Too snobby for AI?

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Just got back from 9 nights at an all inclusive. Supposedly 5 Star resort and whilst it was mainly good, certain aspects were not 5 star in terms of hygiene!

First did AI two years ago with DC, loved the convenience, the ease of meal times, no meal planning, no washing up!

This year, I begrudged a lot of the other holiday makers. There were men who would sit at the pool bars clearly getting sloshed in the afternoon whilst on family holidays with their DC. I will have a drink or two when around mine but don’t get really drunk! Lots of chavs who have money - think TOWIE types. Lots of kids on phones all the time, boys with fades, girls wearing make up.

The AI just felt like a feeding frenzy. I didn’t feel hungry the whole holiday.

Two of the 3 DC never been a fan of the cheesy evening entertainment, this year my youngest turned his nose up too so evenings were a bit dull. None did kids clubs or activities on offer and only one made a friend, on the last day!

I think it might be our last package holiday and next year we’ll go for a villa with pool, or Eurocamp (did this when youngest was 2 and it was fun but hard work!).

Anyone else found this?

We usually do SC but on the rare occasions we do AI it has to be very very upmarket
I have done lower cost AI in the past and while there was nothing wrong with it and loads of people looked like they were having a great time it wasn't our cuppa.
Its a great idea, especially if you don't want your kids bothering you for drinks/ice creams all the time and you drink a lot (or even every day) and food quality isn't your holiday priority but its not for us. I would rather get a nice villa to ourselves and visit local supermarkets and restaurants
I think some people can be snobby about cheaper AI but it just depends what you are looking for in a holiday, some people would think my holidays sound pretty dull but we love them

This is just not true. We've been to many AI resorts over the years and whilst there are some that attract those what want to drink vast amounts and get drunk it's not all of them.
I have never encountered drunks on an AI
If people do want to drink all day as long as they are not drunk or impacting you what difference does it make.

This but with children would get you to a Kinderhotel. They generally have kids clubs and kids facilities way above the kids clubs in beach resorts too, and some cater for teens brilliantly.

The ones we’ve stayed in tend to include food and soft drinks but not alcohol. Obviously they’re a different type of holiday but they definitely don’t feel stressful at all.

Yes I have looked at them but thankfull our youngest is 15 now so the hotel we chose was 'Adults Only' and was just superb !
I agree, the standard in general is so much higher .

Im not the op but I don’t want to be anywhere in the vicinity of drunk rough people. It spoils my holiday.

I wouldn't ever go on an AI holiday, but you can still have a package holiday (which just means that your flights and accommodation are organised by one company) at a good hotel.
Just go somewhere that doesn't offer AI, or entertainment, and book bed and breakfast so that you can eat dinner at local restaurants. There are plenty of hotels in Europe like this, and you do avoid the worst types of fellow holidaymakers!

The AI holidays I’ve been on there have been a few folk drinking for a fair proportion of the day but it’s rare to see anyone noticeably drunk. It feels very different from a Witherspoons! I don’t know if people take (multiple) siestas so don’t get drunk in the same way as they would here.

I do find it funny that people are recommending adults only, as (again, IME) it tends to be the older folk without kids who tend to do most of the drinking (and the early sunbed grabbing).

Sorry, I didn't mean that you didn't know about them! Just that others might be interested to know about the child-focused version.

I'd agree. AI is REALLY expensive now for a nice one. 2 years ago we paid just under 7k for 4 of us (3 adults, one under 18), for only a week at a nice one in Costa Adeje in Tenerife. My mum came too but paid separately. There were more luxurious ones but mostly they were less luxurious than ours. We'd been there 2 years earlier and enjoyed it but the novelty had worn off the second time and the kids were late teens and one spend half the time facetiming his girlfriend on the other side of the world and the other's eczema kicked off and he had to avoid the sun and pool and had 2 visits to the doctor. Plus the youngest was 17, had no interest in being around kids or any other teens in the main pool but the hotel categorically would NOT allow him up to the adult rooftop pool to just chill quietly with us on a sunlounger with his earpods in. So we all had to go to the main pool which was not relaxing.

There was a forest fire in Tenerife at the time so our planned day to hire a car and explore other parts of the island didn't end up happening. plus there was a heat wave and the main atrium where the evening entertainment was was sweltering. At meal times it seemed like everyone was just up and down at the buffet at different times so the whole chatting over a meal vibe wasn't quite there. All in all it just wasn't a great holiday for the price we paid, and a week flies by so we came back not feeling that rested really.

