Are there any good all inclusive exchange options

Hi all,

Just looking to see if anyone has either exchanged into RCI or Hilton Honors Points for an all inclusive property? If they exist???

How many points?
What did it get you in terms of days, room type, all inclusive amenities?
Your overall thoughts on the value received vs the points you had to use?

Thanks for any insights!

The issue with all-inclusives are not the points, its the AI daily fees they tack on for food+drink. Hunt for a good one where the additional AI fee is not over the top. We'll soon spend a week in a hotel-type room at the Grand Bahia Principe in Runaway Bay, Jamaica, for 4800 points. It has generally favorable reviews and its AI fee is middle of the road.

BTW, the trick at AI's is to eat+drink at least as much as everyone else there, to make sure that you get your fair share and do not subsidize the other folk's intake of food+drink.
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Talent312 said:

The issue with all-inclusives are not the points, its the AI daily fees they tack on for food+drink. Hunt for a good one where the additional AI fee is not over the top. We'll soon spend a week in a hotel-type room at the Grand Bahia Principe in Runaway Bay, Jamaica, for 4800 points. It has generally favorable reviews and its AI fee is middle of the road.

BTW, the trick at AI's is to eat+drink at least as much as everyone else there, to make sure that you get your fair share and do not subsidize their eating+drinking.
.

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Thanks for your input talent. I am not familiar with AI fees. What does AI stand for? All inclusive fees I assume?

Do you pay out of pocket for the AI fees? If so, what is typical for a party of 2? Any specific examples is also appreciated.

Thanks again.

If you click on a resort in rci or ii and look at the details they will list the all inclusive fees (AI) especially if AI is mandatory. I saw ones from kind of reasonable $85 per person per day, some were totally outrageous $300 per person per day during new years week.

Depending upon the area, i.e Mexico a lot of them are AI mandatory, that usually indicated my a symbol like a circled m. Others are ai optional. Either way I believe that the Ai fee is paid at checkin.

Ian

Yes you will pay out of pocket for AI fees. When you exchange into an AI property, you are only getting the room. You will need to pay cash for the daily AI fee. I always wonder how anyone can eat and drink as much as the fees. I could never eat and drink over $100./day. I'd explode.

To add to the above, At the majority of AI resorts, the base rate does not include 'top shelf' booze, so if that's your thing, be advised. We NEVER go to AI resorts, so only have a bit of anecdotal info. Last year we watched football playoffs as guests of some AI guests at a deluxe Mexican resort. We were treated to unlimited margaritas. At the end of the game, I was totally sober. No lush here, after 4 hours of non-stop drinks, I should have been under the table. So to answer the OP's initial question: Are there any good all inclusive exchange options?

They might exist, but I haven't found any. Time was, AI was a rarity. Then resort after resort saw AI as a profit center. Buffet meals, short pours of second rate liquor, high prices paid upfront so captives (oops, guests) either can't, or are unlikely to leave the property and patronize another business.

Let us know what you find.

Jim

AI resorts are cheaper if booked outside of RCI as a package deal (usually). I looked at getting a Beaches resort for my sister in law and the AI was $225USD per day PER PERSON, plus RCI fees and flights. http://ai.rci.com/displayResort?id=D525
They booked the same place, same room on Westjet Vacations for under $2500 total (for 2), including airfare.

I couldn't eat and drink $200 worth each day. Even if I brought all my Tupperware and packaged it up to take home, I doubt it could be done! Why do I want to stuff myself each meal to feel I got my moneys worth??

When I search in RCI, I exclude mandatory AI from my search. Just use the drop down list on the left. We feel that shopping in Mexico is part of the fun! The Dominican or Jamaica, maybe not!!!


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I did receive an email from RCI about all inclusives I was looking at. Dreams Huatulco Resort & Spa by UVC (C563) looked nice and had decent AI fees. (If you go between August 15 and December 14)

Jim, I had the same experience many years ago, in my younger days at one of the SuperClubs. I'd had quite a few drinks one day and I didn't feel a thing. I switched to Jack Daniels on the rocks and had 4 within an hour as an experiment, as you guessed no effect. The same thing happened about two years ago at a wedding in the LA area. So either I become immune to the effects of alcohol on a couple of occasions or something was fishy in Denmark.

I alway select "AI not mandatory" in RCI as well.

Ian

Thank you all for the info. Great feedback!

Talent312 said:

The issue with all-inclusives are not the points, its the AI daily fees they tack on for food+drink. Hunt for a good one where the additional AI fee is not over the top. We'll soon spend a week in a hotel-type room at the Grand Bahia Principe in Runaway Bay, Jamaica, for 4800 points. It has generally favorable reviews and its AI fee is middle of the road.

BTW, the trick at AI's is to eat+drink at least as much as everyone else there, to make sure that you get your fair share and do not subsidize the other folk's intake of food+drink.
.

Click to expand...

Hmm, sounds like AI isn't for people that are diabetic (or pre diabetic like me) and/or those trying to watch their weight & diet. Hadn't given it much thought till now, but between the high additional AI daily fee/person and health aspect, I'll skip the AI.

I've seen a lot of resorts in the Caribbean go mandatory AI.

Does anyone know the all inclusive rate for the Hyatt in Cabo? It came up on my AC the other day.

There is a caveat to this. While we naïvely used a week to trade in RCI (we still had to pay the AI) for a week in an all-inclusive, which years later we realize probably wasn't a good value, while the all-inclusive is really expensive, the food was absolutely incredible. Meals were sit down, high-end, excellent wines and top-quality alcohol. they would leave a bottle of wine or Jose Cuervo tequila in your room, they knew what we would like to drink, and they would leave me ice cold beers that I liked with cut up limes sitting out on the table all prepped and ready to go. They would literally come over and make your dinner at your table. No cheap buffets or red solo cups. It was definitely a splurge for us, but it was our honeymoon. I can't say that I ate the amount we paid each day in food, but the dinners alone were easily $125 plus meals. They would make fresh guacamole for you by the pool, etc. so it wasn't a matter of trying to gorge $200 plus a day of mediocre, semi-warm buffet food. It was less about the quantity of food and alcohol and more about the quality of being in a really nice place like that.

Again, not saying that the price we paid was equal to what we received, but I think what you pay an all inclusive fees depends on the resort you go to. I also think in hindsight it probably would've been just as cheap, if not cheaper to find a package deal.

The resort I am referencing is the Grand Velas in Nuevo Vallarta.

Yeah, we did one AI resort - Grand Mayan in Puerto Vallarta with just the 2 of us. Never again. It was way overpriced for our laid back vacationing style.