Many people, when choosing a holiday offer for vacation, will consider all-inclusive holidays where everything is included in the price. But is that really the case? What are all-inclusive holidays in a hotel, what to watch out for, and what do they look like in Poland?
Many people who want to ensure the highest quality of services during their vacation choose all inclusive. What is all inclusive in a hotel? This term means that everything is included in the price, so besides accommodation, full board and other services are also offered. It is these "other services" that cause one all-inclusive offer to differ from another. There are no specific rules indicating what should be included in all inclusive. Animations for children and adults, access to the Spa zone or the pool? Each facility may set its own individual rules.
However, there is a certain minimum, which includes three meals a day, e.g., breakfasts and dinners in the form of a buffet and a hot meal for lunch. In addition, cold drinks available for 12 hours or more and bottled water in rooms, as well as alcoholic beverages, should be included. It is worth knowing that there are different types of all inclusive. Some issues also need to be considered when choosing such an offer.
It is known that in the case of all inclusive by the sea for many people, a location right by the beach will be very important, but this is not always the rule. When the offer states that the hotel building is located in a quiet and secluded place, it may be that it is difficult to find public transport connections from that hotel. Therefore, before choosing all-inclusive holidays, you should check this. The way to verify it is simple—just find the hotel's address and clear up your doubts using Google Street View.
When choosing a price-attractive all-inclusive trip, one must be cautious and also check security issues. Sometimes the socio-political situation in a given place is known due to media coverage of tensions, e.g., political. However, when the media do not provide notices regarding warnings from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for travelers, you need to verify this yourself. If the threat level is rated 1 on a four-level scale, you can confidently book the hotel. When safety is limited and the threat level is rated as 2, meaning it is higher than in Poland, you should simply avoid dangerous places and stick to tourist, marked routes, but you can decide to go. However, if the threat is rated at 3, you should seriously consider whether it is better to choose a safer place, where you will also find a SPA hotel by the sea with all inclusive. Such a rating means that the country is dangerous and non-essential travel is discouraged. At level 4, all travel is discouraged, so then you definitely need to choose another destination, even if the seaside holiday offer is tempting due to its price.
The all-inclusive issue can also be troublesome for tourists due to designated meal times. After all, if you pay for something, you usually do not want to give it up. But such an option makes all-day sightseeing difficult. Therefore, if you intend to explore and eat in restaurants, you should rather not choose all inclusive, unless you accept that you will pay more (also for other amenities) but will not use some of the meals you have paid for.
You must check whether insurance is included in the price and what its amount is. It may turn out that it is too low, and then it is worth insuring yourself for the duration of the trip or asking about extended insurance. You should know that a trip to Europe should include insurance of at least 120,000 PLN, and when traveling outside Europe, the insurance amount should be 250,000 PLN. In the case of North America, where medical care is expensive, insurance should be at least 400,000 PLN.
All inclusive comes in many variants, so it is worth knowing that Wi-Fi access may not be included in the price. This is often the case with holidays in Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, and Turkey. Access must be paid for additionally.
Interestingly, the air conditioning fee may also not be included in the costs. Certainly, optional excursions are not part of all inclusive. Not all amenities available at the hotel are always available within all inclusive either. Examples include the Wellness zone with saunas and pools or Spa treatments such as massages or relaxing baths. In some places, part of the animations or sports activities, e.g., gym training, as well as parking or pet stays, may be charged. As mentioned, each hotel can establish its own all-inclusive rules and the scope of services included in the offer.
Before choosing a seaside spa hotel, get to know the types of all inclusive offered in hotels. We distinguish:
You should know that other amenities may also be available within a given package, e.g., access to SPA or a court, but this must be verified with the travel agency or directly with the hotel staff, preferably before booking the trip.
Regarding all inclusive in Poland, our hotels increasingly offer it to their clients; however, it is a trend that is just developing. All inclusive in Poland is mainly associated with trips to foreign hotels organized by travel agencies, but reality is changing, and hotels here in the country by the Vistula River attract guests just as eagerly with all that has contributed to such popularity of this type of vacation.
Differences compared to other hotels in Poland or abroad will be marginal and depend on the offer of a given place. Weather also has an influence—it is clear that in our country we cannot use all attractions all year round (e.g., outdoor pools—unless they are heated). But did you know that in Poland you can choose not only all-inclusive holidays but also all-inclusive winter holidays? Such winter stays are also possible.
The all-inclusive offer itself in Poland does not differ in scope from foreign offers but is adapted to our realities and the possibilities of a given hotel. The scope of such holidays should be clearly specified, e.g., on the facility’s website. And if any questions arise, it is best to always discuss them with hotel staff when booking the stay or beforehand.
It does not matter whether you decide on an all-inclusive trip in Poland or abroad, the rules of such stays are very similar. The range of the offer may differ depending on the accommodation place, and you should verify it at the latest at the booking stage to avoid misunderstandings and disappointments, as well as additional charges. You should thoroughly check the location regarding communication with the city and safety. You need to verify the insurance package and possibly purchase extended insurance. Seaside spa hotel all inclusive may offer many attractions, but excursions must be paid for separately.
