Full board, half board, all-inclusive and everything in between: booking the right meal plan
Planning a vacation is hard enough, without the added question about which booking package is best for you? Hotels offer half board, full board, all-inclusive, breakfast only, room only AND MORE! It's important to consider what the best value is for your vacation, particularly when it comes to alcohol on a luxury vacation. Depending on your property, alcoholic beverages tend to range from $15-30 per glass or drink. Many hotels do offer happy hours and dining packages to offset the cost. That being said, you will notice that most hotels your look at will offer a myriad of F&B packages to pick from. These can be pretty overwhelming and confusing, so let me break it down for you. Typically, you will have some or all of these options:
Room only: nothing is included in this rate- just your room
Bed & Breakfast: Room is included + breakfast for two people at 1 or some of their establishments during standard breakfast hours. Room service is usually not included.
Half Board: Room, breakfast & dinner. This option typically includes two meals and no alcoholic beverages. Note: some hotels do not include water or soft drinks in this option either. Room service is rarely included.
Full Board: Room, breakfast, lunch & dinner. This does not include alcohol or room service usually.
All-inclusive: This option includes your room, all meals and beverages (including alcohol).
Want to skip ahead?
00:00 - Intro
01:15 - Room Only
01:27 - Room + Breakfast
02:12 - Half Board Plans
03:25 - Full Board Plans
04:56 - All-Inclusive Plans
09:01 - Membership / Loyalty Plans
To find the right meal plan for you, I’d recommend writing down what you typically eat and drink on a normal vacation. Take a guess at what it would cost you to eat every day on your holiday. For example, at a high end hotel we may estimate the following spend:
Breakfast: $70
Lunch: Rarely eat lunch on holiday
Pre-dinner drinks: $50
Dinner: $100
So, in my inflated estimate, I may spend somewhere around $250 a day. It’s really up to you to think about your budget and how much you’re willing to spend. Consider the fact that food and beverages are a bit higher priced in the Maldives due to high transportation costs of goods. Review the pricing options for the dining packages. If the cost of the “all-inclusive” package breaks down to just a bit more than your budget, it could be worth the investment so you don’t have to worry about the costs on your vacation. There’s nothing worse than saying no to a mimosa because you don’t want to pay the extra $15 bucks at breakfast. However, you may find that the all-inclusive package comes with a ridiculous price tag. When I was debating my purchase at Lux South Ari Atoll, the all-inclusive came to over $1000 a day for the two of us. That’s $750 MORE than what I budgeted for my daily meals. In that case, the all-inclusive cost was 100% not worth it because I couldn’t eat and drink that amount to save my life. We settled for a half-board package at this hotel, which at least alleviated about $300 a day between breakfast and dinner.
To be honest, all the hotels offer different prices and different packages, so I would recommend writing down the cost of the options and breaking it up by day to see what the daily price would be including your room. This was helpful for me when I was booking our trip.
Check out some of our related content for more info:
www.voyagerguru.com/best-all-...
AND
www.voyagerguru.com/all-inclu...
What's your go-to meal plan when you book your vacation? Let us know in the comments!
______________________________________
New to this channel? Here's why you should subscribe!
We provide weekly videos from our favorite hotels, travel tips and things to do in the best destinations around the world. We'd love for you to join us- share you thoughts, comments, questions with us through youtube, instagram and our blog.
Subscribe today: kzread.info?s...
For more content, check us out on instagram @voyagerguru
/
Come travel with us,
Maren Engh & Max Jallifier
#traveltips #besthoteltips #luxuryhotels
Пікірлер: 43
Another great video! Any tips for the all-inclusive at Sanctuary? I also see Sanctuary town is open again too!
@VoyagerGuru
3 жыл бұрын
Hi Shani! Thanks for your comment :) the all inclusive at sanctuary is excellent and I believe one major factor for that is because the entire property is all inclusive so there’s no asterisks or people on other packages staying there - they even serve lobster included at Blue Marlin!! The hotels to look out for and read the fine print on are usually the hotels that offer room only AND all inclusive offerings
Great subject for a relevant review!
