All-Inclusive? Pros and Cons

Hello, everyone! The weather here in Cabo San Lucas continues to be beautiful. It is actually not as hot as expected as there has been a nice breeze, so the high 80’s has been perfect. One of the decisions one often has to make when traveling is whether or not to purchase an all-inclusive package. We struggle with this on many of our trips. On our cruise, we had to decide whether or not to purchase a drinks package, which we eventually did, and it seemed to pay for itself. Here at Playa Grande, they began offering an all-inclusive food and drinks plan last year, so we decided to test it out on this visit.

All-inclusive details

The minimum number of days available for purchase is three days, so we went with that. At $84 per person, per day, it seemed like a big expense. It includes all food and drinks, including 24-hour room service. On Sunday, after a lovely brunch, we spent most of the day in the pool. As with most hotels, any drinks or food indulged around the pool must be purchased there.  So with bottles of water, iced tea, sodas, snacks, and several adult beverages, it did pay for itself, mostly due to the expensive cost of hotel food. We also had a lovely dinner at a restaurant down by the Pacific Ocean that evening, so it was well worth it. However, on Monday, we had a late breakfast, drinks and snacks around the pool, and by dinnertime, we weren’t the least bit hungry. Instead, we took a long walk around the harbor as it was a perfect evening. So, it probably was not worth it yesterday. Today, we had a light breakfast, snacks and drinks by the pool. Tonight, we will indulge in a seafood dinner, so today will definitely pay for itself.

After careful consideration, we think the three-day package was worth it, but would not want to purchase this for the whole week. Since our condo has a kitchen, we will do as we usually do and buy some food and drinks at Walmart and go out to dinner. However, it was fun to feel like we could eat and drink anything and not be mentally adding up the cost! It does tie you down at whatever facility you are staying at, however!  You often feel like you should stay there for meals in order to get your money’s worth, right?!! After our three days on the all-inclusive meal plan, we can now go to some of our usual spots in the area, and I will share some of these great spots with you.

So, before choosing all-inclusive, consider what your plans for each day will include. If you like to explore the area and try new places and new foods, you may want to skip it. Or if you plan to totally relax at your hotel, purchase it for the whole week and you don’t have to even think about food. Or do as we did, and combine your visit with only a few days on all-inclusive. Have any of you had experience with an all-inclusive package? I would love to hear about and share what you discovered.

Views of Playa Grande and Cabo

Today I am sharing pictures from The Ridge, here at Playa Grande. So far, it has been a relaxing vacation and we are now ready to venture out to some other places in Los Cabos!

These are views from our balcony which overlooks the Port of Cabo San Lucas, day and night views:

Below are some views of the infinity pools, bar and restaurant that sit atop the mountain on The Ridge:

Below are some photos of the Marina in the Port of Cabo San Lucas–a happening place! Colorful with lots of shopping, too!

I hope you are enjoying some of the views of Cabo San Lucas. Tomorrow I will be sharing a wonderful find in Los Cabos–a virtual oasis in the desert–so I hope you will check back in tomorrow.

Until then, adios my friends!

Darlene