pros and cons of All inclusive

bette · 08-21-2005

trying to decide which way to go... done both and perfer all inslusive . i feel with not having it you hunt for food or a good resturant and have to nickle and dime it for drinks. does that make sense. with All inlusive you eat and don;t have to worry but do miss out on local foods...

steve/pat · 08-21-2005

we do A/I just so we don't have to worry about breakfast and lunch. the food is there when you need it.
but we also enjoy going to town for local food.
If you just eat at the resort you are missing out big time.
As far as drinks ,same deal, sometimes we'll stay in the resort ,sometimes it's into town.
But it's nice to know that it's all there at the resort if you need it.

taylorfamilytx · 08-21-2005

We just started going to AI resorts and are loving it! If you don't like your drink or meal, get another one. I think if it is a special occasion and you are going somewher other than Playa (say Bermuda) than you wouldn't want to do an AI. So far I find that the food and drink is great at the two places we have stayed in Playa and well worth the cost. You can always go into town for a snack or dinner to try the local food.

08-21-2005

I used to do AI all time until this last July and now prefer non AI. There are soooo many good resturants and bars in Playa for every budget. An added benifit of non AI is that when you are out on the town you get to see/meet lots of different people instead of the ones staying at the AI.

Babaloo · 08-21-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by steve/pat

But it's nice to know that it's all there at the resort if you need it.

Yes...it's all there at the resort but it's also all there in town.
I did the all-inclusive also. But never again. No fault but my own...I felt a bit confined to the resort only because I paid for it and I didn't take advantage of the locale I was vacationing in. Except when I did make the trip into town, there was little to tell me where I was vacationing.

I missed out on too much.

It's in town or nothing for me from now on.

**denisea** · 08-21-2005

You might also check out some previous discussions on this same topic... click here, here, and here.

mav68 · 08-21-2005

It really depends on what you want- if you are never or rarely leaving the resort, drinking lots of alcohol and are happy with their restaurant choices then go AI. But if you are going to go on tours which include lunch, or want to go into PDC to eat where the locals eat, then you would be paying wayyyy too much for a room and restaurant you aren't using. The AI we wanted would have been just over $400 a night with taxes and no transportation. Some are a bit cheaper, many are a lot more expensive. For under $150 I can get a beautiful room in a beautiful hotel right on the beach, with breakfast included. By reading posts here I learned I can eat and drink well for $100 a day or so. Some days will be a bit cheaper, some a little more (I'm not a heavy drinker, cerveza not Tequilla will keep the bar tab down

). That is a huge savings, so for us non-AI.

We won't have to "hunt" for food, we will just use our Playinfo card and go to the restaurants we have already read about here. PDC seems to have a great mix of foods from all over the world- we are really looking forward to trying some of the great places everyone talks about.
I read a post on the forum that someone said they really liked AI because they got to "know how the other half lived" by being a bit pampered and not having to worry about each dollar, each drink/food. That really stuck with me, and makes a lot of sense too. I think most people would say AI's have their place- you just have to decide what you want out of your vacation. If you pay $400 a night for a resort I personally would feel like I had to eat there, and stay there to get my money worth. If I go out to dinner in town I will have essentially paid for dinner twice.

HTH! Dana

NoAngelx · 08-21-2005

Being from Canada we do NOT get any deals for flights...airfare alone is nearly $1000 so for $1500 for a 3 star and UP it usually makes more sense for us Canadians to do the AI thing....

birdman · 08-21-2005

AI just doesn't make sence to me, half the fun of being in Mexico is finding the good resteraunts & bars. There are those that have always & will always go the AI route.

Nerak936 · 08-22-2005

We always did AI. Then last February we stayed non-AI. Then when we did our already-booked AI a few months later, we couldn't keep ourselves out of downtown Playa. So for us, it'll be non-AI from now on.

As Doggiemom put it, you can do non-AI in Playa on any budget. And as for "looking for restaurants", you sure don't have to look far. There are great ones (both inexpensive and hoity-toity) all within easy reach. Heck.... I could survive the week on El Oasis shrimp tacos and be one happy camper!!!

