All Inclusive Holidays

My Mrs fancies going on an all inclusive holiday next year to maybe Turkey, or somewhere similar. We went to the Dominican Republic on an all inclusive holiday for our honeymoon, back in 1996.

The food was shit, we had the shits, the booze was watered down and I felt like a refugee queuing up most of the time and we didn't enjoy that particular experience back then.

I presume times have now changed, presumably for the better and can anybody recommend quality all inclusive hotels? (in Europe) Minimum of 4 stars and no chavs or rough family's thanks!  

Is there such a thing?

Culcheth_White wrote:My Mrs fancies going on an all inclusive holiday next year to maybe Turkey, or somewhere similar. We went to the Dominican Republic on an all inclusive holiday for our honeymoon, back in 1996.

The food was shit, we had the shits, the booze was watered down and I felt like a refugee queuing up most of the time and we didn't enjoy that particular experience back then.

I presume times have now changed, presumably for the better and can anybody recommend quality all inclusive hotels? (in Europe) Minimum of 4 stars and no chavs or rough family's thanks!  

I work in the holiday industry in the Dominican Republic, and can tell you now it's reputation has soared, the food is quality, and it's 24 hours food and drink should you want it, the beaches have improved, and the people are friendly, don't waste your money going to Europe when for a similar cost you can get the Caribbean.

take a look on icelolly.com, they have some right bargains on there. Me and my girlfriend were looking on how much it would be for a week in Salou and I found it at 271 pounds per person it has since gone up to 303 but when we are going next year so the earlier we get it booked next year the cheaper it will be. The hotel we are going for is great according to my mum and aunty. They said the food was nice and the rooms were clean and tidy. That's all you need really .

Times have not changed.

I went on an all-inclusive with my ex to Greece a couple of years ago, it was abysmal, we spent most of the time spending money off-site in other bars and restaurants - money that we had planned to use to 'do stuff' with - like tours, shopping and sightseeing. It wasn't a holiday that was at the cheap end of the scale too - it was not shy off a grand each and was supposed to be a 4* hotel.

Dinner/lunch/Breakfast is very much reminiscent of seeing pigs queuing up at a trough at feeding time - the food, most of the people we were on holiday with im certain had featured on Jeremy Kyle, lots of Newcastle shirts for some reason. Food was 'buffet style' - meaning it had been sat there for several hours and was burned to a crisp and dryer than a Nuns Knickers.

The beer/Wine/Spirits were cheap 'local' brands - very much like, if you imagine what Asda Smart price 2% Larger and cheap white cider taste like, you had 2 wine choices - red or white, different brands everyday - whatever they could get cheap basically. everything else had to be paid for - at massively extortionate prices.

Everything came with 'conditions' - you couldn't carry drinks or food out of the hotel, the main pool had a queuing system, the other 'puddle' didn't and was packed with kids with names like Mercedes, maycee-leigh and Layton whose mums were built like tanks, swore a lot and had Tattoos, and what I would describe as SAS style troopers made sure you stuck to the rules (so everybody had a good time obviously) or you would be beaten.

I would say its worth setting a budget - Ie, price up and AI holiday, say a budget is set of £2000 - book the time off work you want, get a nice late deal for about £1000 and spend the other grand on actually enjoying the holiday.

With AI, your 'trapped' in the hotel - set mealtimes, not much choice of crap drinks, overcrowded pools and crap entertainment (what the fuck is it that scroats love about Elvis impersonators?)

MartinBWFC wrote:

Culcheth_White wrote:My Mrs fancies going on an all inclusive holiday next year to maybe Turkey, or somewhere similar. We went to the Dominican Republic on an all inclusive holiday for our honeymoon, back in 1996.

The food was shit, we had the shits, the booze was watered down and I felt like a refugee queuing up most of the time and we didn't enjoy that particular experience back then.

I presume times have now changed, presumably for the better and can anybody recommend quality all inclusive hotels? (in Europe) Minimum of 4 stars and no chavs or rough family's thanks!  

I work in the holiday industry in the Dominican Republic, and can tell you now it's reputation has soared, the food is quality, and it's 24 hours food and drink should you want it, the beaches have improved, and the people are friendly, don't waste your money going to Europe when for a similar cost you can get the Caribbean.

We stayed at the Hamaca Beach resort in Boca Chica. There were loads of Puerta Rican's there when we went. They were truly horrible people, they barged to the front of the que's, they were so rude and obnoxious and they even started to serve themselves, one night in a bar.

I'll never understand the "england abroad" holiday.

where you go abroad and then just do all the things you do at home.

go to the pub, have fish and chips and a fight.

is it really worth spending cash to do that?

