Favorite Bloggers
Priceline Fans

Who are the Priceline Fans?

Almost every day, I come across blogs and fun stories about how people are using priceline.com to stretch their travel dollars.  Here are some of the most interesting ones.

 

Eric Bergeson's A Duck Out Of Water In Las Vegas trip.

The Tinfoil Tiara says Priceline is priceless.

The Copper Brick Road books a Valentines Day hotel.

ProHomemaker.com gives priceline a try.

 Interview with Love Like Fire.

See how bands like The Southland make their road trips count with Priceline. 

Dennis Bournique looks at Priceline’s new mobile service.

Glenn Gregory gives money saving travel tips.

Jens Odegaard’s Hawaii trip.

 
January 2009 Archives

Everything You Wanted to Know About All-Inclusive Vacations

 

Since travel budgets are likely to be tight for a lot of folks in 2009, the Travel Ekspert decided to take a closer look at all-inclusive vacations – what are they, where are they, what do they include and, most important, are they good deals?
To get these answers, I asked Tom Trotta, priceline.com’s Senior Vice President of Vacation Packages and Cruises. Before joining Priceline, Tom was a senior exec for Super Clubs, one of the world’s largest and best-known all-inclusive chains.
Here’s what Tom had to say.
Q:        For those who don’t know, what is an all-inclusive resort?
A:        An all-inclusive is a resort where all your meals, most of your drinks including beer, wine, and local or house brand hard alcohol, and employee tips are included, as well as some activities, water sports, and local entertainment in the evening. Some resorts may only offer buffet meals and may not have entertainment, while others may include all the above plus airport transfers, name brand drinks, unlimited greens fees, tours, multiple restaurants, childcare and even weddings in their upfront pricing.   Club Med pioneered the concept 50 years ago and other companies keep enhancing the product and create new variations to serve niche markets and specific groups of customers.
Q:        What makes an all-inclusive vacation so attractive?
A:        Aside from a cruise, an all-inclusive vacation is the most budget-friendly vacation you can take. You pay once up-front and that’s it, except for incidentals like gift shop purchases and off-property excursions.  The all-inclusive concept is great for travelers on a strict budget.
Q:        Is it possible to go to an all-inclusive resort with just a little extra cash and still have a good time?
A:        Yes, as long as you pick a resort that includes the things you want in the all-inclusive price. Remember that, like any business, resorts will try to increase their revenue by offering extras like spa treatments, premium brand wines and liquors, specialty meals, golf carts, nannies, you name it. Just be ready to say no. Also, be mindful of the cost of overseas phone calls and Internet charges. Understand how each is billed, as technologies and prices vary from hotel to hotel and there is often more than one option. Not all carriers phone cards work on every island, but cellular services are expanding in the Caribbean although roaming charges may apply. One popular option is to rent a local cell phone before you travel or at the arrival airport and then buy prepaid phone cards to use for local and overseas calls.
Q:        Who would be a good candidate for an all-inclusive resort?
A:        All-inclusives work well for several types of vacationers. For example, people who generally go to one place, enjoy the beach and the warm weather, will enjoy the all-inclusive experience. Some travelers who make a lot of decisions at the office don’t want a vacation where they have to decide where to go, what to spend, what to do each day, where they’re going to eat that night. An all-inclusive makes all these decisions simple. An all-inclusive is a great choice for destination weddings, since they can handle all the details for you. Many resorts cater to families with young children and help parents find some time for themselves. Other resorts cater to adults only or couples only if you’re getting away with a group of friends or for a romantic vacation with your significant other.  
Q:        How do the all-inclusives handle tipping?
A:        At almost every all-inclusive, it’s included in the upfront price that you pay. The hotels allocate a percentage of revenues to a gratuity pool for employees and then allocate the tips based upon ratings from guest comments. Some chains have strict policies against tipping and may dismiss an employee for soliciting or even accepting tips. At some destinations, even when tips are included, extra tipping is common and can result in better service. My advice is, if tipping is included, you do NOT have to tip extra, but make sure to give the resort your feedback on employees who provide exceptional service. If you like to tip, then make sure that it will not get the employee in trouble, or do it very discreetly. When you’re off an all-inclusive property, tipping norms apply for airport porters, and any services not included in the all-inclusive price, like transfers and tours.
Q:        What about transportation? Do the all-inclusives handle that? Is a rental car a good idea?
