All-inclusive resort RAVES or RANTS! [Archive]

lil_geek

01-10-2006, 12:34 PM

Personally, I love them! Especially if you are looking for a relaxing vacation. With a few days of touring.

Generally on a week long all inclusive I will do 3 'day' trips. Usually include somthing like:
Catamarin Cruise with snorkelling
'Jungle' or Cross Country tour (usually they have mulitple stops at area parks, smaller off the track beaches, been to a cuban cigar factory, local museums etc)
City Tour (again, museums, some shopping, history, local stuff)
Bike Tours/walking tours/jet ski etc.

I like that I don't need to worry finding meals, spending more then I anticipated, etc. And I love spending a day or 2 at the beach and a day or 2 at the pool in between some mild touring.

It's not what I would do if you want to be 'submersed' in local culture.

Bbbethie

01-11-2006, 11:45 AM

DH and I have been to three all inclusives in the Riviera Maya area of Mexico. We don't really drink but have still found them to be a good value. We only leave the resort once or twice a week and spend the rest of the time reading and taking long walks on the beach. We'll definitely continue to visit AIs, but I think it all depends on what you're looking for in a vacation.

laurenc

01-11-2006, 01:45 PM

we went to Peter Island Resort (http://www.peterislandresort.com/) for our honeymoon. it was wonderful, everything we could have asked for and then some, but it was quite pricey. check out the website, and if you are interested, i'd be happy to answer specific questions if you have them...

Millie03

01-11-2006, 07:20 PM

We went to a Sandals resort in St. Lucia. I have mixed feelings about it.

I think they are excellent if you want to have a "no worry" vacation. You go, you don't have to worry about where to eat, activities, etc. And if you're a big drinker, definitely a deal.

But if you want to be part of the culture of wherever you go, then it's hard. We spent a fair amount on the resort and then if you wanted to do "outside" activities such as a bus tour of the island, horseback riding, etc., then you have to pay extra. And THAT'S not cheap. It costs money to get off the resort-so to speak.

As for our specific resort, the food was OK. And the drinks were never really good either but the resort itself was nice..the room was nice and the beach was beautiful.

So, I think it's all about what kind of experience you're looking for.

Layla

01-12-2006, 07:41 AM

Bbbethie - Which resorts in the Riviera Maya area of Mexico? That would definitely be an idea for us. DH would really love exploring the ruins! I've looked into Secrets, or something like that? Would you mind telling me your opinions?

cindylou

01-12-2006, 07:59 AM

We really love all inclusives. I have been to 6 AI's in Jamaica, St. Thomas and Mexico. My husband travels a lot for his job, so when we get to a destination, he just wants to lay around at the beach and do nothing. AI's make this really easy as they take care of everything for you. You don't have to worry about what you're going to do for dinner or fishing money out of your bag while at the beach to pay for that pina colada. If you want chips and guac at the pool you just go over and get some! When we are on vacation we don't want to think which makes AI's perfect for us. And we do like to have some cockails on vacation, so we probably save money there as well. We usually go eat in town away from the resort at least twice during our stay. I do alot of research before we travel, so we have some ideas on restaurants before we go. So I guess I would say it depends on what kind of vacationer you are. If you like to explore and try local cuisine, maybe all inclusives aren't the answer. But if you like to sit on your butt at the pool or beach and have a waiter bring you cockails with out even having to ask, then AI's are the thing for you. If you do want to try an AI, do a lot of research first. (This website (http://www.tripadvisor.com/) is a good place to start) The food can be bad at some and the old addage of you get what you pay for runs true.

I have been to 2 places in Playa del Carmen. Grand Coco Bay and Royal Porto Real. The Royal Porto was awesome. It is in town a few blocks from 5th Ave. Beautiful place and excellent food. I would go back in a second! The Grand Coco Bay is further from downtown Playa but has one of the nicest beaches ever. The food wasn't nearly as good, but we got a great deal for this trip so that kind of made up for it. This (http://www.playa.info/playa-del-carmen-forum/all-inclusive-big-resorts/) website can be really helpful too...

If you have any questions, I'd be happy to help. :)

Bbbethie

01-12-2006, 09:01 AM

Layla We've been to the Bahia Principe Tulum, the Copacabana, and Sunscape Tulum. All three had their perks and disadvantages. It all depends on what is most important to you in a vacation...food, beaches, entertainment, seclusion, nightlife?

Vishenka69

01-12-2006, 09:02 AM

Raves - Iberostar in Playa del Carmen (both are part of the same complex, same beach, same restaurants, etc.), Golden Crown Paradise in Puerta Vallarta, Carribean Village in Cancun (not sure if it still exists).

Rants - RUI in Punta Cana.

