You pays your money.........

[Highlander]

I was interested in johntaylor49's post in the Book Hotels thread and would be interested on members views on the comparison of renting an Apartment as opposed to staying at an hotel.

Taking johntaylor49's price of an all inclusive fortnight = a total of £ 3,000.00 for 4 people

The equivalent cost of Renting an apartment might be £ 1,830.00 (Rental £ 560, flights £ 1,200 [will obviously maybe more or less] and transer £ 70). Plus of course the cost of meals etc.

What do members think are the pros and cons of each option.

[makemwonder]

Ive never tried a rental property before mainly because a lot on offer are a bit of a walk from the seafront and my feet dont take kindly to the heat. but as for the all inclusive I wouldnt go down that road either as there are so many great places to eat in Calis and if your stuck in a hotel where the food isnt good you either have to put up with it or bite the bullet and get food elsewhere and thats  adding extra cost, also I dont mind the local drinks but the local mixes are dire they ruin a good drink.

[Scunner]

I think I must be one of the few people who prefer neither and despise neither. In cost terms it is swings and roundabouts - when I compare both types of holiday they generally work out similar. For us it depends what you want. We love going out and choosing our restaurants but we also enjoy the freedom that all inclusive gives the kids (and us of course) to grab a coke or a beer, or a burger, just when you want. Going all inclusive doesn't mean you are locked in a hotel for the duration, far from it. We use the hotel as a base and get out and about just as we would in an apartment or villa.

The big advantage of an apartment/villa for us anyway is  the fact that you can get 2 or 3 (or more) bedrooms which is pleasant for a family group. I know privacy/own pool, kitchen etc etc are important for others.

One other point is that the cost of flights makes package holidays (including AI) appear relatively cheaper - the one we priced up worked out at £340 for 10 days Thomson 4+ star all inclusive (package price £650, less flight only - same flights exactly - £310) - so we have 3 meals a day, all drinks and snacks and room for £34 per day.

Those who know me will be aware that I can eat and drink £34 worth a day quite easily

So our thinking is, get a good deal. Nothing else   

[Highlander]

Those who know me will be aware that I can eat and drink £34 worth a day quite easily

Normally split 20/80  

[Scunner]

Harsh

But probably fair

[Robw]

I have done all inclusive but in Kenya where you probably wouldn't want to venture to far after dark anyway but for me Calis is about getting out and about and enjoying the hospitality of different Restaurants / Bars / Areas. We love the Boat Trips, Water Park, Jeep safari etc etc Eat what we want, drink what we want and id say 3K covers that for 3 of us late August early September. We stay in a private Villa also.

Being cooked up in a Hotel with no fridge etc would drive me nuts!   

[Scunner]

And that Rob is the familiar appraisal of AI...

Why do people associate all inclusive with being captured inside a hotel complex?

Also, I've never been to an AI hotel that didn't have a fridge in the room, unlike non-AI rooms. Staying in AI hotels also does not exclude you from going on boat trips, visiting the aquapark or - can you believe this - even finding a restaurant on the other side of the fence..!

I'm not pro-AI, I'm just not anti  

[Robw]

I appreciate what your saying Keith but i think it comes down to budget for me, if i spent 3K on AI id want my monies worth out of the hotel so id be less likely to venture far! Everyone to there own i suppose but AI in Europe is not for me. I looked at AI in Egypt for next year but the draw of Calis was to great and i think it was down to the freedom that swung it 

[Scunner]

In fact I agree with everything you say too Rob

Where I tend to differ is in the belief that AI is bad for local tourism economies. It's an opinion I have shared several times on CBF. That is, it is better to have an AI hotel in town (Calis, but anywhere really) than to not have it. If one person ventures out of the front gate and buys one Efes on the other side of the barrier, the town benefited. Best to have people renting villas and booking self catering hotels, of course it is; but for the reasons already given, better to have 4 people in town on an AI basis than to have them in Egypt on a similar AI holiday. Who knows, they might even come back next year and book a villa...

I also agree with your reasoning, that you wouldn't have the funds from your holiday budget to sample the "outside world" if you paid 3k for an AI holiday already. But I don't think that is often the case when the figures are added up. Without spewing out prices and figures, I believe it is often only slightly cheaper for a decent level of AI than it is for a fair quality hotel. So why not pay £15 per day more and use the breakfast/snacks/Efes/vodka facilities and go out in the evening...

I would concede that AI can't compete with a private rental, if a private villa or apartment is what you prefer. But there is something between a hotel and an AI hotel that I wish people could recognise - that being the use of AI as a base from which to have a breakfast now and again, neck a few, then bravely venture outside with a few quid. 

[heather07]

For me it would depend on which country I went to.  In Turkey we like to get out and eat where and when we want.  However I like the bed and breakfast option.
We have had a villa when we took the family out and it was probably the best thing for our grandson.   We would do it again if we all went again but for two of us I prefer the bustle of a hotel.  The cost of flights , transfers and villa would be higher than a holiday package.  Or at least it would the way I bargain hunt!!!

In Jamaica it was the only way to go and turned out food was excellent and drinks acceptable.   The cost of trips were high.

We got a really good deal from Glasgow to Mexico for £1200 for a fortnight for two AI.  Food acceptable,  drink ok,  but such a cheap holiday it was not  considered a waste to go to town several times for lunch and once for dinner.  The dinner cost around  £100, our fault for being talked into the specials in food and cocktails, but we would not have wanted  to sustain eating out  for a fortnight at that price.

For me half the fun is the planning of the holiday to a new place and then trying to get the best deal and would do this with an open mind as to what way I did it.