All Inclusive Resorts
The idea of an all-inclusive resort sounds great – pay for everything up front at what seems to be a good deal, travel with very little petty cash and only be responsible for the tacky souvenirs you pick up along the way.
However, all inclusive meals different things to different people…or different countries. People usually think of the all-in-one resorts in the Caribbean that promise a room, food, alcohol, kid’s club and activities. Although that seems to include everything, that can also be misleading – what about the upper category rooms, or private nannies after hours, or alcohol that’s a step above what you drank in college? Those things might all cost a pretty penny more and are imporant to research before you book.
That being said, there are still a number of people who are looking for all inclusive resorts in many areas of the world. Because of that, we tracked down a number of all inclusive resorts in Tahiti and two other tropical locations.
In our Fiji all inclusive resorts article, we explain the differences between FAP, EP and MAP. These are different ways of distinguishing meal plans – usually the main focus of a resort that’s claiming to be ‘all-inclusive’.
Unfortunately, America’s tropical paradise has only one resort that includes meals. All inclusive resorts in Hawaii are limited to just the Kona Village.
Hibiscus Collection for Fiji Resorts
We recently launched the Fiji Hibiscus Collection, which includes showcase registries (aka, specialty items) for a number of resorts in Fiji. Each of these resorts have their own honeymoon registry, powered by TheBigDay.
Of the five resorts, I visited Sonaisali in October and caught a fleeting glimpse of Hideaway from the Queen’s Highway. Both resorts offer private bures with beachfront views and restaurants. At Sonaisali, we were dining on the beach when a downpour forced us to run inside. I loved the brief storm – in Portland, the rain mostly drizzles and whimpers, getting everything wet without really getting anything clean.
Also at Sonaisali, there is an excellent handicrafts shop with very reasonable prices. I picked up a woven bag for my sister for $30 FJ, which is $10 higher than what you can get on the street or through an independent vendor, but still not over the top.
Dinner at A Tuscan Estate
A few weeks ago, a group of us at TheBigDay Honeymoon Registry had the privilege of dining at a bed-and-breakfast in McMinnville, Oregon. A Tuscan Estate is an adorable historic home with four unique rooms and a detached annex next door for larger groups or long term rentals. A Tuscan Estate is run by Liz and Jacques. Liz keeps up the front of the house while Jacques prepares wonderful dishes for guests and special parties. We tasked Jacques with the creation of a multi-course meal for 7 of us. What he procured was a dining sensation that included 8 courses over the course of4+ hours.
Courses included Moroccan Lamb Kebabs, Buffalo Mozzarella Napoleon, Baked Ostrich Egg Souffle, Duck Liver Medallions, Roasted Quail, Braised Halibut Cheeks, Diver Sea Scallops and more. The stunning meal was beautifully matched by Bernard Machado Pinot Noir 1999, Z’IVO 2005 Quartet and Z’IVO 2003 Pinot Noir . We were expertly guided through all these choices by Jennifer Kadell from Walnut City WineWorks.
Needless to say, by the end of the meal we were fat and happy and overwhelmingly pleased by both the meal, the service and the company. For a great weekend away, I’d highly recommend A Tuscan Estate.
Dirty Glasses at Hotel Rooms
My suspicion about dirty glasses at hotel rooms has been taken to a whole new level with the undercover investigation by a FOX news station in Atlanta. This disgusting video shows housekeeping staff at all five hotels they visited doing the exact same thing – rinsing out the dirty glasses, instead of replacing them with a new one. Excuse me while I go find my own water bottle. My one question that isn’t answered – were the guests booked in for two nights instead of one? It still doesn’t make it right, tho. Housekeeping doesn’t clean glasses
The Idiocy of United Airlines and Why a Travel Agent Could Have Helped Me
I fell into the internet reservation trap this week. I booked a last minute to trip for two people Wednesday on United.com. Since I’m pretty online-booking savvy, I did it myself instead of asking one of the travel agents for help. The process that took a considerable amount of time as I tried to find the quickest flights with the ’safest’ layovers (that are least likely to be snowed in) at a reasonable price. An hour later, I found myself a winner, booked it and was on my merry way.
Fast forward to Thursday, where we learn the trip dates need to be changed. Since I bought the ticket online, I thus began the hassle of trying to revise the reservation.
My first move was to try for a change online. United.com offers this option, however, in a deceitful move, they only show you tickets more expensive than your own, forcing not only a fare change but also a $100 service fee. Multiply that by two and we could’ve gotten an entirely other ticket.
Then I remember that United.com refunds trip reservations if it is within 24 hours. So, I call up United and begin the insufferable process of trying to speak to a living, breathing human being.
I make my way through the system, where I finally speak with Steven, who is obviously based in Bangalore, Delhi or somewhere in India. I know this because Steven asks me to spell out everything with A-alpha, B-bravo and C-cat. Eventually, Steve tells me that he can only offer me a credit to those two names, and with an additional $100 change fee, because it has actually been 27 hours, not 24. Wonderful. He gives me my credit information, tells me I have a year to use it and hangs up.
I return to my foray online and find two appropriate tickets on the day I want…however, it will not allow me to save the reservation. Fine. I pick up the phone again, and am again entered in maze otherwise known as the United reservations system. I decide to take my chances on the automation, as it is more likely to understand me without the alpha-format, causing temporary panic as I try to remember what word starts with U.
After walking through the automatic system, I have my flights lined up when I transfer to an agent. The electronic voice assures me that the agent will be given all relevant information.
Alas, asking for such technological advancements was a bit too much to ask. As expected, none of my information was transfered. I explained my situation to my new United agent, Thomas, along with the flights I wished to request. After a series of back and forths and 10 minutes on-off-on-off hold, Thomas returned to tell me I needed to call Customer Care, as this credit that I wished to apply was expired.
Now, I usually don’t get cranky with customer service reps – it doesn’t get me anywhere. However, in this case I simply said, “No”. As in, “No, this credit did not expire yesterday, because the tickets were purchased yesterday, canceled an hour ago and are bring re-issued now. The credit expires in 2008, not 2007.”
This, of course, earned me another trip on hold. When Thomas returned, he had ‘magically’ made my tickets appear and asked for my email address so he could send me my confirmation. When I finally hung up the phone 26 minutes into the call, I realized that over the course of two days, I spent almost 4 hours booking two tickets. However, for nearly the same exact price, I could have worked with a travel agent who knew the ins and outs of the system, gotten my half-day back, kept my blood pressure lower and probably spent almost the same amount of money. I just goes to show that booking online isn’t always the best option.
Oh, and I’m still waiting for that promised confirmation. Good thing United shows record of it online.
