bar at an AI place is now a cost centre and not a profit centre. But we still occasionally score little wins, like the place we went to with American friends who brought along their DGD (17, but already drinking like a college student), who discovered that whereas "Mojito" was a paid-for cocktail, "Virgin Mojito" was not, and neither was a shot of rum.😉

Nightshadesdown · 11/06/2025 19:34

I agree the quality of AI in Mexico is superb. For the money you just can't compare in Europe in the same price point.

Lardychops · 11/06/2025 19:49

Piratejenny99 · 11/06/2025 11:54

What's your budget? I agree Ikos is what you are looking for but you will probably find it costs more than going to Mexico.

I haven't been myself but have heard that some of the luxury hotels in Turkey are amazing e.g. Maxx Royal / Regnum Carya but I would expect them to be very spendy too.

I think from looking it appears that the same level of service and package on the AI we went to in Mexico for same budget more or less is Turkey as you say x

OP posts:
Lardychops · 11/06/2025 19:50

2catsand2kids · 11/06/2025 16:19

If you are happy with adult only then the Mayia Exclusive in Rhodes has a really good drinks selection included and a la carte restaurants.

Adult only is ideal ! X

OP posts:
Lardychops · 11/06/2025 19:50

Nightshadesdown · 11/06/2025 19:34

I agree the quality of AI in Mexico is superb. For the money you just can't compare in Europe in the same price point.

Slowly realising that sadly….

OP posts:
Lardychops · 11/06/2025 19:52

Decapitatedsausage · 11/06/2025 16:27

Ikos as others have said, does what you want but is spendy. We have been grecotel lux corfu in Dassia and that was nice - not on the same level, but still good. Riu palace in Sal also good. The cocktails round the pool are standard watered down crap, but the ones from the bar were good and you have optics in room etc.

Ikos is bonkers prices!

OP posts:
Lardychops · 11/06/2025 19:53

Decapitatedsausage · 11/06/2025 16:27

Ikos as others have said, does what you want but is spendy. We have been grecotel lux corfu in Dassia and that was nice - not on the same level, but still good. Riu palace in Sal also good. The cocktails round the pool are standard watered down crap, but the ones from the bar were good and you have optics in room etc.

Will
look at corfu one - Sal is Cape Verde no? The one with the huge big beach but hotel in middle of nowhere …? X

OP posts:
Lardychops · 11/06/2025 20:00

Think we when we went to Mexico the budget was around 2500 pp and it was incredible for for that cost - nothing in Europe seems to compare without paying loads more.
I absolutely hate the one visit to restaurant per visit and vile squash like watery cocktails
Going to Caribbean with DH next feb forn AI at an equally beautiful place, but just wish I could find somewhere on a par price wise for same set up in Europe, for something in between now and then, just for cheeky week with my sisters.
First world problems eh! X

OP posts:
Summerisere · 11/06/2025 20:07

Daios Cove in Crete is wonderful, the drinks and restaurants are really good.

Summerisere · 11/06/2025 20:08

Cruising is another option if you’re into cocktails and a different restaurant each evening.

Lardychops · 11/06/2025 21:11

Summerisere · 11/06/2025 20:07

Daios Cove in Crete is wonderful, the drinks and restaurants are really good.

Great suggestion! X

OP posts:
Lardychops · 11/06/2025 21:12

Summerisere · 11/06/2025 20:08

Cruising is another option if you’re into cocktails and a different restaurant each evening.

Yes deffo- doing that with my elderly parents next year , with my sisters asnwell
as loveky hotel we will be out exploring also in hire car, etc

OP posts:
2catsand2kids · 11/06/2025 23:12

@Yogaandchocolate Whilst there were lots of couples there it wasn’t exclusively couples, there were a few friends or parents and (adult) children. It was a real mix of ages too so I’m sure you’d be fine.