Are All-Inclusive Resorts Worth It? Everything You Need to Know

The premise of unlimited access to food, drinks and entertainment at a resort for a flat fee does sound alluring, but is an all-inclusive resort worth it? Here’s what to expect from an all-inclusive resort and how to determine if it’s the right choice for your next vacation.

What Kind of Vacationer Are You?

The first two questions you should ask yourself is:

What kind of vacation do I want?
How much do I drink?

It all boils down to the style of vacation you want. For those looking to relax and enjoy the sun, an all-inclusive resort is a great option for a vacation with minimal planning. However, for a traveler who prefers to explore other cultures and communities, you won’t get much value of an all-inclusive resort as you’d most likely opt to explore off the property, leaving the hotel in the morning, seeing local sights and eating in local restaurants.

The promise of unlimited alcohol is what draws many people to book with an all-inclusive resort, and it does come in bottomless supply: cocktails like piña colada and house wines are typically included. For those who enjoy to drink on their vacation, the price of drinks and food basically make it worth it — you can simply enjoy the sun and sand, and have cocktails while doing it! Everyone is in a great mood and it’s just a relaxed, fun time.

Beware Of Add-Ons

“All” doesn’t always mean everything. It’s ‘all inclusive’ with an asterisk. Every guest is given a wristband upon check in, where they can pay for à la carte items or services after topping up with credit on a credit or debit card.

Be prepared to shell out extra if you’re going for more premium drinks, like champagne in the à la carte menu, or food, like lobster which might include an extra supplement.

All-inclusive resorts also charge an extra fee that’s common among other hotels — a “resort fee” or “convenience fee,” that can be as high as $30 per night — and which usually isn’t included in the advertised prices.

Gratuity is usually included in all-inclusive packages.

What to Consider If You Find a Cheap Deal
Deep discounts on all-inclusive resorts appear frequently on travel-deal websites, often because they are “last minute deals”. Just keep in mind to do your research because you do get what you pay for.

Unfortunate weather can often be a part of the package. The lowest prices tend to be found during hurricane season, so be sure to do research on the weather at your destination. In the Caribbean, hurricane season runs from May to October.

The cheaper deals also may mean not-as-nice resorts and cheaper food and booze.

Book Directly
Since resorts want to be competitive, they’ll often match whatever’s on the discount sites. Call the resort directly to see if they can match the deal, get you something better, or inform you if there are any problems with the deal — like a less-than-premium room.

Group Travel
Having everything taken care of means that there won’t be one person in the squad bogged down with planning everything.

The Best Time To Book
If you decided that an all-inclusive is right for you, try your best to stay away from booking from the summer high season (around July and August) to avoid a resort packed with kids (you can also search Adults Only resorts). The period between May to June and September to October — when school’s in session and the weather is still pleasant — is the best time to experience all-inclusive resorts.

Essential Travel Gear

If you find my suggestions helpful, then you may like these items I travel to every destination with!

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