All inclusive - what do you do?

[iniati]

We are considering an AI type holiday for the first time - we usually do self catering in a nice location, do a load of day trips etc.

The kids have reached the age where they really enjoy pools and water parks which is why we're thinking about it - up to now, they have been happy with the odd beach day.

I am a bit unsure about an AI holiday because I am not really sure what people usually do on them? I realise we could just use it as a base and do the sorts of things we usually do, but I think most people stay in the resort most of the time, I am just not clear on what they actually do? I love reading but I can do that at home so not sure it would feel that worthwhile to just read books all day. I would enjoy a swim for a couple of hours but then what?

Maybe it just isn't a good idea for us or we need to make sure to pick somewhere close to a town

I think this is probably the right shout for us, thinking about it more and reading the responses.

I could do one or two days of swimming/lounger time but I cannot imagine doing more than that so AI doesn't feel like it would be VfM. Neither of us drink much alcohol either - a glass of wine with dinner is really it.

We prefer not to drive abroad - that feels like too much effort - so now need to find somewhere which is walking distance from a town that fulfils the kids' desire for nice water park!

We had some great AI hols when our children were young, they do vary in quality greatly, check out reviews so you know what to expect. IKOS are very good quality, but a higher price point. Enjoy your hols.

We spend the first and last few days at the pool/beach. Middle days we either hire a car and explore or book excursions. My 9yr old likes kids club sometimes and i always try and find somewhere with activities such as archery or water sports for my husband.

AI is very good at the age when your kids can go in the pool by themselves and go and get snacks etc by themselves but it’s in a controlled environment.

we did it when ours were early teens.

we mostly went to ones that had water sports centre on site so for activities we did diving diving and more diving (dh), wind surfing, kayaking, snorkelling, some day trips outside the resort (cultural stuff plus boat trip).

dc loved it especially as we let them go to the teens disco on their own.

How about Cyprus? A very useful bus network.

We tended to make sure the hotel was near other things to do - beach, town, walks etc. combined with day trips to other places.

When our children were very young we’d spend most of the time at the resort, usually swimming or resting. As they’ve grown, we spend more time away from the resort, usually splitting our days in half, coming back to the resort for lunch and a rest before heading out for the afternoon/evening.

Our next holiday will be self catering as I don’t see us spending very much time at the hotel.

When we looked at prices, it felt like half board or bed and breakfast weren't enough cheaper to account for having to pay for all drinks, snacks etc, even if we priced in being out for lunch some days or maybe an occasional evening meal out to going all inclusive (not unless we wanted to do loads of self catering). But depends what hotels you find I suppose.

Pick one that’s in a fairly busy resort / city

so Lara Beach Turkey has lots of AI with waterparks and kids clubs included
but you have the fab old town of Antalya near and the old town if you want to get out an explore

and day trips are usually cheap 10-20 per person on a boat with food & soft drinks included

Spain / canaries have some great hotels which include access to free water parks as well
but you can also get out and explore the area

Egypt is more resort based and less to do off the hotels so while I love Egypt I wouldn’t go if you want to go out and explore stuff

I did my first AI in Spain 30 years ago and I’ve never done a sc holiday at all
back then even cigarettes were inc in the
AI price 😂

My all-in holidays usually go something like:

• Daily breathing exercises.
• Breakfast.
• Full band rehearsal.
• Coffee.
• Sectional rehearsal.
• Lunch.
• Full band rehearsal.
• Coffee.
• Sectional rehearsal, free time, or lesson.
• Dinner.
• Full band rehearsal.
• Tutor recital.
• Bar.
• Bed.

Or:

• Breakfast.
• Repertoire class with coffee break.
• Lunch.
• Roll-your-own ensemble time, workshop, or free time.
• Jam session with house trio.
• Dinner.
• Concert by some of the repertoire classes in the bar.
• Bed.

We go on lots of trips. Explore the local area. Go to the beach.

all the same things you do on self catering but no shopping, cooking or cleaning up

Dh and I do AI when we are having a holiday just us, we don’t do AI with the dc.
But we use it as a base and will eat dinner or lunch out just to experience new places and schedule a day trip every other day. On the days that we stay at the hotel that’s when we will wander down the beach for lunch elsewhere or book dinner out somewhere, get a spa treatment, lounge by the pool reading and just generally relax. We will have a sea swim, walk up and down the beach, wander the local town, whatever. We can’t lie down for hours, maybe 2 at the most but if we fancied it we would. We both get quite itchy feet though 😂
it suits us perfectly when we are getting away just the 2 of us.
We aren’t ‘joiners’ though; we don’t get involved in any of the activities the hotel puts on, we keep ourselves to ourselves pretty much.

You do know they don't hold you captive on AI 😂
You still have autonomy to go where you please

Of course and I said that in my OP ... But I don't want to pay for AI and then spend all day somewhere else, so I want to understand better what value people get out of staying in the resort

I’ve not been to Tenerife for a decade, but we did AI in an apartment in a February half term in Costa Adeja primarily because it was a cheap way of getting an apartment with a free pass to the local waterpark (Siam Park). There was a free shuttle bus about a 5-10 minute walk away (conveniently next to a supermarket).
It would have been with somebody like Tui/Thomas Cook.

It was cheaper to have a package and hire a car for a couple of days to visit the carnival/tour than book everything separately.