@VoyagerGuru
3 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much!!
@casegoldman
3 жыл бұрын
Agreed! Love these crazy gurus!
Hi! Just discovered your videos as I am planning a birthday trip to the Maldives! Love them. I am really curious as to what resort in the Maldives has the best all inclusive plan in your experience/opinion. Thanks!
@VoyagerGuru
2 жыл бұрын
Hi Daris! Thank you so much for your comment!! That sounds like a wonderful trip!! So there’s a lot of amazing all inclusive options in the Maldives right now - what’s your approx budget? I’ll send you my faves
@darismendez8646
2 жыл бұрын
@@VoyagerGuru Thank you so much for your quick reply. Hoping to keeping it under 1,200 per night max but willing to go over if it’s the right place. Love a good deal as well!
Firstly thanks for the beautiful video and great explanation Just I have a query, in water sports here in villa nautica is scuba diving available If not can we go another place from here to do scuba diving
@VoyagerGuru
11 ай бұрын
Thank you very much for your comment! Yes, villa nautica does have scuba diving available but they take you on a boat to go to the dive sites. There are some nearby dive sites, mainly channel dives, that are very good. The water sports center will have the pricing and information for you :). Typically dives are twice a day, once in the morning (2 tanks) and once in the afternoon (1 tank)
Really amazingly explained video and really helpful. If you guys can help with reviews of Deluxe All Inclusive Package at Emerald Maldives
@VoyagerGuru
Жыл бұрын
Thank you so much for the compliment, Damini! Regarding the all inclusive at emerald - it truly is ALL inclusive. They just call it “deluxe” to be fancy but it means they include all their a la carts restaurants and all drinks. We find their all inclusive to be extremely comprehensive and well done! You can’t go wrong :)
@daminishrimal484
Жыл бұрын
@@VoyagerGuru Kudos to you for such a good analysis & at the same time being helpful to people
@daminishrimal484
Жыл бұрын
@@VoyagerGuru we are really confused between emerald and niyama private islands for our honeymoon what you guys suggest ? It will really help a lot. Or should we explore a third one.
@VoyagerGuru
Жыл бұрын
Hey! Just replied to your other comment regarding the two - they’re really fantastic options. Just keep in mind emerald is All inclusive and niyama is not so that definitely will change the way you holiday. Both are great, but they offer different things.
Loved this video! What do you guys think of the All Inclusive plan at LUX South Ari Atoll?
@VoyagerGuru
3 жыл бұрын
Hey Tiffany! Thanks so much for your comment :). In short, LUX does have an asterisk in its name, lol, and there are some exclusions, even for all inclusive. I’ll say the all inclusive plan is definitely better than their half board and full board that do not include water, among other things. Allegria and umami are not included in the all inclusive plan (Italian and asian). You do have access to alcohol, soft drinks and water on the all inclusive plans during the open hours of the bars and restaurants and the minibar is complimentary as well. I’d say depending on price, it can be a great deal. Let us know if you have any questions!
@tiffanycooper4944
3 жыл бұрын
@@VoyagerGuru thank you so much!! Your info is super helpful!
@VoyagerGuru
3 жыл бұрын
Anytime Tiffany! Let us know if you have any questions at any time
@hoangthuyen-KKT
2 жыл бұрын
YCó ecó ymẹ là một loài iloài thực ehiện ecủa là một xã eebe của anh không biết làm gì đó anh sẽ
Hi! I just watched one of your videos at Villa Nautica Paradise Island, Maldives. We just booked 3 water villas with full board package at this resort. Are you familiar how full board works at that specific resort? Out of the 6 of us going 4 don't drink alcohol, that's the reason we didn't choose all inclusive. We always stayed at all inclusive resorts & cruises. Never heard of half board neither full board. Thank you.
