Why pick All Inclusive for your next family holiday

Tears. Tempers. Tantrums – and that’s just from Dad… Skip the stress of planning your family holiday by going All Inclusive. Your kids will love the pools, kids’ clubs and activities, and you’ll love the fact there’s food and drink on tap – no card needed – plus those adults-only areas for making the most of any child-free time. Sound like a bit of you? Here’s a round-up of what’s included in an All Inclusive family holiday… Insert Parent of the Year award here. 

Already sold? Check out our family holiday deals. 

Food 

Arguably, the best thing about going All Inclusive is taking a break from the daily tea-time ritual. Not thinking about what you’re going to cook = pure bliss. And with huge buffets for breakfast, lunch and dinner, there are options for even the fussiest eaters. But it’s also a great way to get your kids to try new foods, too. Sneak a little paella or grilled fish on a plate next to pizza or nuggets, and you never know… They might be going home with a new fave food. Plus, with snack bars serving things like ice-cream, cakes and sandwiches between meals, everyone’s happy, so you can spend more time making those core memories and less time in the kitchen.  

If you’re a foodie family, Holiday Villages are a great shout. They’re fully geared up for family holidays with ice-cream stalls, pancake restaurants – every day is Pancake Day here – plus, they have Russell the Brussell, a cute mascot that encourages kids to pick healthy options. 

Drinks  

If the food isn’t your fave part, then this definitely will be… All your drinks are included, too, so you’ll save some serious spending money on getting a family-sized round in at the bar. From juice at breakfast to water and fizzy drinks throughout the day, your kids can go up and help themselves whenever they get thirsty without you lifting a finger. It’s an even bigger hack for the adults, though, as all your local spirits, selected beer and wine are included as well, plus those all-important cocktails just keep on coming. In most places, the bars are open from breakfast until late, but some stays even have 24-hour All Inclusive service. Midnight snacks are so on… And if you don’t want to get out of the pool for your next piña colada, picks like Riu Palace Jamaica even have a swim-up bar. Now that’s a hydration station.  

Family fun  

All Inclusive holidays let you press pause on the pressure of keeping everyone entertained. As well as pools for splashing around, most family-friendly stays have a long line-up of sports and activities to get involved in, like ball games in the pool, table tennis tournaments and quizzes – there’s nothing like a little competition between families to bring you all together. Lots of hotels run their own kids’ clubs, too, which usually have different programmes for little ones right through to teens. The fun doesn’t stop once the sun sets, either, as evening entertainment programmes in family resorts include things like mini discos, karaoke and film nights. In larger resorts, you can also expect full-on professional shows, acrobatics, parades and light shows. 

Some spots have extra-fun facilities like inflatable obstacle courses, gaming suites and even their own waterparks, like the Land of Legends Kingdom Hotel in Turkey. It’s got space bowls, flumes and racer slides, plus a lazy river, wave pool and rafting rapids. Oh, you’ll also get free access to a theme park thrown in, too… If you’re a family of thrill seekers, check out our line-up of the best hotels with waterparks in Turkey or Spain.  

Free kids’ places 

The best part about being a child is that your parents pay for everything, but what if we told you that your kid could go free… We’ve got a long list of holidays with a free child place for every two full-paying adults, so you can bring them along without it costing more – their flights, food and drink will be included as normal. Just use our free child place finder to see how it works and where they’re available. You’re welcome.  

If you’re ready to go all in, you can get more inspo on our Family holidays page.
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Author: Daisy Colley
Last updated: 30/08/2024