People want to know exactly how much a trip will cost. No fretting about racking up hefty bar and food bills, or any other unexpected surprises.
Statistics from travel association Abta show a steady growth in all-inclusive holidays – those with food and drink thrown in – and they now make up roughly one-in- three package trips.
But are you actually better off booking a B&B break and then eating out, plus paying for your own drinks at the bar?
Angela Epstein stayed at the 900-room Wyndham Grand hotel in Mirabello Bay, Crete
There was only one way to find out – on a trip to the 900-room Wyndham Grand Crete Mirabello Bay on the north-east coast of Crete in Greece.
Here’s what we discovered on a holiday that was half all-inclusive, and half B&B.
All inclusive… buffet bonanza and drinks at the sip ‘n’ dip bar
Ms Epstein at the Wyndham Hotel, Crete
In the queue for the salad bar, it’s hard to resist taking a peek at the plate of the guest in front: chargrilled fish, pasta, spring rolls, spaghetti, cheesy broccoli, chips and – somewhat randomly – a chocolate truffle and slice of watermelon on top.
What a spread. My fellow diner (like us) is wearing a blue wristband: a sign they’ve signed up on an all-inclusive tariff. At the Wyndham, this covers all meals plus endless drinks – including the deadly ‘local’ cocktail, a blend of raki and metaxa – and all you can eat from an afternoon snack trolley offering pizza, cake, fruit and wraps.
In other words: you pay your money and strap on that nosebag.
For the first three days of our stay, my husband Martin and I have decided to go all-in for the all-inclusive.
The Wyndham is modern and smart, featuring four pools, a waterpark, two private beaches and wonderful staff. There’s plenty of space. The only time it becomes busy is at the main Amalthea restaurant, with its open-plan kitchen and live cooking stations serving just about every type of food.
We quickly feel the lure of the buffet – and it’s a test of willpower to go out and explore.
This we do, though, on one day – after gobbling a quick, hefty lunch at the buffet (well, it’s ‘free’) – and hire a car to visit some lovely nearby villages including Kritsa, which cleaves into a rocky hillside. We love pootling through silvery olive groves and exploring tiny hamlets.
Yet we find ourselves getting tense around 7pm, even though the sun is still up. Why? Because dinner at the hotel finishes at 9.30pm (on the dot!).
So, regretfully, even though it would have been nice to stay and eat among the locals, we head back.
Angela and husband Martin hire bikes for a guided tour into the mountains from the hotel
Yet we are only too glad to be all-inclusive on the day we hire bikes for a spectacular guided tour into the mountains from the hotel.
This lasts three glorious but energetic hours, until 6pm. So it’s a relief to return, pink-faced and exhausted, knowing we don’t have to go out again.
Time for a dip in the pool followed by an ‘on the tab’ (free) cocktail . . . before returning to the main restaurant and attacking the buffet with impunity (and gusto). Having ridden so many miles, we’ve earned the right to a blow-out.
Alcohol is a big part of going all-inclusive. Neither of us are big drinkers, though temptations are everywhere. The largest of these is the Sip ‘n’ Dip pool bar where you can enjoy sparkling wine while idling in the water.
We soon find ourselves downing cocktails or glasses of ouzo before dinner – where wine is included for those who want it – and then even more after we’ve eaten. And why not? It’s all-inclusive.
Going B&B… sneaky sarnies and taverna
Switching to a B&B tariff after three indulgent days requires a change in mindset. The temptation for over-indulgence at lunch and dinner buffets is gone (unless we pay £25 each per meal).
We quickly feel the lure of the buffet, Angela writes, and it’s a test of willpower to go out and explore. This we do, though – after gobbling a quick, hefty lunch at the hotel buffet
Our new-found ‘freedom’ is almost disorientating. B&B-ers, we notice, seem to be in the minority, and there’s a faint feeling of FOMO.
As the ‘blue banders’ sail to and fro from the hotel beach bar for endless ‘free’ drinks, we venture to the supermarket across the road to keep costs down. Inevitably, on site beverages are sold at a premium.
I know we shouldn’t, but one day we save on lunch by making a sandwiches from the breakfast buffet, squirrelling our stash into a beach bag. It feels a bit grubby, but having secured a good spot on the beach and with no need to pay £25 a head for lunch, it seems like the smart alternative.
For dinner, we leave the hotel. One time we go to a taverna where the owner, an octogenarian Greek lady, takes ages to serve and the food is rather unexceptional. But the air smells of pine and the atmosphere more than compensates.
As for the alcohol, it is something of a relief to cut back on what we drink. Yet given that the night air is warm and balmy and the atmosphere decidedly laidback, we feel like indulging in a drop or two.
But rather than pay £10 – even if it means forgoing the entertainment at the beach bar – we dash across the road to the supermarket to stock up on ouzo, crisps and nuts.
Yes, we do feel like a couple of winos as we scurry back and repair to our balcony for our own ‘lock-in’. But at least we can still listen to the music drifting up from the bar below.
The verdict
All inclusive: £239 a night.
B&B: £175 a night, plus £60 a day on food and drink by living modestly.
(Prices based on double occupancy in October).
It depends how much you eat and drink. We are not big drinkers and so it worked out almost exactly the same price by going B&B rather than all-inclusive.
Yes, it’s a joy not to sign a piece of paper everytime you order a drink but, conversely, an all-inclusive is not great for your liver or your weight.
So you need to work out what sort of holiday you want. If it’s a blow-out, then go all-inclusive; if you’re looking for a more measured experience, go B&B.
