All-inclusive holidays in Russia: how it differs from overseas.The all-inclusive and ultra-all-inclusive formats have been used in our country for more than 10 years. The service offered by domestic hotels is no worse than in foreign resorts. We will tell you what “all inclusive” is in Russia according to the new national standard of 2023, how much it costs and how it will differ from overseas counterparts.
All-inclusive holidays in Russia: how it differs from overseas
One of the main “chips” of Turkish, Greek and Egyptian hotels is the all-inclusive system, which has been practiced there for more than a decade. The craving of our vacationers for all inclusive is sincere and time-tested. As soon as foreign beaches became available to Russians in the nineties, they immediately fell in love with Turkish and Egyptian abundance.
The percentage of all-inclusive hotels in Russia is quite small.
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In Russia, there is also “all inclusive” – this is stated by the authorities of the Krasnodar Territory and Crimea . The scale is not at all the same as in Antalya and Hurghada. There, almost 90% of the hotels operate according to this system, we have 7-10% on the strength.
Tourists from Russia want more. About 34%, that is, a third of all travelers, are looking for all inclusive hotels in Russian Black Sea resorts. It turns out that demand is three times higher than supply! While the borders were closed due to the coronavirus, many of our tourists were testing all-inclusive in Russia. We compared vacationers’ favorite holidays in our country and in foreign resorts.
What is all inclusive
The all-inclusive system is when a tourist pays for a hotel stay once, and the price already includes almost everything you need on vacation: hotel accommodation, food and drinks, sun loungers on the beach and pool, animation and entertainment .
The first all-inclusive resorts appeared in the Caribbean in the 1970s. Türkiye and Egypt picked up the idea later. Now there are also all-inclusive hotels in Bulgaria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, Spain, Cuba, the Maldives and Russia.
According to the all-inclusive system, a tourist pays once for a stay at a hotel, and almost everything that is needed on vacation is already included in the price.
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Who prefers all inclusive:
- families with children. Convenient – you can feed the baby at any time. It is not insulting and not expensive if he leaves half a portion, and in a cafe you would have to pay in any case;
- tourists who have a strictly limited vacation budget. If you take all inclusive, you will definitely have enough money until the end of your vacation. Even if in the first days you spend everything on souvenirs and excursions, you will not stay hungry. With another option, it is difficult to accurately calculate all the costs at the resort.
Accommodation
All-inclusive hotels, like any other, usually have rooms of different categories: standard, family, sea view, mountain or pool view, suites and deluxe. Since most of these hotels are located in seaside resorts, and it is on the territory of the hotel that tourists spend almost their entire vacation, the rooms are usually large, with balconies or terraces. It is also possible to stay in a bungalow.
Food, drinks and service
Ol inclusive ol inclusive strife, and before being tempted by a cheap tour, you should always check what is really included in the cost of rest in each hotel. In Antalya, Marmaris or Kemer, food, drinks and the following services are practically guaranteed:
- buffet breakfasts, lunches and dinners, between them – the opportunity to eat and drink at the pool bar or on the beach. Sometimes there are a la carte restaurants included in the price. Meals can be limited in time, for example, from 7 to 23 hours.
- non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks of local production, in expensive hotels – and imported too. The cooler the hotel, the more prestigious brands of beer or whiskey are included in the price.
- sunbeds and umbrellas on the beach.
- swimming pool, water park (if available), hammam.
- animation and kids club.
- sports and outdoor activities: yoga, dancing, tennis, fitness.
You don’t have to worry about food – you can eat at any time both in the hotel restaurants and in the room.
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If it is ultra all inclusive, it will add:
- 24-hour bars and the opportunity to eat at any time – if the restaurant is closed, then in the bar or order food in the room.
- several restaurants, in addition to the main buffet. Asian, Mexican, Mediterranean, Italian, fish. Some, for example, have a separate table for fans of healthy food: celery and beetroot smoothies, diet desserts with chia seeds, low-fat yogurts. To come to the all-inclusive and lose weight is not a dream!
- night club or disco. And a few bars too.
- various delights like a golf course, a large tennis court, a concierge service.
