Too snobby for AI?

[Lookingforadvice678]

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?

But it's not all AI hotels that attract this demographic. I've never seen people sat drinking all day or anyone drunk at an AI and we stay in one every year.
We also do a couple of city breaks a year too but we love 2 weeks of complete downtime, not having to think about anything.

I enjoy them because mine are so young - 4 and 2 - so it's really handy for food. I wouldn't fancy getting them dry from the pool and dressed and going out three times per day. I always get a private transfer rather than wait for the bus.

I think you just have to go in with your eyes open and low expectations. I'm a single parent so go with a couple of friends (also single) and their kids, so it's fun to be together and people watch.

Ah , the Eden Roc! Had the best summer working there in the 80’s. It looks much improved. Lived in the staff accommodation down the side of the pool, with a rickey old fan and luke warm water. Was the best time, had one day off a week, earning £25pw( made more in tips) and frequented the Faliraki strip on our night off!

I just don't feel waited on when doing AI as the main restaurants are always buffet. That means always up and down, getting food, it's difficult to eat at the same time.
Other restaurants have to be booked in advance and you sometimes can't get the date you want.

I love the two Caribbean hotels we stayed in, only breakfast was a buffet but even there they cooked food fresh to order like omlet, pancakes etc. All other meals were sit-down and a waiter came to you, you could chose appetiser from a buffet though or order a hot starter.

I don't mind a snack bar/drinks during the day but main meals I like to sit down and not get up all the time.

I had an amazing one in the Maldives, unbelievable food. And on a cruise. Done a few average ones which I didn’t hate but knew it was meh, just love all you can eat to be honest. When my kids get a bit older will go back to the posh ones

Mitsis Laguna in Crete was like that, I booked a different restaurant for each evening before I went. We ate in the buffet one evening after a long boat trip excursion which worked out perfectly. For breakfast I did a mixture of the a la carte restaurants and the buffet depending what I was up to that day.

AI works well for us, but then we don't go in high season. I tend to think anywhere busy enough to make AI viable would be too rammed for my liking in July and August. DH and I are also scallies with a few quid, so the presence of other working class people who can afford things is not a problem for me. I can see that strong feelings about social class might make holidays more difficult to navigate. If you want to do snobbery properly, it is actually rather expensive!

In your position OP I agree don't bother with AI again. If your family aren't using the amenities of a resort like kids club and entertainment, you're basically paying extra for all negatives and no positives. Mug's game really.

We've been to some lovely 5 star Egyptian AI.The last one we went to had French,Asian,Italian and Egyptian a la carte restaurants.We only used the buffet for breakfast.

@Aintnobodygottime can you recommend a Kinderhotel? I’ve myself driven demented from looking at various holiday options. We have a 3 and a 1 YO, and I do not want to cook. Also want to avoid some of negatives of AI as mentioned in other posts.

I don’t think it snobbery - I think AI has changed for the worse:

It used to be good, decent selection of food, smaller bars serving ice cream or pizza or toasties made to order.

The last one had dried out sandwiches and chips and those box ice creams - and like you say plastic glasses

We have done self catering since, and we have enjoyed going out to dinner far more. Local culture, friendly staff, themed nights with proper entertainment - cool walk home! I much prefer having my dinner brought to the table and decent drinks.

I would go back. It wasn’t more expensive but it was certainly more memorable.

I think you've gone to the wrong AI, I've never had dried out sandwiches or crap drinks.

OP has mentioned resenting the other holidaymakers, cited chavviness and TOWIE types. That's snobbery, there's no getting round it.

But fair play to her for at least being honest. It has meant she's got better advice too. Being lower class and being able to afford 7k on a holiday aren't mutually exclusive, so anyone with strong feelings is going to have to make specific plans on this basis.

I think it’s best to find a 5 star hotel that is near to local restaurants / town / harbour and just go B&B. That way, you’ll have the convenience of breakfast and all the usual hotel facilities but can have a better quality meal and drink at lunchtime and meal times.

