5 Disadvantages Of Staying In An All-Inclusive Resort

All-inclusive resorts are a controversial vacation choice. People either love them or hate them. There are good arguments on both sides, but it generally boils down to your vacation style preference. Those in favor appreciate the simplicity of an all-inclusive. It's a gloriously lazy vacation style where you shut off your brain and decompress. Relaxation is the name of the game, and you focus less on doing and more on simply being. One price includes food, drinks, activities, and lodging. There's no need to worry about getting scammed by a taxi or figuring out how to drive on the other side of the road, because the resort's airport shuttle will pick you up and whisk you away instead. There's nothing left to decide, except which beach or pool to lounge by each day. It's all there at the resort. Paradise on earth, for some.

On the other hand, not all travelers are looking for a passive week on a beach. Some are looking for cultural immersion, stunning landscapes, or both. They want to spend their vacation out and about, wandering museums, local markets, and national parks, before enjoying a delicious meal from a local restaurant where they translate the menu before ordering. It's a day well spent for some, but it's also a waste of an all-inclusive if you're only using it as a hotel.

Regardless of your vacation style, there are pros and cons that apply to everyone when it comes to all-inclusive resorts, and those are often discussed at length in travel forums. The important thing is using that information to make an informed choice. Disadvantages are not always deal breakers, but they should factor into your decision. Before you embrace or dismiss anything, here are five disadvantages to consider before staying at an all-inclusive resort.

At some resorts, if you want to eat anything other than the buffet, you need a timed reservation for dining at on-site restaurants. Large all-inclusive resorts are crowded, and 3,000 people can't all eat dinner at the resort's Japanese steakhouse at 7:00 P.M. Reservations are essential, unless you want to eat super early or very late to avoid the crowds. On the other hand, some all-inclusive resorts limit the number of guests so that dining reservations aren't necessary, but meals are served at a set time. In either case, that doesn't leave much room for flexibility if you get hungry well before the time of your reservation, or if you prefer a later dining hour than is offered.

Sure, the buffet and snack stations are always open, but then you're likely having a pre-dinner dinner at the buffet, before turning around and eating a multi-course meal at the restaurant. Nobody needs that kind of aggravation or guilt while on a care-free vacation. Even if you do your research ahead of time and avoid an all-inclusive with major red flags, you'll likely still need dining reservations. This may not be a deal breaker for those in favor of all-inclusives, but it's a disadvantage to be aware of so you can plan accordingly.

Trying the local cuisine is a huge part of travel for some people, but when you go to an all-inclusive resort, you might miss it entirely by only eating at your resort. Large resorts cater to a wide range of tastes, so they can attract travelers from around the globe. You'll typically find American, Italian, Asian, and Mexican restaurants, all serving basic staples to appease the masses. It's a very "jack of all trades, master of none" situation. Families or picky eaters may not consider this a disadvantage at all, because they'll be able to find something familiar to eat in the vast array of options. However, for foodie travelers, this is more than just a disadvantage. It's a deal breaker.

A resort might have one or two restaurants out of 12 serving the local cuisine, but chances are it's a mass-produced imitation, due to the scale required to feed hundreds of diners each day. Or rather, that used to be the case, but a few all-inclusives are starting to change their ways. They're offering more intimate dining experiences and hiring Michelin star chefs in recognition of the higher priority travelers place on authentic food experiences these days. That doesn't mean every resort is changing all at once, though. Pieces of your meal may still be made in a factory somewhere else and shipped in specifically for the resort's international cuisine. Foodies will want to research their resort's dining options carefully before booking. There are options out there that foodies rave about, like the Atelier Playa Mujeres, an adults-only all-inclusive in Cancun.

When you have everything you need at your fingertips, you have no reason to leave. With the resort providing all your food, snacks, drinks, and activities, some visitors only leave if they book a tour or excursion. Even then, they're given a carefully curated impression of that destination. They won't have to drive. They won't have to decide where to eat. They might not even speak to a local. They'll swoop into a famous historical site or natural wonder, take the tour with their guide, and be back at the resort in a few hours, all without a single authentic interaction with a local. Are they really experiencing the destination, or just what the resort and tour partner want them to see?

Additionally, while most all-inclusive resorts have a variety of tours the concierge desk would be happy to book for its guests, these are typically not included in the all-inclusive price. They're an extra cost that can add up quickly, particularly for families, so some guests choose to stick with only the included activities at the resort and forego leaving at all — something that's both financially responsible but also disappointing for adventurers. However, there are different kinds of all-inclusive resorts, some of which do include a set number of excursions in upgrade packages. Learn how to choose the right all-inclusive resort for your travel style, and this disadvantage may disappear.

All-inclusive resorts are known for their boozy vibe. Unlimited food and drink, including alcoholic beverages, is often what tempts visitors most at all-inclusives. Alcohol a la carte at a restaurant can be expensive. Wrap it up in an all-inclusive rate, and it fades into the background. But what if you don't drink alcohol? Are you wasting money at an all-inclusive if you're not downing margs or beers all day? This is a common question in travel forums, especially as the new trend of dry tourism takes off. The general consensus is you're not necessarily wasting your money, but an all-inclusive may not be the vibe you're looking for. It's less of a real financial cost and more of a perceived disadvantage, a feeling that you're not getting your money's worth.

Some guests have tried to negotiate with resorts for a reduced rate for non-drinkers, and while it seems there is no shortage of "a friend told me they got a reduced rate" stories, no one appears to have first-hand experience. One Tripadvisor user even went so far as to say that after decades of contacting resorts about this, "Not one has said they have a non alcohol rate or discount. I just don't believe it exists." Resorts will argue that the all-inclusive rate covers more than just alcohol, which is true, and since most resorts don't track consumption, there's no way for them to give you a discount purely at your word that you won't use the service.

All-inclusive resorts are the opposite of locally owned hotels. Every dollar spent at a locally owned property stays in the community through workers' wages, local services, and regional suppliers. At corporate-owned resorts, however, often only a small fraction remains in the local economy, because most supplies, food, and even sometimes staff are imported from elsewhere. Local bars and restaurants, tour operators, boutique shops, hotels, services, and souvenirs are all ignored, because visitors can get those services on resort grounds. Instead of supporting the local community with that money, it goes to whatever global corporation owns the resort. This economic concept is called leakage, and it's just one part of the ethical dilemma of all-inclusive and luxury resorts.

This issue isn't a secret, either. Some companies are actively working to address it, but it's still a work in progress around the globe. If you want to spread your economic impact around to support the locals when you visit their neighborhood, then this disadvantage may be a deal breaker for you. Staying in a locally owned hotel is a better way to achieve that goal. If you still want the all-inclusive experience, choose your resort carefully. Research which resorts partner with locals for tours, hiring, and sourcing ingredients. Prioritize resorts with sustainability pledges and transparent data that supports their claims, like Sandals Resorts' support of local businesses. The more visitors reward businesses for this behavior, the more it will become the norm.