Playa Del Camen has a number of all-inclusive resorts, but they vary greatly in quality and price. There are also many smaller hotels located in the downtown area to choose from. These are less expensive, but more is left up to the traveller. Here are the things you should consider when choosing between an AI and a hotel.

Overall, the decision on whether to choose and AI or a hotel is up to the traveller. There are positives and negatives to both choices.

Let's start with some generalizations and then get into the details:

AIs are generally good if ...

You don't want to do much planning. They are generally higher priced than hotels because you are getting all meals, activities, and alcohol included. However, the food and activity choices can get tiresome, and the liquor is almost always heavily watered down.

Hotels are generally good if ...

You are a little more adventuresome. You will pay less on average but will need to make arrangements for food, activities, and alcohol yourself. You will get a more authentic Mexican experience, but the quality can range anywhere from luxury to "dump".

Now let's get into the details.

Food

Obviously, meals are included at AIs while they are extra for those staying in hotels. AIs generally have limited choices and unless you go for the very expensive resorts, the quality of the food can range from very good to almost inedible.Most AIs have a main dining room where meals are served buffet style and a small choice of "ala carte" restaurants on-site available for little or no extra charge. Reservations are usually required for the ala carte restaurants and can be difficult to get. It is not unusual for those who stay at AIs to report that they get tired of the food choices by the end of their stay.

On the other hand, most Playa hotels have limited menus, meaning you'll either have to go grocery shopping at the local Walmart or eat out at the surrounding restaurants. The quality and prices of the restaurants is all over the place ... but our recommendations will help you quickly find the best ones.

Drinks

All-inclusives include alcohol, which is one of their main selling points. This is unfortunately not as good of a deal as it sounds. In Mexico, the same brands of liquor are available in different "grades", where each grade carries a different level of alcohol. The liquor you find in the all-inclusives is generally of the lowest grade, meaning that you can generally drink all day and you won't feel anything. Some people might prefer this, but you should be aware that you are not getting any thing close to a "deal" when it comes to included drinks.

If you stay at hotels, you will generally purchase your drinks at local bars, restaurants, or the mini-bar. The prices for the liquor differs according to location, but you are generally assured of quality. If you really want to save money, take a trip over to Walmart and stock up on the cheapest liquor in town!

Activities

Most AIs have a variety of activities tailored to their clientele: sports, exercise classes, dance classes, arts and crafts, and games are common offerings. It is less common for hotels to have these available.

One problem with AI-sponsored activities is that these resorts tend to draw a very mixed crowd depending on the resort. We stayed at an AI once and were the youngest couple in a 50+ biker crowd. While there's nothing wrong with the biker crowd, we did feel feel out of place and had nowhere else to go because we were far outside of town. We've also heard of tourists accidentally ending up in very risque resorts, so be sure to do your research when staying at an AI, because you will generally spend most of your time there.

Family-friendly

Although parents should always know where their children are, the set-up of an AI may allow parents to give children more freedom than they would get in a hotel that has a lot of casual traffic. This can be a big plus for AIs when parents and children have different ideas of what activities they are interested in. Again, parents should never get too lax with their children's safety while on vacation.

Convenience

Many people like the convenience of not having to carry money to pay for meals and activities. This is a nice perk of AIs.

Rooms

There is a wide range of room quality at both AIs and hotels. If having a very nice room is important, you should make sure you do your research carefully. Don't make the mistake of thinking that an AI will automatically be nicer than your local hotel ... the quality of both varies greatly and there are many very nice hotels in Playa, just as there are a number of AIs which are real "dumps". Our reviews will go a long way here.

Cost

Although many believe that AIs are cheaper than hotels, this may vary depending on the vacationer and what kinds of activities they do while on vacation. Travelers who spend most of your time at the resort and partake in the free activities will probably find that an all-inclusive is the more economical choice. Vacationers who plan to take several tours and spend a lot of time outside the resort, will probably find that the hotel is the lower-cost alternative.

Still not sure? Here's a helpful rule of thumb: if you have read this far, it means you like to do your research and should almost certainly stay at a local hotel.