08-22-2005

For us, it depends on who we are travelling with. In April we did the AI because we had our two little ones with us. Trying to take 2 kids under 5 out to eat 3 times a day is a nightmare. So we chose an AI with room service, we really needed it, and really used it. There were other ammenties too such as the kids club and babysitting which were really important to us. The AI fit the bill for this vacation.

We also were able to eat in town at least 3 nights which was nice, but pretty cumbersome. We had to wait a while for a table at Babe's and the little ones got restless.

In December, we are booked at the Playa Maya - the little ones are staying home this time. This is my preferred way to vacation in PDC, but with the family I really need more of the added conveniences you do get at the AI resorts.

Overall, the Grand Xcaret was great. I thought the food was terrible, aside from breakfast, but I had anticipated that going in (in fairness, my husband thought the food was ok). Our primary goal was a relaxing family vacation and we got that from this AI.

In December though, I am all about the FOOD!

5th avenue, bars, nightlife and oh...did I mention the FOOD?

NoAngelx · 08-22-2005

I have been seeing some great deals for El Tukan Condotel recently....it is a package deal including the airfare and hotel for approx $1100 each per week...Thats not bad at all considering our airfare is $900-$1000 each without hotel.

I even found a deal for $1900 for 2 ppl in Sept for 1 week airfare/hotel at El Tukan... Coming from Canada thats a great deal!

JudyBluEyes · 08-22-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by mav68

The AI we wanted would have been just over $400 a night with taxes and no transportation. Some are a bit cheaper, many are a lot more expensive.

Wow!! $400 a night? I've stayed at a few AIs and have never paid anywhere near that much. This year we are staying at the Royal Porto Real and it's costing w/o air about $220 a night. This is probably the most expensive we've done, the cheapest was at the RIU Tequila in '03, we paid $2600 for four people for a week including air. The air was about $400 pp, so that means the hotel costs us about $70 per night(not per person). I do agree that you end up spending a lot of time at the resort and if you go out to eat or drink, sometimes feeling like you've paid for a meal that you didn't eat. This time we're staying right in town and if we end up eating and partying more in town than at the resort then we'll probably think about doing a nonAI.

mav68 · 08-22-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by JudyBluEyes

Wow!! $400 a night? I've stayed at a few AIs and have never paid anywhere near that much. This year we are staying at the Royal Porto Real and it's costing w/o air about $220 a night. This is probably the most expensive we've done, the cheapest was at the RIU Tequila in '03, we paid $2600 for four people for a week including air. The air was about $400 pp, so that means the hotel costs us about $70 per night(not per person). I do agree that you end up spending a lot of time at the resort and if you go out to eat or drink, sometimes feeling like you've paid for a meal that you didn't eat. This time we're staying right in town and if we end up eating and partying more in town than at the resort then we'll probably think about doing a nonAI.

-Not that you are Judy- but just something to remember when comparing prices- you really can't say it's for 4 so double the 2 person value when 2 are children, because children in the room are often a much lesser price. The Royal Porto Real's site list their prices as: $264 in hurricane season to $522 holiday season (and many other price points in between) per room, double occupancy, NOT including taxes, so that would be around $400 a night. The place I was looking into was the Aventura Spa Palace- all places (apple, suntrips etc) list room without transportation the same as the Palace website- within a few $$- $412 a night- with all taxes paid. Secrets Capri my other choice was even higher. Apple lists the RIU Tequilla in February 2006 as about $275 a night, for a standard ROH room- with no whirlpool

.

Obviously you can get really, really great deals if you are flexible as to where you are going, and when, or if you are willing to go during the low season. For the most part though, it is easy to think you are always getting a good deal with an AI- when that may not be the case. That was my only real point

.

actran · 08-22-2005

When I went to the Turks and Caicos we were originally going to stay at Beaches - which is an AI. After reading some really mixed reviews we decided to go non-AI. I think we spent pretty much the same $, but had mostly fabulous meals at so many great restaunts, I wouldn't have traded our experience for anthing. We did go to the grocery store and get stuff to make rum punches and breakfast stuff and snack stuff. The kids would sometimes eat luch or dinner in the room.