We did AI on an adults only cruise for a week this year just me and DH and that was fabulous but I don't know if I would want to do that for a week in a hotel, I think I'd get bored.

Our most successful holidays with pre-teen to 14 year old kind of age was to France. Dordogne area, in a gite with a few other gites on the same site, shared pool & games room, near a village for restaurants, loads to do in the area around (you need a car) - loads of prehistorical stuff, castles, crazy golf/adventure type place, high ropes courses (fantastic ones, better than the UK ones we've been to), canoeing on the river, lovely picturesque towns and villages. Our kids did better at that age with stuff to do. They loved the pool but didn't want to stay around it more than a couple of hours so it was a brilliant mix. Eating out was nice but so was barbecueing overlooking the river with a glass of wine, and not much cleaning up to do really.

We couldn't afford nice AIs when our kids were really little so have no idea of knowing if they would have liked them, but I don't think they would have joined in the kids' activities so I'm not sure how we would have kept them occupied all day.

Big superiority complex for people who don’t like all inclusive!! We go to an amazing 5* one every year for a week - has 5 different restaurants as well as a buffet, loads of pools. Kids love it and it’s a real reset and rest! A real “yes” holiday for the kids! We are lucky and also do lots of other types of holidays but I absolutely love our week away at the AI every year! 😃

Not just drinking all day either. Eating all day. Some families seemed to just eat all the time, had a big breakfast then you'd see them getting cake or something mid morning. Then main meals, dessert and ice creams at lunchtime. Then chips or a hotdog at the pool bar late afternoon. Then another main meal at night, with more desserts and ice creams. When you're just lying by the pool all day and not working off the calories off in anyway you just end up putting weight on.

Snacks and drinks bought from a supermarket aren't that much though. And you can get some really nice good value wine in places like France or Spain.

lets face it, luxury AI is an oxymoron

It so isn’t.

It really isn’t! I stayed at Amanyara a few years ago, it was lovely, Aman Tokyo is also equally nice.

On the plus side, it sounds amazing for people watching!

If anything could part me from my usual camping holidays in Cornwall, it would be the opportunity to watch other people getting drunk and making a show of themselves 😆

Yes I am definitely too snobby for it. Also don’t like constantly being round other people as you are in a hotel. And having other people and worse their kids in the pool. Teens feel the same. We are SC villa people

I couldn’t agree more. When I am in a foreign country I want to avoid other British tourists as much as possible, I want to eat the local food & drink the local wine with and alongside the locals. If that makes me ‘snobby’, I plead guilty.

You need to try Club Med!
It is a French AI, you have beach and ski resorts all over the world. High end but with a very casual and family-friendly feel. People behave beautifully.
More than enough sun loungers for everybody.
The food is amazing, many options and opportunities to eat at any time. Genuinely something I look forwards to beforehand.
All the alcohol you want, bottles of wine already on the tables at dinner, cocktails/mocktails, etc BUT people don’t get visibly drunk.
Kids clubs are great (from baby to teens).
Many sports included both for adults and children.
There is some entertainment during the day (pub quiz, pool games) and then a show in the evening and music afterwards.

I could go on but I think you get the idea. I promise I don’t work for them!

Heaven forbid people can have 2 weeks off and eat what they want.
People are so judgy on here.
I've said this a gazillion times but not all AI holidays are the same and not everyone who goes on them are the same.

£6-7k for 5 of you is not going to get you a “luxury AI” hotel.
£12-15k is more on the mark, and even then you will still get the WAGs and kids with skin fades 🙄
It sounds like it’s just not the type of holiday you enjoy.
We’ve had some absolutely top notch AI holidays and some pretty average ones.
Still love a Eurocamp or a Villa though.
You could get an amazing Villa for that money.

I like AI but I’ve only been to nice ones. Not had your experience in 20 years of AI

Ikos is pure luxury !

The absolute horror! God forbid people might want to spend one week a year eating and drinking what the hell they want 😱
Why don’t we all just pack ourselves off to a nunnery for a week and ask to be flagelated? Wouldn’t want anyone to enjoy themselves on their hard earned holiday would we?

Ice cream on holidays, what are these people like?