Do you know what is included in an all-inclusive? It’s an impossible question to answer because a standard all-inclusive property doesn’t exist.
Typically, it refers to all meals and unlimited drinks, but in many resorts that means buffet breakfasts, lunches and dinners and local alcohol only.
In the Caribbean, most all-inclusive resorts charge for motorised water sports. Outside the region, only land-based activities such as tennis and table tennis are included in the price. Exceptions include Mark Warner and Neilson’s BeachPlus brand, although they charge for drinks instead.
The all-inclusive term has been so misused since it was introduced by SuperClubs in 1976 that a few years ago the company rebranded its resorts ‘Super-Inclusive’ to differentiate them from the rest.
At a Super-Inclusive resort, the price includes top-brand cocktails, unlimited use of all sport facilities and instruction, some spa treatments where available and even weddings.
Other all-inclusive brands are not far behind. Club Med has introduced ‘Total all-inclusive packages’. At both Sandals and Beaches resorts you can eat, drink and be active during your holiday without shelling out any more cash – not even for scuba diving.
Savvy agents should carefully check a brochure’s small print to check exactly what their clients are getting in their all-inclusive holiday.
We take a look at what’s in and out when it comes to money at a selection of all-inclusives.
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Sandals
All-inclusive policy: all Sandals and Beaches properties are offered on the same inclusive basis, although facilities may differ slightly between resorts.
Property: Beaches Negril Resort and Spa, Jamaica.
What’s included:
- Wining and dining: buffet breakfast and lunch, dinner at a choice of five restaurants, a beach grill and 24-hour snack service. Unlimited branded and locally produced alcoholic drinks and all soft drinks.
- Sports: snorkelling, waterskiing, windsurfing, sailing, canoeing, water trampoline, banana boats and scuba diving. Use of the sauna, steam baths and plunge pools, tennis, volleyball, basketball, table tennis and pool.
- Activities: Kids Kamp, for children from tots to teens, nursery for under twos and nightly entertainment.
What’s not: spa treatments with massages from £36 or a body polish/scrub from £47. Private babysitting services start from £5 per hour.
Sample product: Thomas Cook Signature offers seven nights at Beaches Negril from £1,339 per person all-inclusive as detailed, including flights.
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SuperClubs
All-inclusive policy: most resorts come under the Super-Inclusive Grand Lido or Breezes brands, but there is also a less-inclusive three-star Starfish brand in Jamaica and Brazil.
Property: SuperClubs Breezes Bahamas.
What’s included:
- Wining and dining: buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner, à la carte dinner in Pastafari, an Italian, or Garden of Eden, on loveseat tables for two, and 24-hour snacks. All drinks.
- Sports: windsurfing, sailing, kayaking, waterskiing and pool volleyball. Free scuba-diving classes for beginners in the pool. Bicycle tours, basketball, tennis lessons and table tennis, a fully equipped fitness centre and instructor.
- Activities: sumo wrestling, rock climbing, wall and body-painting contests; live entertainment, including karaoke steel bands
and a disco.
What’s not: golf at the Cable Beach Golf Course: £38 green fee, £28 cart fee, £67 for the 18-hole golf course.
Sample product: Virgin Holidays offers seven nights at SuperClubs Breezes Bahamas from £1,089 per person all-inclusive as
detailed, with flights.
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Neilson BeachPlus
All-inclusive policy: all three resorts in the brochure are offered on the same basis.
Property: The Anastasia, Halkidiki, Greece.
What’s included:
- Wining and dining: breakfast and lunch every day, four evening meals.
- Sports: waterskiing and wakeboarding, sailing with RYA tuition, windsurfing with RYA tuition, ‘try dive’ in swimming pool, kayaking, snorkelling. tennis, mountain biking, yoga and fitness classes, volleyball, table tennis, use of small gym.
- Activities: children’s club, split into groups from two to teens (during school holidays only). Prebook to guarantee space.
What’s not: all drinks, starfish baby and toddler group (£230 per week, £400 two weeks), tennis lessons (£20 per person per hour), use of the spa centre (£7 a day, £30 for the week), one-day Discover Scuba course (£35), four-day PADI Open Water Diving Course (£240).
Sample product: seven nights start at £589 per person with meals and activities as detailed and flights.