While we loved all our Mexican vacations, we really didn't like Dominican Republic at all. The hotels in Puerta Vallarta are a lot more integrated into the town, which has been a resort town for Mexicans long before it became an international destination. I found Playa del Carmen resorts to be more secluded but also prettier in terms of lots of lush vegetation. Cancun was too college'y and tourist'y.

cr8zyforaf

01-12-2006, 09:06 AM

I will second the RANT for the Dominican Republic - specifically RUI in Punta Canta - we went there for our honeymoon and it was the worst 7 days of our lives.

Kates

01-12-2006, 12:44 PM

cr8zyforaf and Vishenka69, can I ask what the rants were for Riu Punta Cana? Was it the hotel or the area?
We stayed at the Riu Tequilla in Playa del Carmen and LOVED it. We would probably go back to a Riu resort if we went AI again.

lil_geek

01-12-2006, 01:08 PM

I'm also curious.....

FH has had 2 people in the last week tell him the Riu Punta Cana (mecico?) was great!

leftrightrepeat

01-12-2006, 01:20 PM

We went to the Royal Hideaway on the Mayan Riviera for our honeymoon and it was heavan on earth!!! I have posted about it a million times on here, so I won't repeat everything I've said, but if you search all posts made by me, you'll find my review. It was seriously 7 of the BEST days of my life - and I am picky when it comes to hotels!!! It is also on the list of the "leading hotels of the world", which many AI's are not. And it doesn't cost a fortune to go, and once we were there we never pulled out our wallets once. Ohhh, I could go on and on.... :D

PM if you have specific questions, and I would be more than happy to answer them!

angelmia

01-12-2006, 08:20 PM

Definetely try Iberostar in Playa del Carmen. Which isn't in the actual Playa del Carmen town but on the Riviera Maya. (From Cancun to Tulum there's a straight line, this line is the Riviera Maya, before getting to Tulum you pass by Playa del Carmen). I personally don't like Playa del Carmen for many reasons:
1) if you go for the fun and touristy stuff, bars and clubs, you have just 1 street to pick from. So you are better in Cancun.
2)If you go for the "authentic" stuff: It sells itself as the "bohemian folk one" but is sooo manicured and way over priced. And the entire town is owned by italians with mexican workers playing the "authentic part"
3)If you go for the beach: The beach is way better in the Riviera or Tulum.
4)If you go for the views or isolation: I would go to Isla Mujeres or even better Isla Holbox.

For the number 1 i totally recommend the RIU Palace if you are looking for fun, if you want to be secluded but with option for fun go further in boulevard Kukulkan and you'll find huge resorts with amazing beaches. Recommend Le Meridien (although pricey) or Grand Melia. American agencies name just very few of the ones that actually exists, but with a little bit of google search you'll find them all.

For the number 2, go to Iberostar Playa del Carmen, even though the name says so is not in the town. And if you stay there, avoid Iberostar Tucan or Quetzal, go to Paraiso Lindo. They are 3 hotels connected in one, share the restaurants, pools, beach but the last one is the less advertised and the most beautiful of all of them. I highly recommend this one. They all have different management and everything. But the same price.

For the islands. Holbox and Isla Mujeres don't have AI, but if you go to Cozumel I would recommend the Allegro ones. Very popular in Europe though so you'll find old naked people around :p

Just some recommendations if you want to go to just lay down and relax.

Secret_Squirrel

01-13-2006, 05:04 PM

Very popular in Europe though so you'll find old naked people around...

A bit OT, but I love the European beaches with the old naked people around - it makes me feel a lot better about myself in a swimsuit!

angelmia

01-13-2006, 05:12 PM

Me too!! isn't it? And it's so funny, cause Cozumel and the secluded AI at the Riviera are specially popular among people already enjoying retirement and you find elderly naked bodies getting drunk and having fun. That just cracks me up!!..hehehehe. :D

rosa727

01-17-2006, 07:19 AM

I have to mention the Riviera Maya too. We have been to AIs there twice and loved it. We went to the Royal Hideaway in 2004 and that place is AMAZING!!! It gets great reviews everywhere and is the only AI on the "Leading Hotels of the World" list. It is very affordable for the amount of luxury you get (top shelf liquor, very gourmet food, big rooms, marble floors, amazing service). There are little pools hidden all over the resort that are so romantic. They all have jacuzzis too.

We also stayed at Secrets Capri (also in the Riviera Maya) a few months ago and thought that was great too. It is a bit cheaper than the Royal Hideaway but still has great food, top-shelf liquor, a beautiful, quiet beach, etc. I have lots of pictures in my journal.

Both of those were adult-only, which we loved and would highly recommend. It is quiet, peaceful, and there is always room in the pool. There are no kids crawling on you.

