Who doesn’t love a vacation? I love all kinds of vacations! If you’re planning on taking a vacation, an all-inclusive resort might be an option. I recently took a trip for my birthday to Mexico, where I stayed at an all-inclusive resort. I’ve taken trips where I’ve stayed at Air BnB’s, hotels, hostels, and all-inclusive resorts. In this blog post, I’ll be talking about some of the pros and the cons of staying at an all-inclusive resort.
Pro’s
Affordability
An all-inclusive may be more affordable for your situation. You could get a 4-5 star all-inclusive for under $800 per person. That means it includes your room, your flight, and your food. In most cases if you have children they can stay free under a certain age, so you would only need to pay for their flight. Some all-inclusive also offer excursions and water sports with their packages.
Safety
No matter where you travel you should always be aware of your surroundings, but at an all-inclusive, for the most part, you feel pretty safe. There is security and plenty of hotel staff if you have a problem or you need anything. One of the main reasons I chose to go to an all-inclusive this last time around was because of safety. I wanted to make sure I was staying somewhere safe and that was following COVID 19 safety precautions. The staff in Mexico were excellent! They made sure to have staff cleaning around the clock, taking temperatures of guests at different entry points, and kindly reminding people to wear their masks. The all-inclusive was also at about 20% capacity, so I felt very safe in terms of COVID 19.
Relaxing
Everything is available to you at the all-inclusive, so you essentially don’t have to lift a finger. The staff was excellent at keeping us entertained and bringing us drinks or alcoholic drinks whenever we wanted more. There are beaches and pools all on the same property, so you can choose your adventure. If you need something there’s usually a gift shop that carries essentials. The food usually consists of a buffet, poolside grill, and specialty restaurants at night that you might have to reserve. Other amenities onsite are usually a spa, beauty salon, gym, kids corner, clubs, and bars, etc. Again because everything is right there for you it’s very relaxing because you don’t have to think about much.
Excursion Planning On-site
They have designated people on site ready to tell you about all of the excursions available. They are pricier than if you were to go to the sites on your own, but they are also guaranteeing your safety.
Con’s
Food and Alcohol
The food can be hit or miss depending on the all-inclusive. For the most part, there will be something you like because of the variety of food they usually have to accommodate all different taste buds. I think the food is pretty good for the price that your paying, but I would much rather enjoy trying different foods from the authentic restaurants around us. If we are staying at an all-inclusive we try to go to at least one authentic restaurant outside of the resort, but if you’re trying to save some money that might not be an option for you.
Nightlife
The nightlife at the resort can also be a hit or miss. Some of the factors depend on the time of year, the capacity, the location, etc. The bars and clubs are usually fun if there are lots of people at the hotel. Because of COVID 19, some of the resorts’ usual activities aren’t available. You can always leave your resort, but of course, that comes with more costs like an uber or taxi ride.
Excursions are not included
The excursions are pretty pricey. Like I mentioned before some of the excursions or water sports are included, but most of them are not. If you go into the city to explore it can cost you a lot of money depending on where you are.
I have to say that my favorite trips are the ones that aren’t all-inclusive, but depending on the circumstances I would still choose to stay at one. The biggest pros for me are the price is usually right and the security of being at an all-inclusive. I also appreciate the relaxation I feel about being at a resort. The major con’s for me is the food and not leaving the resort as much to explore. One of the main reasons I love to travel is to try the foods and experience the culture. Being at an all-inclusive just doesn’t fully do it for me. For these reasons I try to budget some activities outside the resort and trying out new restaurants. I’d love to hear if you’re planning any future trips and if this post helped you decide! Don’t be afraid to ask any questions, or leave some comments below 🙂