We always tend to book AI or rent a property in Caribbean/Mauritius as resorts tend to be sited away from local
villages and we don’t enjoy being hyper-alert for people/dogs/cats on unlit toads after dark. Some hotels will make you a picnic if you are heading somewhere rural.

You're not captive in the hotel grounds! Nor do you have to do what anyone else does.
We just base ourselves at the hotel and go out and about every day. We eat out sometimes, but all inclusive has the benefit of not having to plan where to eat (and for the additional cost of meals).
Many hotels have activities during the day and entertainment in the evenings. A lot have supervised kids clubs. Some have sports facilities, which DS loves.
Go to a decent one, at least 4 star, and read the trip advisor reviews. Don't pick one in the middle of nowhere or you really will be stuck there!

Do you have any recommendations?

When I look for places, it feels like a lot of them are quite far away from other things.

I quite like the idea of going out somewhere in the morning, coming back for lunch and pools and then either dinner in or going back out. But there don't seem to be many places where you are close enough to stuff to do that half day outings are achievable

People who say 'you're allowed to leave the hotel' are being disingenuous.

Most people aren't going to want to pay the extra for AI and then a load on top for lunches and drinks/snacks on days out. Plus unless you pay a lot for AI, the food is mediocre at best.

OP if you want to get out and about most days, look for BB for HB, which often isn't that much more per night. I stayed in a hotel in Lanzarote where it was £4 extra pn for HB, but £50 extra for AI if you booked in advance, but weirdly 35 euro if you did it at the hotel. I was in two minds whether to add it on at the hotel and in the end didn't bother, because I was out and about every day, walk each morning, lunch at a beachside restaurant (better food and view than from a hotel buffet) and beach/swim in the afternoon. I also went on an excursion to some historical sites. I probably spent less than the cost of the AI upgrade on my lunches, drinks and ice creams while out, and a bottle of wine and some snacks from the supermarket to have on the balcony.

If you choose a hotel in a populated area, you can always stock up from the supermarket/convenience store for drinks, snacks and ice creams as hotels almost always have a small fridge. You could just google waterparks Spain/Greece/Cyprus, there isn't that many around so you could just pick a hotel or apartment near to one of them in an area you like and that has other amenities.

I have visions of people, dogs, and cats riding giant toads.

*People who say 'you're allowed to leave the hotel' are being disingenuous.

Most people aren't going to want to pay the extra for AI and then a load on top for lunches and drinks/snacks on days out. Plus unless you pay a lot for AI, the food is mediocre at best.*

Well exactly. I realise I could get out every day and do our usual things. But I wouldn't then see the point in AI.

I was more trying to understand the appeal of it and how people structure their days.

I am now thinking either find somewhere B&b/half board that is less in the middle of nowhere than many resorts seem to be or maybe do a split break - 3-4 days in a city and then 3-4 days in a resort

I preface this by saying I'm not an AI person, but in essence it's no different to any other beach based holiday, you swim, read, chill, eat then rinse and repeat. People like AI because your total spend is fairly set before you even leave home. If you go down this route you probably need to think very carefully on location, because if you have to leave to go to the beach then you are not utilising the AI. Same applies if you want to go on lots of excursions then you are not utilising the AI, also whenever you choose to dine in local restaurants. Obviously you can still do these things, but I think you can find a large resort with great pools without doing AI and that might be more cost effective for you, assuming you plan to continue going out to explore as well. I think AI is great somewhere like Dominican Republic or Maldives, where hotel is beachfront, they have like 8 restaurants in the complex so you can eat ala carte menu instead of buffet and there are loads of watersports etc. As others have said to get that level of provision in a European resort you are looking at top end prices. I just briefly browsed TUI website and a week AI in August in some of the Tenerife hotels costs more than a week AI in Jamaica at Easter.

@TeamGeriatric I have never done a beach holiday actually which is why I am a bit vague on all of this.

The sort of holiday we would usually do is a mix of sightseeing for adults, child themed attractions with maybe one or two beach days at most and sometimes not even that

I like an all inclusive holiday, takes a lot of the stress of everyday life away for me and I can switch off a bit for a few days. No cooking, no cleaning, no food shopping, not having to really worry about budgeting for food and drink whilst away, which can add up to a sizeable chunk for a family.

We can eat elsewhere for the odd evening meal/lunch if we want to but knowing we can always access food at the hotel gives me peace of mind. We definitely take advantage of unlimited soft drinks throughout the day and occasionally alcohol in the evenings. We don’t have to say no to the kids having ice cream, lollies, slushies etc because of the cost. There are usually activities for kids & adults to take part in if they want, there’s usually evening entertainment included too and sometimes it’s actually decent fun.

They are genuinely some of the most stress free/relaxing holidays I’ve been on especially with the dc. A nice little escape from reality for a few days. You definitely need to do research though to find somewhere that suits what you want as they can vary a lot in many ways.

We’ve only been AI once, as it wasn’t that much dearer than half board. We tended to have breakfast, then go out for a mooch, etc. Because we’d got a good deal, we didn’t mind paying for lunch out a few times. Otherwise, we’d head back for a late ish lunch and then chill by the pool before dinner.

We did loads of full day trips on a week in Egypt from a lovely AI hotel. It was still worth it; don’t miss out on the local area.