Last year we also went to Sunscape Punta Cana Grand in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic and while the area is gorgeous, the hotel was definitely not top-notch. But, in all fairness, the place was dirt-cheap. We still had a lot of fun, but it was not a plce I would have picked on my own (our friends were getting married there). The food was mixed (some restaurants were good, others not so great), liquor was only domestic, service was mixed, rooms needed updating.

But both those other resorts were in tip-top shape and great places to stay.

We like AIs for just relaxing and not having any stress. You can always take several excursions to see the area more and there is always tons to do at these resorts (games, snorkeling, kayaks, bikes).

If you have any questions about any of the places I mentioned, feel free to ask!

MrsD108

01-17-2006, 11:04 AM

I was hoping if you girls could point me in the right direction. This friday I have to put down our deposit for Riviera Maya and I have 5 different All inclusive places RIU Palace Mexico (which includes RIU Tequila, Yuctan & Playacar), Iberostar Paraiso Lindo, Grand Palladium Colonial & Kantenah Resort & Spa and The Occidental Grand XCaret.
We were going to stay in the US but after we weighed the difference and $ amounts the Riviera Maya sounds so much better and the RIUs are the most expense and the most it would cost is $2400. I really like what the RIU Palace Mexico has to offer (food, drinks, hotel, plane, snorkeling, windsurfing, sailing & kayaks all included). I just need advice if you have been there and what was a better place to stay. Thanks for any suggestions you might have.

Vishenka69

01-18-2006, 08:33 AM

I think the reason we didn't like RIU in Punta Cana is mostly because of DR and not RIU per se. The hotel itself was very pretty and well laid out, the beach was nice but horribly overcrowded with everyone sitting on top of each other. We wouldn't be so much bothered by this if half of the people on the beach weren't half naked old Germans. I can deal with topless old women but old men in g-strings just grossed me out. It was hard to enjoy the sand, the sun and the water with so much jiggling of droopy flesh around.

But we also had problems with the food, drinks and service. Granted we totally recognize that we're spoiled Americans, who expect service to be at a certain level (but we never had any problems with this in Mexico). But it seemed that since the resort (and DR in general) tend to cater to Canadians and Germans, it just wasn't what we're used to. For example, most of the signs were in Spanish/German/French. There was nothing in English anywhere and the staff either didn't speak English or spoke it very badly.

As far as the food and drinks - we were fighting over the bathroom the entire time we were there. There was no way to avoid getting sick, unless we would stop eating and drinking at the resort. Absolutely everything was diluted by bad water (soda, juice, wine, beer, etc.). On top of that the food was bland and boring (everyday same thing), in order to reserve a specialty restaurant DH had to wake up at 7am and stand in line. All the alcohol was domestic and the drinks tasted just terrible.

The bottom line - aside from pretty scenery and nice room, we hated everything else. We stayed in the 5 star one (there're 3 or 4 hotels in the compound) and often ate at the 6 star one but the food there made us sick too.

pride&prejudice

01-24-2006, 10:07 AM

DH and I loved Secrets Excellence in Rivera Mya, we went there for our honeymoon. We did about 3 days of touring, and then spent the rest at the resort.

The food and drinks were excellent, you didn't have to sign up ahead of time for meals, it was first come first serve, and the most we had was a 20 minute wait for the French Restaurant (everyone was raving about it, but it was our least favortie, probably because neither one of us is a fan of French cusine).

We loved how much less of a hassel it was, and that's what we wanted for the honeymoon.

MES in Chicago

01-28-2006, 09:21 PM

So far our favorite was where we honeymoon at Couples Negril in Jamacia. We felt like royalty as the service was extraordinary. Everyone remembered what you liked to drink, where you liked to sit in the dining room, etc. The grounds were beautifully maintained, the pool was fabulous and the beach was nice as well. The best thing about the pool are the chairs have foam cushions that double as lounge floats in the pool. The pool also has a fabulous swim up bar with great bartendars. We did not have one bad meal while we were there and all the liquor is top shelf. Let me know if you have any questions.

isign

03-07-2006, 06:07 PM

*bump*

We're looking for an AI that's not beach oriented - any help is appreciated.

rosa727

03-14-2006, 07:26 AM

Did anyone stay at an AI in the Dominican Republic that they loved? We have been to the DR (Punta Cana) and know we like it, so that's not an issue. We wanted to go to Secrets Excellence, since we have stayed at the Secrets in the Riviera Maya and loved it, but it was all booked for May. Any other suggestions for really luxurious places?

Thanks!

