All- Inclusive: is it worth it?

Many people are wary about all-inclusive resorts, as the food and drink is included in the price you pay at the beginning. Some people think that this means the service won’t be as good as if you were paying for the meal like you would at a restaurant. I’ve also heard people doubting the quality of the food, as you do not pay any ‘extra’ money for it. But, as long as it is a quality hotel, the only sort I would ever book for you, then you have nothing to worry about! 

The food and waiter service at our most recent all- inclusive, Jiva Beach Resort, was top notch! There are two main restaurants- the Acacia restaurant and the Snack Restaurant. The Acacia restaurant served breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a buffet style in certain hours of the day. Your temperature was taken by a very pleasant member of staff before entering the restaurant, just as a safety precaution.

We had wonderful service as, due to Covid-19, you could not serve yourself as you would a normal buffet. Staff were stationed at each food bar, wearing gloves and masks and with a plastic screen between you and the food. You simply approached with your plate, told them what you wanted, and they served you by passing your plate through a gap in the screen. Apart from this change, service ran as usual! The restaurant was lovely to sit in, and the attentive waiters brought your drinks to your table. 

The Snack restaurant served lunch, but here you ordered from a set menu. With the seating outside, near the pool, but with shade from the sun, this was our favourite place for lunch. The service here was quick and the atmosphere relaxing, not to mention the great food! An added bonus was the nearby terrapins in the resort lagoon (which we promptly fed after each meal).

There are also three a’la carte restaurants in Jiva beach resort, which you pay extra to eat at. However, this resort has a policy which means that for every four days you stay at the resort, you get a free a’la carte meal! But you can always pay a small amount (€5-€10 pp) to eat in these restaurants more often. They individually serve Turkish, Mediterranean, and Oriental cuisine, and oh my did we get a lot of it! The service was marvellous as the waiters attended to our every need, along with bringing us every starter on the menu as soon as we sat down! We left every meal absolutely stuffed! 

Last but not least is the Lukka lounge- a bar which serves snacks including sandwiches and an amazing array of cakes and cookies all through the night. If you like midnight (or even 3am) snacks then this place is heaven on earth! Combine this with the quick drinks service and it’s slightly lethal! 

Quality all-inclusive resorts are more expensive to book than regular hotels, but this is why. The food and service is always top notch, and you do not have to worry about getting a large bill at the end of your holiday. You can relax in peace knowing that everything is included in the price you have already paid- even the ice creams from the ice cream bar that popped up for a few hours every day! I can tell you now that we definitely ate and drank our money’s worth!