Best and worst all-inclusive holiday providers

Our survey of nearly 2,000 holidaymakers found that those who picked the cheapest all-inclusive holiday provider ended up forking out a whopping £367 more per week on extras.

Lastminute.com’s customers found that their ‘all-inclusive’ resort was anything but. On average they spent an extra £128 a week in the resort, and £239 outside the resort on things like meals out and food and drink from the supermarket. That’s £367 in total. 

They also had a pretty poor experience, rating their holiday just two stars out of five for accommodation, organisation, transfers, included benefits and customer service. Lastminute.com’s 63% customer score puts it firmly at the bottom of the table of all-inclusive providers.

At the top of the table, Jet2Holidays’ customers had a very different experience. The restrictions on what you could eat and drink, and when, were the lowest of any brand. ‘The package included everything we needed and desired’, said one happy customer.

Long haul specialist, Kuoni, and over 50s operator Saga also received excellent customer scores in our survey, with four stars for the benefits included in the price of their holiday.

You can compare customer scores, prices and ratings in the table below. 

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Best all-inclusive holiday providers

What does all-inclusive mean?

Whenever the economy takes a tumble, all-inclusive holidays surge in popularity as we all seek to control our spending. If you’ve paid for everything in advance, there’s no need to worry that costs will spiral out of control when you arrive at your destination.

The problem? There’s no set definition of ‘all-inclusive’. What’s really included in your package price varies between companies and even resorts. 

The most basic all-inclusive package will include flights, accommodation and three meals a day. But the inclusion of anything else, be it scuba diving or just an ice cream, comes down to the resort’s own definition of all-inclusive. 

For example, our survey found that only 73% of guests had free snacks thrown in, just 79% had the most basic alcoholic drinks included, and fewer than half had premium brands of beers and spirits included in their packages.

You might also find that while extras are included, restrictions are imposed. Some resorts limit the number of alcoholic drinks you can have per day, or may only serve snacks at certain times.

The watering down of included benefits has become so rife that some holiday companies have even invented a new category, ‘all-inclusive plus’, to denote packages that include extra perks that all-inclusive resorts used to include as standard, such as branded drinks and a la carte dining. 

You can find out more about what is, and isn’t, usually included when you book with different holiday companies in our guide: How to choose the best all-inclusive holidays.

Is all-inclusive worth it?

Many resorts offer the option of staying on a B&B, half-board or all-inclusive basis. Whether the latter is worth it depends on how much it costs, and whether you think you’ll be indulging in the all-inclusive freebies. 

The upgrade from B&B to all-inclusive can be as little as £15pp per day, which will pay for itself even if you only eat dinner in the resort. However, if the only food on offer is a bland buffet, or you think you’ll be leaving the resort to sight see and eat in local restaurants, the upgrade may not be worth your while. 

Ultimately the question of whether all-inclusive is worth it or not comes down to whether you get a good deal, on a good resort, with a good provider. You can find out more in our guide: How to save money on all-inclusive holidays

Which all-inclusive package holiday companies does Which? recommend?

Jet2 Holidays 82%

The UK’s biggest holiday provider’s all-inclusive packages are just that - our survey found copious amounts of food and drink are almost always included, with restrictions on consumption the lowest of any brand. It’s good quality too, according to our survey.

Holidaymakers thought the facilities at a Jet2 all-inclusive resort were excellent: ‘They only work with hotels that offer the best services’ said one customer. And the reps also attracted a lot of praise.

Which? verdict One guest summed it up nicely: ‘I now only book through Jet2. Other companies have let us down, but Jet2 always does us proud’.

Read the full Jet2 Holidays review or visit the Jet2 Holidays website

Saga 80%

Saga holidays are only available to those who are over 50. Saga says it hand-picks its hotels, making sure they meet its exacting standards. Judging by our survey, they met yours too. It was one of only two brands with a four-star rating for its accommodation. 

Guests also praised the ‘excellent standard’ of the food and drink and told us they had everything they needed. They spent very little on average outside the resort - just £44 per week. 

Which? verdict With high ratings across the board, and the lowest spend on extras, Saga is truly all-inclusive for the over 50s.

Read the full Saga Holidays review or visit the Saga Holidays website

How we researched holiday companies

In September 2023, we asked 1,918 Which? Connect panel members and the public to complete an online survey about their experiences of booking and going on holiday in the past two years. We only reported on companies when we received at least 30 responses.

You can have your say on what we research and help us achieve change joining Which? Connect