The only one I’ve ever heard a bad word against is an Italian one that inspired a classic thread on here when two posters realised they were staying in it at the same time!

The Austrian ones are great. There’s a Kinderhotel website (it’s a brand mark rather than a chain, so they’re all independent hotels) that you can put availability into and a range of prices. I’d say look at ‘5 Smileys’ ones as they have the top level of childcare.

Our last trip was based on MN recommendations (if you search on Kinderhotel you’ll find quite a lot!) and it was the Sporthotel Achensee at the Achensee lake. Kids absolutely loved it. We had to fish them out - the kids club is open 12 hours a day and no limit on numbers as it’s a small hotel and they staff the club up well (although they ask you to sign up under-2s the day before for their baby room staffing plans, they were fine with last minute changes). The staff all spoke English no problem. The food was fab and there’s a small children’s buffet at lunch and dinner, aside from the adult food which is a la carte in the evening. But there’s no beige food spreads, it’s calm and quiet, no one is drinking much, and there are lovely quiet rooms in the spa and near the pool where you can just decamp with a book and doze.

It’s not for me. I prefer a villa with a private pool and eating out/ordering in or whatever we fancy.
We’ve done this as luxury AI with restaurants in the complex but found it sterile in comparison and was full of braying families or Instagram people. I find cruises the same.
If we are going AI I actually prefer mid-range as I don’t feel guilty for coming and going and just using what we need as it hasn’t cost us more than our first house. My DC really love a buffet!

Mmm, there's a lot to be said for the sort of AI you can use as a base, iyswim.

Been on two AI holidays, the first one was in a laughable 5star resort in Turkey, at best I would have given it 3stars, food was not nice at all and the booze was awful. Second time was a lovely hotel in Majorca but we do not eat nor drink enough for it to be worth our money although you can see some people really get their monies worth with 3 or 4 plates per person per meal, kids practically hooked up to the ice cream machines etc but we eat light breakfast, light lunch and prefer a decent dinner. AI is just not for us I guess.

One of my worst holiday experiences was in a luxury adults only hotel in Santorini. It wasn’t AI but it was spoilt by the behaviour of the so called adults. Sunbed hogging , selfies taken everywhere, blasting out music on their balconies, loud conversations on speaker phone. I was anxious the whole time and it still makes me anxious thinking about it!

@Aintnobodygottime thanks so much! Funnily enough I’d seen the thread about the Italian one, I may do a bit more digging!

All the reasons we camped when our children were young. I was on a campsite last week (children are now young adults so it had been a few years) and loved seeing children of all ages playing ballgames on the grass, cycling, scootering round, enjoying the pool, playing board games with their extended families etc..

I love AI, particularly on cruises, my kids loved the kids clubs and always made loads of friends.

But we’re common so…

But I’m with you on the litter and fag butts. Absolutely no need.

Im nervous about AI for the reason you’ve just said! We go every year on eurocamp holidays and have the best time. In fact just got back from an amazing one - met great likeminded people, no chavs , no problem with friends for the kids. But we booked an AI for next year to try it. Honestly I’m dreading it and wishing I could cancel 🙈 hoping its
ok!

See to me campsites sound like hell. Muddy, humid tents, random people with nothing between you and them than some nylon sheeting. Communal wash spaces.

no no no no.

but then I wouldn’t like AI either.

Why don’t people just do resorts that are not AI? I don’t t understand why people seem to think it’s either a SC villa or AI.

the resorts we go to just include breakfast. Otherwise it’s normal restaurants on the resort or go off site and eat

I think it depends… we don’t do camping as such. We go on Sandaya sites in Europe in their lodges - they have dishwashers - en-suites and are beautiful. Then all the swimming pools, entertainment, kids clubs, restaurants etc last week ours had a lake and a beach with lots of activities on