Are there any all-inclusives that allow you to choose features a-la-carte?

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Permalink Reply by James Scott on April 24, 2009 at 1:16pm

I'm not sure if there are a la carte options at all incluisve resorts, but it would be nice because I also don't drink very much alcohol. I might have a couple of beers, but I don't like the idea of helping to pay for other guests who would be downing premium drinks. This is why I am glad that spa services and fees are often separate. I don't want to pay for someone else who gets a sea weed wrap while I lounge on the beach.

It would be nice to find an all inclusive resort with an a la carte plan, but I think it would be a logistical nightmare for resorts. I guess my first thought is that everyone would have to wear different color wristbands, but now I'm thinking that people could just have a card that serves as their room key and plan type indicator. Bartenders, waiters, watersport coordinators would just have scanners to read the room key barcode and it would show if they service was purchased as part of the plan.

Presenting your room key everytime you want to get something at the bar might be a pain in the rear so I'm not sure all inclusive resorts would do this, but it is worth looking into.

I wonder how much alcohol plays into the decision to go to an all inclusive resort? If a person doesn't drink a lot, then a price comparison would need to be made with a luxury resort without an all inclusive plan. Depending on the resort, people might find that the luxury resort and the cost of meals during the week might be just as much or more compared to the price of staying at an all inclusive resort. Of course, there is no rule saying you would have to eat a gourmet meal each night and pay for a huge breakfast and lunch each day like you would get at an all inclusive, but even a few nice meals out while staying at a luxury resort would add up.

I'll let you know if I ever hear of an all inclusive resort with a la carte plans.

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Permalink Reply by Paul on April 25, 2009 at 10:39am

Here's a sample price comparison between an all inclusive package and one where you would pay for each service individually. Of course a person who doesn't golf or eat out while staying at the resort might save some money, but in general, the pricing still leans toward the all inclusive option as the clear winner.

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Permalink Reply by James Scott on April 27, 2009 at 9:51pm

Well, it isn't an all inclusive resort, but I just found out that Crystal Cruise lines has a unique all inclusive cruise vacation package where you get a set amount of ship credit to spend as you like. Drinkers can spend their ship credit on drinks while non-drinkers can spend the money on spa services, casino chips, etc...

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