An Ode to All-Inclusives

I never thought I would be the one to vacation in an all-inclusive resort, but now that I have given it a go I have to say that I highly recommend them. Well obviously it depends where you stay and when, but the concept of going somewhere to simply relax and not worry about anything is quite necessary from time to time. Don't get me wrong, I could certainly not become convinced to only go on those types of vacations, but I'd say every so often it's a must.

We stayed in Dreams, Puerto Vallarta in Mexico, and loved it. It really is a well run beautiful place, and the service was unbelievable. All rooms have ocean views and there are no reservation requirements to have dinner at the specialty restaurants. The food was decidedly good and beautifully presented. James and I were able to go and sit on the beach, drink yummy sugary frozen drinks, eat, swim and generally do a whole lot of nothing. Bliss. The advantage of the Dreams resort is the private beach; many other resorts are layed out on a strip with one beach going into the next. It never felt overcrowded though we were there at a busy time, and we were always able to get a little hut for beach shade. In case you can't get enough to eat in the 5 restaurants they also include the 24hour room service in the package. If there is one thing that I would do differently it is to omit the additional service from the airport to the hotel and back. I think we paid a ridiculous $76 for both of us, and found out that a taxi ride from the airport isn't normally much more than $10. Of course never having been, we were uncertain what other options were available - now we know and we are making sure others know!