I've done all-inclusive holidays before when holidaying with the kids and it always depends on the place - and your personal preferences & tolerances. Personally I like most foreign food and can tolerate the "anglicised versions" you get in many places, although i only do 5 star and above (5 star usually equals 4 star!) and most have a wide enough range of choice to accommodate all but the fussiest of eaters.
Free booze 24/7 is a good thing, but you have to accept that you'll get the local brew. Beer is inevitably some form of watery lager but the good news is you can have as much as you want. Spirits vary from the undrinkable to rocket fuel and my personal preference is the local rocket fuel. I always expect to go out for meals locally a few times and give the all-inclusive a miss from time to time. Most all inclusives have "specialist restaurants" which punters can visit say a couple of times a week FOC and they vary enormously. The Italian in a hotel in Egypt I stayed at a couple of months ago was up there with the best Italian restaurants I've ever been in anywhere in the world - the Indian was shit.
If you choose carefully (at least 5 star as a minimum requirement) and are reasonably open-minded about food, and you're not another whingeing Brit, there are great deals to be had especially if you've got kids in tow. Because all-inclusives tend to be very geared to families and there is usually plenty for kids to do. I'm happy to chill out, do sports, go to the gym and eat whatever I fancy (no not the receptionist)
The only time I've ever complained was some years ago in Turkey where they had an "animation team" and the lads who were about 19 were more interested in getting into my daughters pants than anything else. Ok she's blonde and fit but she was 15 at the time. One lad showed me his gallery of conquests that summer on his phone and they were nearly all British girls impressed by being hit on by a 19 year old. More than half of them were as young as 13. I was not impressed.
But if you can deal with the food, the watery booze (stick to spirits) and the rutting teenagers, all-inclusives can be OK for everyone, so I wouldn't rule them out.
BTW Trip Advisor is a load of shit for the most part.

Culcheth_White wrote:

MartinBWFC wrote:

Culcheth_White wrote:My Mrs fancies going on an all inclusive holiday next year to maybe Turkey, or somewhere similar. We went to the Dominican Republic on an all inclusive holiday for our honeymoon, back in 1996.

The food was shit, we had the shits, the booze was watered down and I felt like a refugee queuing up most of the time and we didn't enjoy that particular experience back then.

I presume times have now changed, presumably for the better and can anybody recommend quality all inclusive hotels? (in Europe) Minimum of 4 stars and no chavs or rough family's thanks!  

I work in the holiday industry in the Dominican Republic, and can tell you now it's reputation has soared, the food is quality, and it's 24 hours food and drink should you want it, the beaches have improved, and the people are friendly, don't waste your money going to Europe when for a similar cost you can get the Caribbean.

We stayed at the Hamaca Beach resort in Boca Chica. There were loads of Puerta Rican's there when we went. They were truly horrible people, they barged to the front of the que's, they were so rude and obnoxious and they even started to serve themselves, one night in a bar.

Boca Chica is no longer in British brochures, the areas for Brits are Puerto Plata, Bavaro, and Samana, all hotels are 4* and above.

wanderlust wrote:The only time I've ever complained was some years ago in Turkey where they had an "animation team" and the lads who were about 19 were more interested in getting into my daughters pants than anything else. One lad showed me his gallery of conquests that summer on his phone and they were nearly all British girls impressed by being hit on by a 19 year old. More than half of them were as young as 13.

Didn't you know?
All Turkish men are smarmy greasy haired pedophiles... hate the country, needs a good bombing IMO

Vowed never to go back to turkey after a trip in 89. Bunch of leering, sex starved wankers! Horrible people.

I'm currently on my 5th holiday in Turkey.

The secret to a Turkish holiday is to not expect the locals to be honest or ethical. That way you won't be disappointed. The truth is they're incredibly friendly, albeit intimidating in some ways.

I went all inclusive for the first time last year in Marmaris and found it took a lot of the fun out of the experience, i.e. going out for tea at night etc. What's worst about not self-catering for me is the lack of basic facilities like a fridge and kitchenette. We're half board this time and have to make do without a fridge in 40+ degree heat.

If it's a holiday for next year then get an apartment or villa.

Make your own breakfast and eat out the rest of the day.

They are quite cheap in Bulgaria (which is quite near Turkey and without Mussies pestering you).

Black Sea coast.......

http://www.ownersdirect.co.uk/search_results.asp?min_beds_tint=2&max_beds_tint=2&min_sleeps_tint=0&max_sleeps_tint=0&sortby=&property_type_char%5B%5D=14&submit=GO%21&country_id_vchar=38%7CBulgaria®ion_id_vchar=160%7CBlack+Sea+Coast&return=search_results.asp&class=advanced&F=1

Hipster_Nebula wrote:I'll never understand the "england abroad" holiday.

where you go abroad and then just do all the things you do at home.

go to the pub, have fish and chips and a fight.

I've tried hard to imagine you having a fight, but I just see a poodle humping a lamppost.

Copper Dragon wrote:If it's a holiday for next year then get an apartment or villa.

Make your own breakfast and eat out the rest of the day.

They are quite cheap in Bulgaria (which is quite near Turkey and without Mussies pestering you).

Black Sea coast.......

http://www.ownersdirect.co.uk/search_results.asp?min_beds_tint=2&max_beds_tint=2&min_sleeps_tint=0&max_sleeps_tint=0&sortby=&property_type_char%5B%5D=14&submit=GO%21&country_id_vchar=38%7CBulgaria®ion_id_vchar=160%7CBlack+Sea+Coast&return=search_results.asp&class=advanced&F=1

Natasha has great experience of Bulgarian villas!
(ps welcome back Nats!)

Nat seam's to be on fire tonight, O sorry that's her bush.

Natasha Whittam wrote:

Hipster_Nebula wrote:I'll never understand the "england abroad" holiday.

where you go abroad and then just do all the things you do at home.

go to the pub, have fish and chips and a fight.

I've tried hard to imagine you having a fight, but I just see a poodle humping a lamppost.

well that was my point, i wouldn't have a fight. I would much rather hump a lamppost.