Has anyone had any experience with All-inclusive resorts? Heading to mexico this weekend and staying in one of these resorts. Wondering what to expect in terms of service, food and drinks.
It’s worth it if you plan to stay on the resort to eat/drink all your meals but if you plan to venture off for most of your day it’s not really worth it. Have fun!
Agreed - I tend to avoid all-inclusive resorts as laying around on the beach and drinking is not my style. I like to seek adventure and experience the local culture when I’m on vacation and these resorts are built so that you don’t really need to leave. Also, if you choose to plan excursions through the resort, they generally charge a premium.
That said, they’re definitely an easy way to plan a vacation, and it’s nice to know you can eat and drink all you want.
make sure to read the reviews (trip advisor, expedia, etc) before you go so you know what to expect.
some places serve junk for food while others have pretty decent stuff at the buffett. also the reviews will tell you if there are any hidden gems in the resorts and give you advice where to eat and where the strongest drinks are.
speaking of drinks, i always tip a good amount the first few days and the bartenders hook it up for the rest of the week, most ppl dont tip which is why they get bad service.
i also slip in a $20 or $50 if i am looking for a room upgrade when i check in.
at dinner we tip $1 per person, so for 4 ppl it would be $4 of $5 bucks. if you sit at the same place in the buffett you will most likely get the same server all week.
if the resort has sit down resturants you have to get up super early to make reservations. most of the time they are free while others there is a small charge to eat there. i never found the food there to be that nuch better than the buffett.
As others have said, if you plan to spend a lot of time away from the resort then it’s not worth it. But, if you’re going someplace where you’re fine sticking to the resort it’s great. I did one down in St. Lucia and I’d do it again in a heartbeat. You can just walk up to the bar and grab a bottle of wine and head to the beach.
This time the plan is to stay there, read books and sip in, so thought to try all-inclusive.
I’ll keep in mind the above mentioned tips. Thanks!!
He must be one lucky guy.
Where in Mexico?
^ Cancun
I tell him that too 
That’s a tough city to stay in the resort. Lots to do in Cancun. Though, you may treat it differently than I did when I was 17 and went there for my senior trip.
Agree with STL, which is why I asked. You’re really doing yourself a disservice by not leaving the resort in Cancun. I’ve been there for spring break while in college and a few years ago with the Mrs. before the kids were born (technically the Mrs. and I were in Riviera Maya, not Cancun) and there is a ton of stuff to do in Cancun and the nearby areas. There are worse places to just sit on the beach or by the pool though. Have fun and remember the sunscreen. Also, be careful of drinks that have ice in them, as the ice is made from the local water supply and might not be purified.
I agree with most of igor’s points. I usually go once a year with my dad and we go to sit around and drink and go golfing. Places we go in Mexico the dinner reservation restaurants are typically much better than the buffet but that all depends on your hotel. Depending on the city, food in the city is good and cheap and its worth venturing out for a couple meals.
We’ll that’s disappointing. I thought the subject was ‘all inclusive escorts’.
What kind of stuff to do in cancun? I’m going with hubby and a kid. We are looking at doing snorkeling and other beach sports. Is there anything interesting that I’m missing out?
do not under any circumstances, drink water not from a water bottle. let me repeat …do not under any circumstances, drink water not from a water bottle.
the ice i believe is required to be purified so that should be fine
The resort area of Cancun itself is nice to walk around in. There are a couple of ancient cities nearby. Playa del Carmen is a nice day trip. There are a couple of water/ecological theme parks a bit south. A day trip to Cozumel or Isla Mujeres can be nice.
Resorts and big restaurants and clubs follow the rules, many smaller places do not.
OP - Have a great time. But…
I never understood the vacation to relax, read, sip drinks, hang out at the pool. My boss goes to Hawaii every year to read, drink and essentially do nothing. And he never leaves the resort. He flies 5 hours for essentially the same weather (I’m in So Cal), and pays through the nose for something he could do in his backyard.
Maybe I have the wrong attitude, but why would I travel hours away to another location when all the stuff I like to do (mtn bike, play piano, fly) is right here.
^ I largely agree with you, but you also live in SoCal. When its been -30 degrees for a couple weeks straight, the lure of such vacations increases dramatically. I typically have done SoCal in the winter as I prefer to do things and I’m not a big drinker/partier. Its not as warm as Mexico, but its still much much warmer than home. Doing such a vacation in summer makes no sense at all to me.