My first AI experience was at the Royal Hideaway - pretty awesome food, and not having to worry about how much every meal cost was nice. We also took the family to the Grand Xcaret. Food was very mediocre and a big disappointment. But loved that the kids could eat and drink to their hearts content without stressing about how much it would cost.

With an AI that has a rep for good food, I think it's a great experience. With kids it's great too.

And when I went to RH I didn't want to exert any more energy than it took to lift a glass and hold a book, so it really fit the bill. But when I went to the Turks and Caicos it was part of my day to figure out where to eat.

So, my incredibly wise words in answer to your question - IT DEPENDS

(I think maybe I need to do some serious research on this and go down to Playa for about 6-8 weeks and alternate between AI and non-AI every week. Who is interested in funding this very important research?

)

08-21-2005	#1 (permalink)
bette sandflea Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: central Texas area Posts: 8	pros and cons of All inclusive trying to decide which way to go... done both and perfer all inslusive . i feel with not having it you hunt for food or a good resturant and have to nickle and dime it for drinks. does that make sense. with All inlusive you eat and don;t have to worry but do miss out on local foods...

08-22-2005	#11 (permalink)
kaki321 Posts: n/a	For us, it depends on who we are travelling with. In April we did the AI because we had our two little ones with us. Trying to take 2 kids under 5 out to eat 3 times a day is a nightmare. So we chose an AI with room service, we really needed it, and really used it. There were other ammenties too such as the kids club and babysitting which were really important to us. The AI fit the bill for this vacation. We also were able to eat in town at least 3 nights which was nice, but pretty cumbersome. We had to wait a while for a table at Babe's and the little ones got restless. In December, we are booked at the Playa Maya - the little ones are staying home this time. This is my preferred way to vacation in PDC, but with the family I really need more of the added conveniences you do get at the AI resorts. Overall, the Grand Xcaret was great. I thought the food was terrible, aside from breakfast, but I had anticipated that going in (in fairness, my husband thought the food was ok). Our primary goal was a relaxing family vacation and we got that from this AI. In December though, I am all about the FOOD! 5th avenue, bars, nightlife and oh...did I mention the FOOD? Last edited by kaki321 : 08-22-2005 at 12:56 PM.

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search

08-21-2005	#2 (permalink)
steve/pat lost on fifth Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: upstate NY Posts: 23	we do A/I just so we don't have to worry about breakfast and lunch. the food is there when you need it. but we also enjoy going to town for local food. If you just eat at the resort you are missing out big time. As far as drinks ,same deal, sometimes we'll stay in the resort ,sometimes it's into town. But it's nice to know that it's all there at the resort if you need it.

08-21-2005	#3 (permalink)
taylorfamilytx way into it Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Plano Texas Posts: 157	We just started going to AI resorts and are loving it! If you don't like your drink or meal, get another one. I think if it is a special occasion and you are going somewher other than Playa (say Bermuda) than you wouldn't want to do an AI. So far I find that the food and drink is great at the two places we have stayed in Playa and well worth the cost. You can always go into town for a snack or dinner to try the local food.

08-21-2005	#4 (permalink)
Doggiemom Posts: n/a	I used to do AI all time until this last July and now prefer non AI. There are soooo many good resturants and bars in Playa for every budget. An added benifit of non AI is that when you are out on the town you get to see/meet lots of different people instead of the ones staying at the AI.

08-21-2005	#6 (permalink)
denisea Forum Goddess Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: On the road to ruins... Posts: 7,025	You might also check out some previous discussions on this same topic... click here, here, and here.

