All Inclusive in Spain/Balearics...?

NoodleDoodleMan

No AI anywhere has really good food, better than average and bordering on good but not really good, there is just not enough money to do really good.

I wonder what the OP's expectations of "REALLY GOOD" are in a tourist hotel ?

We've stayed in many 3 and 4 star tourist class hotels across the Med and Canaries etc. and have been surprised (to put it midly) at some of the unfavourable comments about food.

What do they eat at home - is there a Cordon Bleu chef in the family ?

PeacefulWaters

NoodleDoodleMan wrote: »

I wonder what the OP's expectations of "REALLY GOOD" are in a tourist hotel ?

We've stayed in many 3 and 4 star tourist class hotels across the Med and Canaries etc. and have been surprised (to put it midly) at some of the unfavourable comments about food.

What do they eat at home - is there a Cordon Bleu chef in the family ?

The main risk with AI food is repetitiveness. And possibly blandness. Some places offer multiple restaurants, often at a surcharge.

Mixing your local restaurants over a few nights is usually kinder on the palate.

richardw

NoodleDoodleMan wrote: »

...What do they eat at home - is there a Cordon Bleu chef in the family ?

Many are getting very good at buying great ingredients and cooking great food at home, so yes many are getting cheffy.

NoodleDoodleMan

I'm not so sure working mums with a couple of young kids have the time to "get cheffy" except once in a while.

Mind you, with the plethora of cooking shows on TV I might be behind the curve on this !!!

Pennylane

we always used to go Half Board but two years ago we found a hotel we liked in a resort we liked and the AI deal was excellent so we booked. It was a great holiday and we went again the next year with daughter and her boyfriend.

We used to get up early have a substantial breakfast and go off exploring until about 2. We would come back and have a nice lunch (maybe grilled fish or chicken, with salads or veg) and drinks. We would stay around the hotel and have some drinks and play table tennis or have a swim. We would chill out until dinner around 7.30. There was terrific choice at all meals, it was spotlessly clean and the staff were great. I reckon we made a massive saving on drinks. All the alcoholic drinks were branded and free, teas, coffees, bottled water (of which we had gallons), even free cakes and sandwiches on the bar in the afternoon.

I’m a good cook and cook from scratch and theres no way I would eat substandard food and none of us could fault any of our meals.

Voyager2002

I suggest renting an apartment somewhere beautiful. Spanish culture is child-friendly, so that aspect would be satisfied. And good food is available from restaurants, cafeterias and comedores that are virtually everywhere.

As others have said, you will not find an AI deal that includes really good food.

Pennylane

NoodleDoodleMan wrote: »

I wonder what the OP's expectations of "REALLY GOOD" are in a tourist hotel ?

We've stayed in many 3 and 4 star tourist class hotels across the Med and Canaries etc. and have been surprised (to put it midly) at some of the unfavourable comments about food.

What do they eat at home - is there a Cordon Bleu chef in the family ?

:T. I have to laugh when you see someone with just a plate of chips or a stack of lamb cutlets. Some people do have very odd eating habits. I guess this is why serve yourself buffet style is popular.

We went for a posh works meal once and I was staggered when one man (who always seemed OK to me) piled his plate high with potatoes and ONLY potatoes and complained that there was no bread. apparently that is ALL he eats. No meat, no veg, no sald, nothing except potatoes and bread.

Pennylane

Voyager2002 wrote: »

I suggest renting an apartment somewhere beautiful. Spanish culture is child-friendly, so that aspect would be satisfied. And good food is available from restaurants, cafeterias and comedores that are virtually everywhere.

As others have said, you will not find an AI deal that includes really good food.

Not much of a break for the cook in the family though! Even if you eat out at main meal times you still have to get tea, coffee, cereal, toast for breakfasts. Taking such young children out for all your meals is not that easy working around sleep times.

richardw

NoodleDoodleMan wrote: »

I'm not so sure working mums with a couple of young kids have the time to "get cheffy" except once in a while.

Mind you, with the plethora of cooking shows on TV I might be behind the curve on this !!!

You are. Cheffy food doesn’t always take ages.

theonlywayisup

richardw wrote: »

No AI anywhere has really good food, better than average and bordering on good but not really good, there is just not enough money to do really good.

A rather sweeping statement.

We stay at a lovely AI resort (albeit not in the locations being discussed) and the food is exquisite.