@VoyagerGuru
Жыл бұрын
Hey there! Thanks so much for your comment! So basically half board is breakfast food and dinner food only and full board is breakfast, lunch and dinner food only, no beverages (sodas teas etc). The breakfast at villa nautica does include tea and coffee as part of the buffet and water. Water in the room is complimentary as well (2 bottles only). All inclusive includes all buffet meals and all drinks including water, tea, coffee and alcohol. It also includes the minibar. Water is usually $5 dollars per bottle. The all inclusive add on is usually a very expensive one so not worth it unless you consume 5-7 alcohol drinks per person per day. I hope this helps!
I’m so stuck on which one to choose 😂 I’m thinking half board atm so i’m more free to roam during the day…
@VoyagerGuru
Жыл бұрын
Hi there! Thanks for reaching out! I definitely think it depends on where you are going - if you are going to the Maldives and like to eat lunch, I typically recommend a full board or AI plan. If you're going somewhere like Cabo, half board may be better so you can explore the town and other restaurants/hotels. Let me know where you're going and I can advise!
thank u. lmao i was always confused with these
@VoyagerGuru
3 жыл бұрын
thank you so much for your comment! Haha, so glad it was helpful!! I hear you- it can be so confusing with so many different options :)
The way she looks at him when he’s talking 😭😍😍😍
@VoyagerGuru
3 жыл бұрын
Haha!! Thank you for your comment ❤️
Trying to book at Contera Rai Fushi. Can you help with their meal plan? They have 4 choices. Have y'all stayed at that resort? If so, do you have other tips? Thanks
@VoyagerGuru
6 ай бұрын
Hey there! Thanks for your comment! I'm happy to help - we have not yet been to Centara Ras Fushi but have heard good things overall. Its very close to Malé so its good for a short stay. personally, I think a meal plan is worth the add-on. If you are a very light eater and don't typically like lunch, you can get away with a half board plan. However, if you like the eat 3 meals a day, it's worth upgrading. All inclusive is worth it if you drink alcohol and if you enjoy more than 3-4 drinks per day, go all inclusive. If you do not drink alcohol, full board is sufficient. The difference between the gold and the standard all inclusive is going to be the quality of the beverages. If you're picky about your alcohol brands, I would go with the higher tiered plan. It also includes some laundry which is nice if you're staying for a while. Depending on the price difference, it may be worth the upgrade to have a "carefree" vacation. I'm happy to help answer any questions or help you with booking- feel free to reach out on IG or email me at team@voyagerguru.com. xx, Maren
Hi What about Mauritius packages? How will these options relate to 4 star hotels in Mauritius?
@VoyagerGuru
2 жыл бұрын
Hi Mahmood! Thanks for your comment. We can't speak specifically to Mauritius as we haven't been yet, but these packages are basically the same all over the world. What you will need to look for is under the rates for the different rooms, you'll see options like "bed & breakfast", half board etc. Be sure to review the fine print under the rate details!! For example, if you are looking at full board or all-inclusive, do they include soft drinks and water? If not, then it's likely not a good deal. If you have a specific hotel in mind, I'm happy to review their pricing details and let know :)
Have questions about meal plans at hotels? Let us know in the comments!
What do you suggest for Atlantis the Palm in Dubai?
@VoyagerGuru
2 жыл бұрын
Hello! Thanks for your comment. We have not yet been to Atlantis in Dubai but it looks beautiful. It is a bit remote so it’s a great resort destination, not as great for exploring the city. They have incredible restaurants and facilities onsite. Let us know what other questions you have!
Full broad means tea included whit meals or not?
@VoyagerGuru
2 жыл бұрын
Hi Andrej! At *most* properties, water, soda, coffee and tea are included. There are some stingy hotels that don't include any beverages so be sure to check the terms and conditions on your package before booking. If you have one in mind and aren't sure, let me know and I can check for you!
Do you guys own a property in the Dominican Republic?
@VoyagerGuru
3 жыл бұрын
Hey Carlos! Yes! We do- we have an Airbnb property in Cabarete on the north coast :)
❤❤❤❤❤❤
@VoyagerGuru
Жыл бұрын
😍
Em không có gì đâu mà không có gì đâu em không có gì đâu mà không có gì đâu
@VoyagerGuru
2 жыл бұрын
Sorry, hope things turn around!