08-21-2005	#7 (permalink)
mav68 way into it Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: California (near Sacto) Posts: 224	It really depends on what you want- if you are never or rarely leaving the resort, drinking lots of alcohol and are happy with their restaurant choices then go AI. But if you are going to go on tours which include lunch, or want to go into PDC to eat where the locals eat, then you would be paying wayyyy too much for a room and restaurant you aren't using. The AI we wanted would have been just over $400 a night with taxes and no transportation. Some are a bit cheaper, many are a lot more expensive. For under $150 I can get a beautiful room in a beautiful hotel right on the beach, with breakfast included. By reading posts here I learned I can eat and drink well for $100 a day or so. Some days will be a bit cheaper, some a little more (I'm not a heavy drinker, cerveza not Tequilla will keep the bar tab down ). That is a huge savings, so for us non-AI. We won't have to "hunt" for food, we will just use our Playinfo card and go to the restaurants we have already read about here. PDC seems to have a great mix of foods from all over the world- we are really looking forward to trying some of the great places everyone talks about. I read a post on the forum that someone said they really liked AI because they got to "know how the other half lived" by being a bit pampered and not having to worry about each dollar, each drink/food. That really stuck with me, and makes a lot of sense too. I think most people would say AI's have their place- you just have to decide what you want out of your vacation. If you pay $400 a night for a resort I personally would feel like I had to eat there, and stay there to get my money worth. If I go out to dinner in town I will have essentially paid for dinner twice. HTH! Dana

08-21-2005	#8 (permalink)
NoAngelx añejo Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Edmonton CANADA Posts: 1,957	Being from Canada we do NOT get any deals for flights...airfare alone is nearly $1000 so for $1500 for a 3 star and UP it usually makes more sense for us Canadians to do the AI thing....

08-21-2005	#9 (permalink)
birdman añejo Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Wa state Posts: 1,578	AI just doesn't make sence to me, half the fun of being in Mexico is finding the good resteraunts & bars. There are those that have always & will always go the AI route.

08-22-2005	#10 (permalink)
Nerak936 =^. " .^= Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 18,508	We always did AI. Then last February we stayed non-AI. Then when we did our already-booked AI a few months later, we couldn't keep ourselves out of downtown Playa. So for us, it'll be non-AI from now on. As Doggiemom put it, you can do non-AI in Playa on any budget. And as for "looking for restaurants", you sure don't have to look far. There are great ones (both inexpensive and hoity-toity) all within easy reach. Heck.... I could survive the week on El Oasis shrimp tacos and be one happy camper!!!

08-22-2005	#12 (permalink)
NoAngelx añejo Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Edmonton CANADA Posts: 1,957	I have been seeing some great deals for El Tukan Condotel recently....it is a package deal including the airfare and hotel for approx $1100 each per week...Thats not bad at all considering our airfare is $900-$1000 each without hotel. I even found a deal for $1900 for 2 ppl in Sept for 1 week airfare/hotel at El Tukan... Coming from Canada thats a great deal!

08-22-2005	#15 (permalink)
actran life=playa Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Colorado Posts: 855	When I went to the Turks and Caicos we were originally going to stay at Beaches - which is an AI. After reading some really mixed reviews we decided to go non-AI. I think we spent pretty much the same $, but had mostly fabulous meals at so many great restaunts, I wouldn't have traded our experience for anthing. We did go to the grocery store and get stuff to make rum punches and breakfast stuff and snack stuff. The kids would sometimes eat luch or dinner in the room. My first AI experience was at the Royal Hideaway - pretty awesome food, and not having to worry about how much every meal cost was nice. We also took the family to the Grand Xcaret. Food was very mediocre and a big disappointment. But loved that the kids could eat and drink to their hearts content without stressing about how much it would cost. With an AI that has a rep for good food, I think it's a great experience. With kids it's great too. And when I went to RH I didn't want to exert any more energy than it took to lift a glass and hold a book, so it really fit the bill. But when I went to the Turks and Caicos it was part of my day to figure out where to eat. So, my incredibly wise words in answer to your question - IT DEPENDS (I think maybe I need to do some serious research on this and go down to Playa for about 6-8 weeks and alternate between AI and non-AI every week. Who is interested in funding this very important research? )

register to remove these adverts