What is the difference between “all inclusive” in Russia and Turkey
Previously, Russian hotels that claimed to serve guests “all inclusive” themselves determined the list and quality of the services they provided. Now they will have to do it according to the national standard GOST R 70587-2022. Experts believe that this will improve the quality of service and help to interest Russian residents in domestic tourism products.
One of the GOST developers, Lilia Bitkulova, General Director of the Stars for Hotels Classification Center , clarified that the standard complements the regulatory documents on the classification of hotels and has been introduced for voluntary use by Russian hotels since June 30, 2023. It sets out the requirements for the number of rooms, food, infrastructure, spa services, swimming pools, water park, children’s recreation, as well as the total time for the provision of services during the day. Hotels that are interested in providing a high level and full service will be able to label their products with the “all inclusive” label.
Turkish or Greek all inclusive is usually food and drinks 24 hours a day, free bars, sunbeds and umbrellas.
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– Turkish or Greek all inclusive – this is usually food and drinks 24 hours a day, free bars, sunbeds and umbrellas. If you arrived late from the tour, after dinner, you can have food and drinks in the lobby bar from the menu, and absolutely free of charge, explains Daria Domostroeva, director of public relations for the Intourist tour operator . – In Turkish hotels, the use of golf and tennis courts and water parks at the hotel is usually free.
And how will it be now according to the new rules in Russia? In the all-inclusive hotel room, you can use the minibar, tea/coffee station, bathrobe, slippers and safe for free. Dress code in all inclusive and ultra all inclusive for 4 * hotels will be mandatory only for the main restaurant, in 5 * hotels – in all restaurants.
The food in “ultra all inclusive” is more varied than in “all inclusive”. In addition to a special menu for children, such restaurants should have a dietary and vegetarian menu, more bars. Ultra all inclusive hotels provide guests with an animation stage or stage, their own cinema, retail outlets, outdoor and indoor swimming pools, water slides, a hammam, a sauna, a mini-golf course, table tennis, basketball and volleyball courts.
All inclusive is often chosen by families with children so as not to worry about food and entertainment for the kids.
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“Among our clients, only 20-25% choose tours with a catering system in all-inclusive hotels in Sochi and other resorts in the Krasnodar Territory,” the press service of the tour operator Biblio-Globus shared with KP . – As a rule, these are married couples with children and tourists who come to the sea for just a few days. Those who plan to relax for 10 days, two weeks or more no longer want to limit themselves to the territory of the hotel. The all-inclusive system is most in demand in 3-4 * hotels in Sochi, Anapa and Gelendzhik . All-inclusive holidays are becoming more and more popular in Russian resorts, so we can hope that in the near future Russian all inclusive will be able to compete with foreign ones.
Domestic hoteliers are trying to improve the quality of service, and the situation is getting better year by year. In any case, in order not to be disappointed in the rest, when choosing a hotel, we recommend that you study the details in advance with a travel agent, on the hotel website and review sites. Large tour operators shoot and post videos about hotels on their websites, and also indicate the year of the last renovation.
Where is cheaper “all inclusive” – in Turkey or in Russia
For many years, Turkish hotels outperformed Russian hotels in terms of price, and there were several reasons for this. As the experts of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia explain, the majority of all inclusive hotels on the Turkish Riviera, they compete with each other. Competition forces not to raise prices and at the same time not to be inferior in quality to neighbors. Otherwise, next year, tourists will choose another hotel, and even all their neighbors will be dissuaded. In Russia, as we already know, the demand for such a vacation option is many times greater than the actual number of hotels – what kind of competition is there!
The all-inclusive system in Turkey has been operating for several decades, the entire economy of the resort regions is adapted to it – from the supply of products to the processing of waste from buffets.
The all-inclusive system in Turkey has been operating for several decades, the entire economy of the resort regions is adapted to it.
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Concessional lending helps Turkish hotels build water parks and swimming pools, and hotel chains open new hotels. Our hoteliers would not refuse state support either.
However, now the situation has changed. Airfare is included in the tour price. Now the prices for air tickets from Russia to Turkey are much higher than within the country, so it has become cheaper to relax in Russian resorts.