Okay guys, so this is a topic I’ve wanted to broach for some time now… The vacations that are almost always on your mind – the all-inclusive vacation. I’ve been itching to share not only the answers to your most frequently asked questions, but also to dispel some of the most common myths about them.
I can’t even count the number of times I’ve been approached about a trip and a wishful traveler explains their dream vacation, then ends the conversation with “Oh! And it has to be all-inclusive!”
Does it really though? Are you sure? I mean, I get it. Everyone wants a carefree, worry free vacation where they’re not constantly thinking about how much money they’re spending and pulling out their wallet every 5 minutes. And those vacations have their place! There are times when that is the right vacation for you.
But there are also times when everything else you’re wanting in a vacation just doesn’t equal all-inclusive resort. Generally, you can’t have a super local, authentic experience and be staying at an all-inclusive resort. You can’t want to see and do everything and stay at an all-inclusive resort. And (for reasons I’ll explain later), you just can’t get all-inclusive resorts in any destination, like the US or the US Virgin Islands, for example. Hell, even “good food” and “all-inclusive” can’t coexist in most cases.
Sometimes, you’re just going to have to ask yourself – what’s more important? Having high quality cuisine and cocktails or an all-inclusive experience? Exploring a destination like a local or having everything pre-paid on your vacation?
The biggest thing to understand is that all-inclusive resorts exist in destinations where the labor laws aren’t the same as they are here in the US. The ratio of staff to guests is surprising, and in order to be able to pay that many people, they can’t be paying the US standard wages to everyone. That’s why there really aren’t AIs in the US or more economically advanced countries. They wouldn’t be able to afford to pay everyone the wages that are required by law; but also, the cost of living in many of those places is a lot lower. It’s sad, but it’s true.
The other thing is that food at an all-inclusive resort is typically prepared for large numbers of people at one time. The only way to have carefully curated, thoughtfully flavored and sourced cuisine, would be to have it being prepared on a smaller scale. Hence why most all-inclusive resorts just have food that gets the job done, and not necessarily anything to write home about.
A common assumption a lot of people have is that if they go to Mexico and stay at a non-all-inclusive resort, the cost will be cheaper because you’re not paying for meals and drinks in the room rate. Wrong-o! The cost is often the same or even more than staying at an all-inclusive, but the reason is because the experience is authentic, locally-sourced, and quality-controlled.
They bring in experienced, knowledgeable chefs, mixologists, and quality materials for the hotel property, whereas most all-inclusives are full of Ikea furniture. They spend the money to hire true maintenance repairmen, trained watersports instructors and fitness administrators, and the list goes on… Sometimes people that have the skills to do a job to a certain standard can’t be found in the immediate location, so they need to be brought in from elsewhere, and that costs $$$.
The best bang for your buck when it comes to an all-inclusive resort is to go to Mexico, the Dominican Republic, or Jamaica. But when you go to an AI in one of these places, just be aware that you might as well be anywhere. There isn’t a ton that differentiates them and if you’re staying at one, I don’t really think the destination itself is all that important. To really experience the truest and the best that a place has to offer, sometimes you just have to think outside your comfort zone and try something new.
Don’t get me wrong. I love a good all-inclusive resort, and I have spent much of my adult life sniffing out the good ones (by all-inclusive standards) to recommend for my clients. So when you just want to get away and relax without a care in the world, I’ve got the resorts that do AI best to share with you.
But when you truly want to see and feel the heartbeat of a country, I’d be thrilled to help you experience the difference I’m talking about.
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