Who is an all-inclusive trip suitable for?
All-inclusive holidays are best suited for small paradise islands where there is not much choice in terms of restaurant options.
An all-inclusive trip means a trip with full board, meaning that at least all meals and snacks at the hotel are included in the price. Alcoholic beverages are often also included in the price, as are the hotel's services, i.e. leisure opportunities.
There are countries where it is worth choosing an all-inclusive hotel and there are countries where it is not worth paying for it.
All-inclusive travel tends to divide people into two groups. Others love the ease of full board, how on an all-inclusive holiday you can put your brain to sleep and not have to worry about anything, such as where to find a reasonably priced but delicious dinner, but can focus entirely on enjoying yourself and pampering yourself.
And then there are people for whom all-inclusive is not a good fit at all. Those for whom the best part of their holiday is going out into the city to hunt for an attractive place to eat. For whom the idea of eating from the same buffet every day seems creepy.
However, it is worth keeping an open mind: many people who have imagined themselves as absolutely not all-inclusive travellers have changed their minds once they have strayed into an all-inclusive holiday. Ease has a strong and intoxicating effect on people.
All-inclusive holidays have their pros and cons. Often the loudest detractors of all-inclusive vacations are those who have never even tried this form of travel.
Where should you go for an all-inclusive vacation?
The Maldives is a prime example of a destination where it is generally worth choosing all-inclusive, as hotel food and drinks can otherwise make a big dent in your travel budget.
All-inclusive trips are most profitable in destinations like the Maldives, which have high prices and few services. The Maldives is actually an extreme example: in the Maldives, each hotel is on its own island, and the hotel restaurants are often expensive.
By going on an all-inclusive vacation, you avoid unpleasant surprises; food does not come at a high additional cost on top of the trip. And in the case of the Maldives, there would be no other options on the island than the hotel's own restaurant anyway.
Another good destination for an all-inclusive vacation is, for example, Ras la Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates. Ras al Khaimah has such beautiful hotels that you would not want to leave them anywhere, and there is little choice of restaurants outside the hotels.
All-inclusive is also suitable for destinations where there is, for example, a security problem in the evenings, and you would not necessarily feel like going out into the city at night to look for a restaurant. This can be the case in some African and Caribbean destinations, for example.
And of course, when you're on holiday with children, all-inclusive holidays are hassle-free. All you have to do is grab a wristband and the next time you have to worry about feeding the kids is after you've left the hotel.
Skip the all-inclusive offer here
In Thailand, it would be crazy to take an all-inclusive package. Thai food is at its best in cheap street food and small restaurants.
The opposite extreme example is Thailand, where buying an all-inclusive package would be crazy (and that's why all-inclusive trips to Thailand are hardly sold). Thai food is so cheap and delicious in small restaurants that it would make no sense to eat meals in the hotel.
The same goes for most other Asian countries. The food is simply too cheap and delicious to be worth all-inclusive.
The advantages of all-inclusive: suitable for lazy vacationers
Many destinations fall somewhere between the Maldives and Thailand in terms of whether or not it is worth going on an all-inclusive vacation.
The decision should also be made according to how lazy or cautious you are. If you feel that you are going to spend most of your time in the destination anyway, lazing around in the hotel, an all-inclusive vacation is justified.
There is also something liberating about an all-inclusive vacation. It completely elevates you above everyday life to a kind of utopian state: you can leave your wallet in the hotel safe for the entire vacation and live as if in some utopian state, where nothing supposedly costs anything.
The downside of all-inclusive travel: no local atmosphere
If you are interested in getting to know the local culture and seeing the scenery outside the hotel area, you should think twice about paying for an all-inclusive package.
Of course, you can leave the all-inclusive hotel to eat outside the hotel, but that will be quite rare. It is human nature to think that if you have paid for something, you should get the most out of it.
The downside of all-inclusive is that it encourages you to overindulge and drink more than the law allows. Imagine spending your entire vacation at a buffet table? And that the beer would flow freely?
Many people may feel nauseous just thinking about all-inclusive.
All-inclusive hotels are also often large in size, so they are often not about a very intimate vacation. On the other hand, it can be fun to throw yourself into a huge hotel, whose swimming pool can be an attraction in itself.
All inclusive and fair tourism
Cape Verde is a popular all-inclusive destination. But you can also find a genuine local vibe on the beaches of Cape Verde. Photo: Pascal Subtil, CC
All-inclusive and fair tourism do not go hand in hand – they are almost opposite concepts.
The downside of all-inclusives is that almost all of the traveler's money ends up in the coffers of both the travel agency and the same hotel, instead of being enjoyed by local small business owners.
Some researchers, however, surprisingly believe that the rise of all-inclusive hotels may actually be a good thing. "When tourists are confined to their own enclosures, they are not disrupting local life," says Ilkka Karisto in his report on all-inclusive vacations in Cape Verde.
What does all-inclusive mean?
All-inclusive can mean a few different things. At best, the package does include food, drinks and many of the hotel's services. Sometimes, the price includes food and drinks but not all services, such as recreational opportunities.
Usually, you get a wristband – a bit like a castle hill – and then you can just enjoy the hotel's offerings.
It's worth noting that main meals are served in restaurants at certain lunch and dinner times. If you get hungry at other times, there are usually snacks available at the pool bar or cafes.
Does the price of an all-inclusive hotel matter?
Yes. A good all-inclusive hotel offers a wide variety of food options and several restaurants to choose from, so that your trip doesn't feel like a Groundhog Day trip. Good all-inclusive hotels offer food so good and varied that you won't even think about eating at the same place every day.
The risk with a cheap all-inclusive hotel is that the hotel saves on food costs and the selection is limited, meaning that even the most demanding gourmets risk getting bored with the food in a few days.
Where should you book an all-inclusive holiday?
Most Finnish travel agencies sell all-inclusive holidays to places like Hungary, Spain, Turkey and Greece. Prices in European destinations are surprisingly cheap: a week's all-inclusive holiday with flights starts at just over 400 euros (this makes no sense!).
All-inclusive ski holidays
All-inclusive ski trips usually also include lift tickets.
At least Alppimatkat sells all-inclusive packages to ski resorts. The price includes everything: flights, accommodation, meals and lift tickets.
The solution is good in that you can fully focus on skiing. And when you have spent the whole day on the slopes, you might not even have the energy left to start choosing a new restaurant for every evening.
All-inclusive experiences and tips
What have you personally liked about all-inclusive trips? What was good and what was bad about your all-inclusive hotel? Share your experiences and tips in the comments section and help other travelers decide whether an all-inclusive holiday is right for them too.