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Mark Warner
All-inclusive policy: all resorts operate on the same semi-inclusive basis.
Property: San Agostino, Greece.
What’s included:
- Wining and dining: buffet-style breakfast, lunch and dinner in the main restaurant. Red and white wine at lunch and dinner.
- Sports: sailing, windsurfing, introductory scuba dive, canoeing, waterpolo, tennis, aerobics classes, table tennis and badminton.
- Activities: Mini, Junior, Kidz and Indy clubs for children aged from three to 17; Toddler 2 Club for two year olds.
What’s not: waterskiing and wakeboarding at £17 per tow, tennis lessons from £50 for four one-hour group lessons, scuba diving from £95 for a one-day beginner’s course; PADI Open Water Dive Course from £315, kite surfing from £20; RYA sailing and windsurfing courses from £50 per person, private sailing or windsurfing lesson at £55 per hour. Alcoholic and soft drinks from the bar, dinner at the taverna or pizzeria and treatments at the Viva salon. Baby and toddler clubs cost £250 and £220 per week respectively.
Sample product: seven nights all-inclusive at San Agostino start at £578 per person as detailed and flights.
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Cosmos
All-inclusive policy: operates a stand-alone, all-inclusive brochure featuring resorts in the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, the Algarve, Bulgaria and the Caribbean.
Property: Hotel Cambrils Playa, Salou, Spain.
What’s included:
- Wining and dining: buffet-style breakfast, lunch and dinner, snacks from 11am-1pm, 3pm-7pm and 9pm-11pm, unlimited locally produced alcohol and soft drinks at selected bars from 10am-midnight.
- Sports: tennis, table tennis, volleyball, mini golf, football, basketball and keep-fit.
- Activities: live entertainment including karaoke, disco and shows, Planet Kids children’s club for youngsters aged three to 11, which is open for two hours, six days a week and two hours for three evenings a week; daily courtesy bus to Salou five times a week.
What’s not: mini golf at £2, bungee from £3, trampoline from £2, windsurfing from £9 per hour, kayaking from £6 per hour, catamaran at £21 per hour, banana boat from £4 per hour and jet ski from £14 per 10 minutes.
Sample product: seven nights at the Hotel Cambrils Playa start at £515 per person all-inclusive as detailed, or £1,229 for a family of two adults and two children, including flights.
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First Choice
All-inclusive policy: offers a big choice of all-inclusive alongside standard bed and breakfast and half-board packages across its range.
Property: Club Hotel Dolphin, Sri Lanka.
What’s included:
- Wining and dining: all meals and snacks from 11am-1pm, 4pm-5pm and 11pm-midnight. Domestic brand alcoholic drinks, including beers, spirits and cocktails, from 10am-midnight.
- Sports: waterpolo, squash, crazy golf, mini-golf, table tennis, archery, volleyball, darts, croquet, canoeing, bicycle hire and badminton.
- Activities: evening entertainment programme including live music, folklore shows and a disco.
What’s not: wine and champagne about £15 and £42 per bottle respectively, lobster at dinner, drinks in the disco and karaoke bar, use of the beauty centre at the nearby Ranweli Hotel, pool table, Internet, use of safety deposit box.
Sample product: seven nights’ all-inclusive as detailed in a cottage room at the Club Hotel Dolphin cost from £649 per person in December.
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Thomas Cook
All-inclusive policy: offers a range of all-inclusive properties in long-haul destinations alongside traditional room-only and bed and breakfast deals.
Property: Dreams Beach Hotel, Sharm el-Sheikh.
What’s included:
- Wining and dining: buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner from the grill or main restaurants. Either one lunch or one dinner in the à la carte restaurant. Poolside snacks for lunch. Unlimited hot, soft and local alcoholic drinks.
- Sports: aerobics classes, basketball, football, archery, mini-golf, table tennis, waterpolo and volleyball.
- Activities: use of the spa including sauna, spa bath, gym and Turkish bath, kids’ club and regular evening entertainment.
What’s not: additional meals from My Place à la carte restaurant, the fishmarket restaurant, costing about £30 for a meal for two including wine, or the Love Boat bar and restaurant; tennis, diving at £40 a day, snorkelling at £3 a day and massage.
Sample product: seven nights at Dreams Beach Hotel start at £589 per person all-inclusive as detailed plus flights.
