Are all-inclusives really good value… or is B&B better? Experts reveal the truth you need to choose

People want to know exactly how much a trip will cost. You don’t have to worry about being charged high bar and food bills, or other unexpected surprises.

Statistics from travel company Abta show steady growth in all-inclusive holidays – including food and drink – and now make up around one in three package holidays.

But is it actually better to book a B&B and then go out for dinner, plus pay for your own drinks at the bar?

Angela Epstein stayed at the 900-room Wyndham Grand hotel in Mirabello Bay, Crete

There was only one way to find out: on a trip to the 900-room Wyndham Grand Crete Mirabello Bay on the northeast coast of Crete, Greece.

This is what we discovered on a holiday that was half all-inclusive and half B&B.

All-inclusive… buffet bonanza and drinks at the sip ‘n’ dip bar

Mrs. Epstein at the Wyndham Hotel, Crete

In line for the salad bar, it’s hard to take a look at the plate of the guest at the front: grilled fish, pasta, spring rolls, spaghetti, cheesy broccoli, chips and – somewhat randomly – a chocolate truffle and watermelon slice on top.

What a spread. My fellow diner (like us) is wearing a blue wristband: a sign that they have signed up for an all-inclusive rate. At the Wyndham this includes all meals plus endless drinks – including the deadly ‘local’ cocktail, a mix of raki and metaxa – and all you can eat from an afternoon snack trolley with pizza, cake, fruit and wraps.

In other words, you pay your money and fix that nose bag.

For the first three days of our stay, my husband Martin and I decided to go all-in for the all-inclusive.

The Wyndham is modern and sleek, with four pools, a water park, two private beaches and a great staff. There is plenty of space. The only time it gets busy is in the main restaurant Amalthea, with its open kitchen and live cooking stations serving just about every type of food.

We quickly feel the pull of the buffet – and it is a test of our willpower to explore.

However, we do this one day – after having a quick, hearty lunch at the buffet (well, it’s ‘free’) – and rent a car to visit some beautiful nearby villages, including Kritsa, that juts out into a rocky hill. We love strolling through silver olive groves and exploring small hamlets.

Yet we notice that we become tense around 7 p.m., even though the sun is still shining. Why? Because dinner at the hotel ends at 9:30 PM (on the dot!).

So, although it would have been nice to stay and eat among the locals, we unfortunately go back.

Angela and husband Martin rent bicycles for a tour of the mountains from the hotel

Still, we are only too happy that we are all-inclusive on the day that we rent bicycles from the hotel for a spectacular tour into the mountains.

This lasts for three glorious but energetic hours, until 6pm. So it’s a relief to return pink-faced and exhausted, knowing we don’t have to go out again.

Time for a dip in the pool followed by an ‘on the tab’ (free) cocktail. . . before returning to the main restaurant and attacking the buffet with impunity (and with great enthusiasm). After riding so many miles, we’ve earned the right to be hit.

Alcohol plays a big role in all-inclusive. Neither of us are big drinkers, even though there are temptations everywhere. The largest of these is the Sip ‘n’ Dip pool bar, where you can sip sparkling wine while lazing in the water.

Soon we’re drinking cocktails or glasses of ouzo before dinner – where wine is included for those who want it – and even more after we’ve eaten. And why not? It’s all inclusive.

Go B&B… sneaky sarnies and taverna

Switching to a B&B rate after three wonderful days requires a change in mentality. The temptation to overindulge at the lunch and dinner buffets is gone (unless we pay £25 per meal per person).

We soon feel the pull of the buffet, Angela writes, and it is a test of willpower to explore. However, this is what we do – after enjoying a quick, hearty lunch at the hotel buffet

Our new found ‘freedom’ is almost disorienting. We notice that B&Bers seem to be in the minority, and there is a vague sense of FOMO.

While the ‘blue belts’ cruise back and forth from the hotel beach bar for endless ‘free’ drinks, we venture to the supermarket across the road to keep costs down. Inevitably, drinks will be sold at a higher price on site.

I know we shouldn’t, but one day we save on lunch by making a sandwich from the breakfast buffet and packing our supplies in a beach bag. It feels a bit dingy, but now that we’ve secured a good spot on the beach and don’t have to pay €25 per head for lunch, it seems like a smart alternative.

We leave the hotel for dinner. Once we go to a taverna where the owner, an eighty-year-old Greek lady, takes a long time to serve and the food is rather unremarkable. But the air smells of pine trees and the atmosphere more than compensates for this.

As for the alcohol, it’s somewhat of a relief to cut back on what we drink. But since the night air is warm and balmy and the atmosphere decidedly relaxed, we feel like drinking a few drops.

But instead of paying £10 – even if it means missing the entertainment at the beach bar – we run across the road to the supermarket to stock up on ouzo, crisps and nuts.

Yes, we feel like a bunch of dorks as we scramble back to our balcony for our own ‘lock-in’. But at least we can still listen to the music coming up from the bar downstairs.

The verdict

All inclusive: £239 per night.

B&B: £175 a night, plus £60 a day in food and drink by living modestly.

(Prices based on double occupancy in October).

It depends on how much you eat and drink. We’re not big drinkers so it worked out almost exactly the same price by going B&B rather than all-inclusive.

Yes, it’s a pleasure not to sign a piece of paper every time you order a drink, but conversely, an all-inclusive is not good for your liver or your weight.

So you have to figure out what kind of vacation you want. If it’s a blow, go all-inclusive; if you’re looking for a more measured experience, go B&B.