Little Angel '77

03-15-2006, 06:15 PM

I have heard that Sivory is wonderful.
www.sivorypuntacana.com

DH and I are planning a 2007 trip. Its a bit more on the expensive side, but well worth it. They don't have a lot of activities. its a very "chill" resort. You literally get up, and sit on a chair under a palm tree and relax, you get up- go shower, go to dinner, and go to your cabana to sleep. My friend just got back and LOVED it. She said that if your looking for a quick get away and want something REALLY luxurious and brand new... give it a whirl. I can't wait. We love lounging while on vacation and my friend said I would love this place! ETA: Its really expensive. Its between $400-700 a night. For three nights its Total rate $2271.00. When we go, we won't go for long, probably 3 nights 4 days. Since its not a long flight from Boston.

rosa727

03-16-2006, 06:18 AM

Little Angel:Thanks! We actually saw the Sivory and saw that it got good reviews. We are not 100% sure we are going to DR, but it is in the top 3 for our trip in May (which we really need to plan NOW). We are booking this weekend, so I will look into the Sivory. I do like that the DR is so close. We will fly out of Charlotte, NC, and I think they have direct flights that only take about 3 hours.

rosa727

03-16-2006, 06:45 AM

Little Angel: I was just looking at the Sivory and I was not sure whether it was all-inclusive or not. Is it? I am getting rates of $239/night. If that was AI it would be great. If not, it's still not too bad.

Little Angel '77

03-16-2006, 10:51 AM

You get your meals. Give them a call. I truly think it is.

rosa727

03-16-2006, 11:07 AM

Little Angel: You know what? I think you can do AI or not do AI. I think the prices I was seeing was without food and drink. So your price probably reflects the AI. It may be a bit pricey for a last-minute type trip, since I think you add $150pp per day for AI. $300 times 7 is a lot to add on for food! But it looks amazing!

HeatherFL

03-16-2006, 11:08 AM

I was at Hedo II in January. I had been many times in college, but have since become a travel snob LOL.

Rooms were not that great, pool area not good and the food was downright awful.

It also felt like being in an old folks' homes at times. Not the young and hip crowd I had remembered.

Moon Palace in Cancun was really nice. I went there on my honeymoon. Mind you that was six years ago so I am not sure if it's changed.

H.

mel_hams

03-23-2006, 08:40 PM

wine_o_girlie

03-24-2006, 08:00 AM

laurenc, what time of year did you go? how was the food? any recommendations? my dh and I are thinking of going this fall.

We haven't been to PI (yet!) but we have friends who went and they love, love, loved it. However, I'm not sure I would go in the fall due to hurricane season - when exactly would you want to go? I know some of these type of resorts close down in September/October. Here's a Luxury Link auction for a decent price - http://www.luxurylink.com/fixedprice/fp_detail.php?id=116278&save=1

Also, have you checked out Young Island (www.youngisland.com)? It's near PI and it's less well known and less expensive but a very similar concept. I haven't been but our friend's wife's father (got that?) owns the island. Of course, she is biased that it's amazing but I have read good reviews about it online. Here's a Luxury Link auction for it that combines 5 nights on the island with 2 nights on a yacht - http://www.luxurylink.com/fixedprice/fp_detail.php?id=125086&save=1

Lastly, I would keep in mind that if you go to a resort like PI or YI, you really are just going to veg out and there is no nightlife. You won't have a car to "explore" anything, you will only eat at the resort, etc. Not that that is a bad thing at all. :) It just depends on what kind of vacation you are looking for. HTH.

isign

05-11-2006, 05:37 PM

For our 3rd anniversary, DH and I are planning on going to Gatlinburg. However, I really would love to surprise him and go to an all inclusive resort instead. I have no idea where to start looking. Leaving the resort doesn't matter to us. I just want a really nice room, great food, and an amazing view, for a great price. Any suggestions?

boilermaker

05-12-2006, 12:44 PM

bump

boilermaker

05-12-2006, 12:44 PM

There are quite a few threads on all-inclusives. I bumped the big one with lots of recommendations up for you.

{b}

05-12-2006, 07:45 PM

We LOVED ROyal Hideaway in Playacar, Riviera Maya, Mexico. Excellent service, great food and drinks, beautiful beach, gorgeous rooms and grounds - wonderful. Though they were hard hit by Hurricane Rita and I believe still closed. My parents just went to the sister property next door Occidental Allegro, I think it's called, and had a wonderful time. RH is adults only, Allegro is family.

We did not care for Sunset Beach in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Though we were far enough away from the town and the airport to not be bothered by vendors, crime or airport noise, the resort itself as lacking. Food was so-so at best, you could eat at the 3 (2? can't remember) restaurants only once, so most meals were more or less the same buffet. Rooms were not that nice, and the first one they put us in was dirty. We requested a room change before they even brought our bags up. Second room, still not great, but at least clean.