All-inclusive holidays take the stress out of budgeting by wrapping your flights, accommodation, meals, drinks and many activities into one upfront price. Once you arrive at your resort, virtually everything is covered — meaning you can relax by the pool, enjoy unlimited meals at the buffet and bar, take part in organised activities and spend your evenings at the entertainment without reaching for your wallet. For families, couples and groups looking for predictable costs and maximum relaxation, all-inclusive holidays remain one of the best-value and most popular ways to book a summer or winter break.
This guide explains how all-inclusive holidays work, which destinations and resorts offer the best value, and what to look for when booking.
On all-inclusive holidays, your resort package covers accommodation, all meals (typically buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner plus snack bars), unlimited soft drinks and alcoholic beverages during bar opening hours, and a programme of daytime activities and evening entertainment. Some resorts also include non-motorised watersports, gym access and kids’ clubs within the all-inclusive price.
It’s worth checking the small print before booking. Premium branded spirits, selected restaurants, spa treatments, motorised watersports and off-site excursions are often chargeable extras even at all-inclusive resorts. The more upmarket the resort, the more likely it is to include premium options — so upgrading to a four- or five-star all-inclusive holiday can genuinely improve what’s covered.
Turkey’s Aegean and Mediterranean coasts — particularly the Antalya region covering Side, Belek, Kemer and Alanya — offer some of the finest all-inclusive holidays in Europe. Large purpose-built resort hotels with sprawling pools, multiple restaurants, nightly entertainment and comprehensive facilities are the norm rather than the exception. The standard of food and service at Turkish all-inclusive resorts consistently surprises first-time visitors, and the price-to-quality ratio is outstanding.
Tenerife, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria are the UK’s most popular destinations for all-inclusive holidays, particularly in winter. The Canaries’ year-round warm climate, short four-hour flight from the UK and mature resort infrastructure make them ideal for all-inclusive breaks at every price point. Tenerife’s southern resorts — Costa Adeje, Los Cristianos and Playa de las Américas — have the largest concentration of all-inclusive hotels in the archipelago.
Majorca, Ibiza and the Costa del Sol all offer strong all-inclusive options, particularly for families. Benidorm on the Costa Blanca has become one of Europe’s great all-inclusive destinations, with a huge concentration of competitively-priced hotels offering full board plus unlimited drinks within easy reach of the beach and resort attractions.
Corfu, Rhodes and Crete have all developed strong all-inclusive resort sectors, with larger hotels in popular resort areas like Faliraki (Rhodes), Kavos (Corfu) and Malia (Crete) offering good-value packages. Cyprus — particularly the Paphos area — offers some of the Aegean’s most upmarket all-inclusive holidays at premium four- and five-star resorts.
Cancún and the Riviera Maya in Mexico, Jamaica, Barbados and the Dominican Republic are the classic long-haul all-inclusive holiday destinations. Caribbean all-inclusive resorts typically include a wider range of facilities and activities than their European counterparts, with watersports, multiple themed restaurants, pools and beach access all bundled in. The standard of food and service is generally exceptional at the premium end of the Caribbean market.
The key factors when comparing all-inclusive holidays are star rating, beach access, pool quality and what’s actually included. A four-star all-inclusive with a private beach, multiple pools and premium drinks included will deliver a far better experience than a two-star that charges extra for branded spirits. Read the inclusions list carefully — and check recent guest reviews to verify that the “unlimited” drinks and meals are genuinely as advertised.
Location within the resort also matters. A hotel right on the beach will give you genuine flexibility to spend the day on the sand; an all-inclusive set back from the beach requires a shuttle or short walk, which changes how the holiday feels in practice.
All-inclusive holidays are particularly popular with families because they eliminate the daily negotiation over food, ice cream and drinks. Kids eat and drink freely at the buffet and bars, parents can budget accurately, and the organised kids’ clubs and pools keep children entertained throughout the day. Look for family-specific inclusions such as dedicated children’s pools, mini-clubs for different age groups and early-evening family entertainment shows.
Turkey and Majorca consistently deliver some of the best-value family all-inclusive holidays available, with hotels purpose-built for families offering waterslides, splash parks and age-specific activity programmes as standard inclusions.
For couples, the appeal of all-inclusive holidays is romantic simplicity — check in, relax, and never think about the bill. Adults-only all-inclusive resorts remove the family entertainment atmosphere and create a more serene, leisurely experience. Greece, Cyprus, Madeira and selected Turkish resorts offer excellent adults-only all-inclusive options for couples seeking quality over quantity.
Book early for the best room categories and lowest prices — all-inclusive resorts fill up quickly for peak summer dates and Christmas/New Year. Upgrade your room type where possible; a sea-view or swim-up room at an all-inclusive resort makes a genuine difference to the experience. Always check whether your flight times allow you to use the resort facilities on arrival and departure days — a late-afternoon check-out means a wasted day paying for meals you can’t eat.
All our all-inclusive holidays are bookable through ATOL-protected operators. Look for the ABTA and ATOL logos when booking to protect your money. For the latest deals and availability, check LastMinute.com.
Standard all-inclusive holidays include accommodation, all meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack bars), unlimited soft drinks and house alcoholic drinks during bar hours, and a programme of activities and evening entertainment. Premium all-inclusive resorts may also include a la carte dining, premium branded spirits, non-motorised watersports and kids’ clubs. Always check the inclusions list before booking as it varies significantly between resorts and star ratings.
All-inclusive holidays offer excellent value for families and those who drink regularly at the bar — the savings on food and drinks quickly offset any premium over a room-only or bed-and-breakfast package. They’re particularly good value in Turkey, the Canary Islands and Majorca, where the supply of all-inclusive hotels is large enough to keep prices competitive. For lighter drinkers or those who prefer to eat out at local restaurants, a half-board or self-catering option may work out cheaper.
Turkey consistently comes top for all-inclusive holiday value, combining large purpose-built resorts, excellent food, multiple pools and a high standard of service at prices significantly below comparable Spanish or Greek resorts. The Antalya region (Side, Belek, Kemer, Alanya) and the Bodrum and Dalaman coasts are the most popular areas. For shorter-flight all-inclusive options, the Canary Islands and Majorca offer the best combination of price, climate and hotel quality.
All-inclusive holidays are cheapest in the shoulder season — April/May and October/November for Mediterranean and Canary Islands destinations. January and February are the cheapest months for Canary Islands all-inclusive holidays. Turkey is best value in May, June and September. School holiday periods (July, August and half-terms) command a significant premium, particularly for family rooms. Booking early (6–12 months ahead) or very late (within 4 weeks of departure) often yields the best prices.
