Wake up, enjoy a nice breakfast, lie on the beach, have lunch, sit by the pool, enjoy some snacks, take a nap, go for a swim, have dinner, go to bed... and repeat it all again the next day. This is the daily schedule of someone staying at an all-inclusive resort, and it sounds like total heaven.
The real experience of staying at a beach resort can be awesome and it can be even better than you expected. But there are also a lot of things that travelers should be aware of. And if you know about these things ahead of time, you'll feel a lot more prepared for your trip, and it'll help you choose where to book your vacation.
Here are 20 things that happen behind the scenes at all-inclusive resorts that vacationers should probably know.
20 Employees Can Be Paid A $300 Monthly Salary
According to a former employee at an all-inclusive resort writing for Matador Network, the people working at these places get paid $300 (American dollars) each month. That's so hard to even think about, right? That isn't even close to minimum wage. It's incredibly low.
19 It's Not Always Super Family-Friendly
As someone shared on Trip Advisor, they realized that the resort that they stayed at had some super sketchy people staying there who weren't exhibiting the best kind of behavior. They said that people would only stay for two evenings, and they wrote, "the hotel staff clearly knows this goes on but didn't really take any notice."
18 You're Spending Money But The People Living There Don't Benefit
There's definitely a dark side to all-inclusive resorts and that's the fact that tourists will spend some serious cash there.
According to Una Vaina Bien Spanish, "When so little of that money ends up in local pockets, workers are often forced to tolerate poor working conditions, long work days, short-term contracts, economic vulnerability in the low seasons, unpaid overtime..."
17 Things Your Kids Want To Do Could Seriously Set You Back
According to Reader's Digest, there are most likely going to be some family-friendly things that you and your kids can do. The only problem? They aren't going to be part of the package.
This is a bummer as you assumed that you paid for everything ahead of time and didn't have to think about money.
16 Employees Don't Have A Lot Of Time Off
The same employee writing for Matador Network also shared, "Generally, resort workers get one day off a week. But if a team member gets sick, or if there are more tourists or work than usual, the days off get canceled."
That's a shame because even a six-day workweek can get pretty exhausting after a while.
15 Companies Never Alert Customers Of Construction
According to Key Caribe, companies are never going to let people know that there's a ton of construction going on. You might have experienced this firsthand if you ever showed up at a resort and then realized that entire areas were totally shut down because of dust, dirt, and equipment.
14 Some Places Don't Actually Have Oceans You Can Go In
Another behind-the-scenes fact of all-inclusive resorts? According to Reader's Digest, there are some resorts where the oceans would be too dangerous to actually go in.
This is pretty crazy to think about because the point of going to a resort is being on the beach and going into the ocean.
13 Employees Are Actually Told To Never Look Unhappy
No one can have a big grin on their face 24/7 but if you work at an all-inclusive resort, you basically have to.
As Budget Travel explains, employees at these places are told to never look unhappy. It's good for travelers to know that behind the scenes at a resort, staff is literally being told to keep grinning.
12 One Woman Thought She Booked An All-Inclusive But Was Told She Didn't
Many people use websites to book their vacations since you can get much better deals. According to Elliot.org, one woman thought that she was getting an all-inclusive resort but then she was told it was "a room" at a convention center.
It turned out that there were two names for what essentially the same hotel.
11 The Resorts Aren't Always Well Taken Care Of
The last thing that you want to see is a pool that isn't clean at an all-inclusive resort. Unfortunately for a couple who stayed at one, that's exactly what happened.
As the wife posted on Trip Advisor, one pool wasn't available to guests, so she and her husband found another one that was super gross. The truth is that some resorts aren't that well taken care of.
10 The Resort Might Not Help Out If There Are Disruptive Guests
As a traveler found out, they stayed at an all-inclusive in Cuba and they shared to Trip Advisor that there were other guests who were being really disruptive but the resort didn't help at all. They wrote, "Security did not deal with rowdy and foul-mouthed groups."
That's something else that travelers should be aware of before booking an all-inclusive resort.
9 Various Areas Will Actually Shut Down At Different Times
Can you visit any part of the resort whenever you want? It's easy to think that the answer is yes, but that's not actually true at all.
According to Wolter's World, "All-Inclusive does not mean 'always open.' Be sure you know the hours for the swimming pools, the spa, the gym and the restaurants."
8 Resorts Want You To Pay If You Can't Find Your Wrist Band
When you get to your all-inclusive, you're going to be given a wrist band, and it makes sense that sometimes, guests would lose it. You're in vacation mode, after all, and mistakes happen.
Wolter's World says that you'll have to shell out between $75 and $100 every day that you're there if this happens to you.
7 You Can't Use The 'Swim-Up Bar' At Night
According to Oyster, travelers might be sad to hear that you can't use the swim-up bar in the evenings. As the website explains, "Many swim-up bars close at five, sharp. Or at least before the sun goes down, in most tropical countries."
The publication mentions that you see photos and expect to be able to visit these bars in the evenings, but that's just not the case.
6 Employees Really Want Tips
As someone who used to be the activities director at a resort wrote for Budget Travel, since employees at all-inclusive resorts don't get paid properly, they really want tips.
The website says, "at our resort management turned a blind eye as long as the guests were happy and you were being discreet. And yes, tipping well does get you special treatment."
5 Sometimes Staff And Travelers Start Seeing Each Other
Budget Travel also shares that in some cases, staff and travelers will start dating. This is something that travelers should probably know about because, hey, you might see this happening on your vacation. It makes sense that this would occur since resorts are definitely fun environments where people are in good moods and talking to one another.
4 Sometimes The Room Bookings Don't Make Any Sense
A woman who booked a Mexico resort shared on Trip Advisor was actually told that she should be in a room with a total stranger.
Yes, that really happened. As she posted on the website, "It took 7 hours to get my room and due to a booking error, they insisted that I share a room, with a king size bed, with a man that was not my husband!!"
3 You Could Be Asked To Spend More Money Without Even Realizing It
According to The Points Guy, you should be aware that the resort that you stay at could want your money. Maybe they want you to agree to sign up to use their spa, or maybe they want you to be interested in a timeshare.
This might not be obvious because it could seem like people are just talking to you and being friendly so it's something to know in advance.
2 The Rooms Themselves Might Seem Like A Blast From The Past
Thanks to this Trip Advisor review, it seems that sometimes, the rooms at an all-inclusive resort can be really old-fashioned. As one guest shared about a Cancun resort, "First off the rooms are out dated and in need of an update. This includes the beds, I think they haven't been changed out since 1999. They are rock hard and are like sleeping on a pool table." That definitely doesn't sound great.
1 Resorts Can Be In Much Worse Condition Than Advertised
According to this guest's Trip Advisor review, they stayed at a resort in the Dominican Republic and they said it was "a two-star resort" and "not a 4-star resort as Sunwing sold it to all the Canadians."
They shared that there was supposed to be a "welcome drink" but that didn't happen, plus the shower was cold and the TV didn't even have a remote. Sounds like a wonderful vacation...