A:        Some all-inclusives include airport transfers in the price of the room, but most resorts or travel agencies sell the transfers as an add-on.  I recommend pre-purchasing the transfer. It’s usually cheaper and far more preferable to starting your vacation by haggling with a local cabbie. Very few guests of all-inclusive resorts rent cars.  There will be days that you don’t want to leave the resort.  Sight-seeing excursions usually include transportation. You may not be comfortable driving on the left side of the road in countries like the Bahamas, Jamaica or most former British colonies.  However, you may want to rent a car to drive out for a day of exploration.  This is frequently done in Aruba, the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Curacao and can often be arranged at your resort.  In the Bahamas, scooter rentals are popular. Be warned - many scooter-renting tourists come back with a tell-tale “asphalt sunburn” after an afternoon shower makes the roads slick. Travelers may also want to check for U.S. state department warnings at www.state.gov.
Q:        So let’s get down to it. Which all-inclusives do you recommend?
A:        That’s really a matter of budget and destination. Let’s start with two of the most affordable destinations with tens of thousands of all-inclusive hotel rooms. That would be Mexico and the Dominican Republic. Almost every resort in these locations is a great value for the money.  Cancun will remind many visitors of Miami Beach or Waikiki. A few dozen miles to the south is the Riviera Maya. That area of Mexico is similar to most resort areas in the Dominican Republic. You can leave one resort and drive for 10 minutes past palm trees and lush foliage before seeing the next resort complex. Punta Cana is the largest and most famous destination in the Dominican Republic with expansive white sand beaches and calm waters for swimming and snorkeling. On the north side of the island, the largest resort area is Puerto Plata, which has more waves and some of the best kite surfing in the world.
The most popular Mexican hotel chains for American tourists include Palace, Fiesta Americana, and Oasis. Large Spanish hotel chains have also spent billions of dollars in Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and most recently in the former English & Dutch islands of the Caribbean like Jamaica and Aruba. The chains include Sol Melia, Barcelo, Riu, Iberostar, Bahia Principe, Occidental, and Palladium. Most of these resorts are very large and are filled with multiple restaurants and pools, some even with game arcades and casinos. They have also built some smaller more intimate boutique properties such as the Me brand by Sol Melia.
The most popular former British islands where cars and buses still drive on the left side of the road are Jamaica and the Bahamas. For two or three decades, Jamaican all-inclusive companies like Sandals, SuperClubs, and Couples became household names when people of all ages thought of all-inclusives. These Caribbean pioneers invented and improved new niches for all-inclusive vacations that catered to travelers lifestyles. Couples-only, SuperNanny’s, Ultra-inclusive, Hedonism, corporate groups, Wedding-Moons, etc. Jamaica’s amenities like Reggae music, Blue Mountain coffee, climbing Dunn’s River Falls, etc., are well documented in tour guides and on Web sites. The Bahamas boasts of well known casinos and you can clear U.S. customers when flying out of Nassau which makes arriving home a little easier.
U.S. territories like Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands with stricter liquor laws and more costly labor only have a few all-inclusive resorts. Some U.S. chains offer all-inclusives. Holiday Inn offers Sunspree’s in Aruba and Jamaica. Wyndham has partnered with Viva in the Dominican Republic and Grand Bahama. Near Montego Bay, Jamaica, there’s a Hilton and even a Ritz Carlton that offer all-inclusive plans as options to their guests. And in Cancun and Riviera Maya, many U.S. chains do the same.
Q:        Has the poor economy made all-inclusive deals better this year than in past years?
A:        We’ve seen much lower prices for all-inclusives, regular hotels and cruises in 2009. I can’t remember a previous time when prices dropped this much and the value for consumers has been this high.
Q:        So, do you see any all-inclusive deals out there that are especially attractive?
A:        Since you have to fly to the Caribbean and Mexico, securing your airline tickets at a good price is very important. I recommend that consumers check the priceline.com Web site frequently, as package prices can change in both directions depending on occupancy levels, especially for popular holiday weeks and school breaks. All-inclusive packages are usually purchased two to three months before travel. But, if you need to get away next week, don’t worry. There is plenty of supply and airlines are making Name Your Own Price seats available (displayed as Priceline Partner Airline in priceline.com’s vacation packages) for close-in travel, even to the Caribbean and Mexico.

I see attractive deals recently at several Barcelo resorts in the Dominican Republic, Sol Melia in Mexico and Bahia Principe in both locations.


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Kirjoittaja Brian Ek  -  27.1.2009  -  2951 kertaa luettu