RO BB HB FB AI UAI - decoding of food types in hotels. What is All Inclusive? Countries with all inclusive

Often, when booking a hotel, tourists are faced with incomprehensible abbreviations and wonder what RO, BB, HB, BF, AI, UAI are? It’s simple - these are the types of food in hotels, their explanation and detailed description from the www.site, see below: Meals RO (room only), RR (room rate), OB (Only Bed), AO (Accommodation Only) Such hotel abbreviations mean accommodation in a room without meals. The most common is RO. Meals BB (bed breakfast), means "bed and breakfast", i.e. When staying at a hotel using the BB system, a bed in a room and breakfast are provided. Breakfast, as a rule, is supposed to be a buffet and the abundance of dishes depends on the level of the hotel and the country of residence. For example, BB breakfast in central Europe is significantly inferior to BB accommodation in Greece or the UAE. Power supply HB (half board), which means "half board" - breakfast and dinner. Some expensive hotels may offer free champagne for breakfast. As a rule, meals are organized according to the buffet system. Non-alcoholic drinks are free using the HB system; paid alcoholic drinks can be ordered with payment on the spot or to the room. Power supply HB+ (half board plus) Same half board, but the HB+ option includes some free alcoholic drinks, usually locally produced. Power FB (full board), or "full board". Meals are breakfast, lunch and dinner, usually buffet style. The FB system does not provide free alcoholic drinks, with the exception of champagne for breakfast in some expensive hotels. Alcoholic drinks can be ordered for dinner using the FB meal plan for an additional fee. Power supply FB+ (full board plus)- similar to FB, but FB+ includes some free alcoholic drinks, usually locally produced. Meals AI (all inclusive)" ", multiple meals without restrictions. Depending on the level of the hotel, AI can range from three meals a day to multiple meals throughout the day - restaurants, barbecues, grills, night bars, etc. Free local and less often imported alcoholic drinks. Imported alcoholic drinks and cocktails using the AI system are free only in expensive hotels; in simpler hotels, imported alcoholic drinks are for an additional fee and subject to availability. Meals AIP (all inclusive premium)"all inclusive premium" is rare. AIP is similar to AI, but with a larger selection of spirits. Meals UAI (ultra all inclusive, UALL) type of food on the "ultra all inclusive" system - multiple meals throughout the day at will in restaurants of different cuisines of the world, grill bars, night bars, etc., ice cream and sweets throughout the day. UAI means free non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks of local and foreign origin. What is a buffet? The website www.site will tell you - buffet This is a type of self-service in which there are several large tables and/or closed trays in the hall on which dishes are displayed by type - salads, side dishes, fish, meat, desserts and fruits. As you walk past the tables, you need to choose the dishes you like and put them on your plate. Expensive hotels have restaurants A la Carte, often themed and varying across cuisines around the world. Everything here is like in a regular restaurant - you choose dishes from the menu and the waiter brings your orders. Depending on the type of food at the hotel, A la Carte restaurants can be either paid or free. It happens that if the A La Carte restaurant is paid (which is rare with paid AI or UAI meals), and you paid for HB or FB meals, you can dine in such a restaurant with a discount on the buffet dinner. It is important to remember that you can dine in such restaurants only by appointment, and if the restaurant is good, then it is better to do this a few days before visiting it. A

Many people work very actively all year so that they can then have a good rest in one of the foreign hotels and preferably all inclusive system. These two cherished words mean that you can eat as much as you want at any meal in a hotel - serve a full plate, and then come back for more.

And if you have all inclusive, then you can overeat all day long. Our tourists love it. However, this is where certain nuances may lie in wait for you, which will be very useful to know about.

All inclusive hotels

I myself really love a lazy holiday by the sea, preferably in a warm country, and the main thing is that I don’t have to worry about food. I want the food to be varied, tasty, and made from quality ingredients. And this is what turns out!

The secrets of the buffet are revealed: the chef of one of the hotels made a shocking confession about what really happens “behind the scenes” while we relax. We learned all the ins and outs about the kitchen. Is that really true?

Editorial "So simple!" I decided to figure out where the myth is and where the reality is.

Myths and truths about the kitchens of all-inclusive hotels

Snow-white and clean dishes
Please note that the dishes in many hotels look white and shiny. A large number of people at the buffet during breakfast leave behind a lot of dirty tea and coffee mugs. There is a lot of dishes, and they are washed in the dishwasher.
Not certainly in that way. One of my friends, who had experience working in one of the 4-star hotels, told me this information. To remove tea and coffee stains from white dishes, you first have to soak them in Domestos, because the dishwasher is not able to wash everything. Oh God…
Red meat
Steaks often look delicious enough to make you think that's what they really are.
Not certainly in that way. Turkey meat is often used instead of beef. This meat has an elastic structure, so it can be fried several times in a row. Of course, not all hotels do this, but, as they say, there is no smoke without fire.
Leftovers
Throwing away 50-60 kg of meat left over from yesterday's buffet is wasteful, so there is an opinion. Many hotels make the mistake of washing the sauce off the meat and serving the same meat product with a new sauce the next day.
Not certainly in that way. After talking with people who work in this field, we received reliable evidence that they throw away all uneaten food after every meal. They don’t leave it, don’t freeze it, and especially don’t serve it a second time. Sometimes entire trays of prepared food are thrown away.

Many people ask why not bag up this food and distribute it to the poor at certain times? The answer is simple and clear.

The hotel does not need homeless people wandering around around the clock and waiting for alms. This would spoil his reputation, and it would look completely unaesthetic. This is why tons of food is simply thrown into the trash.
Fresh seafood
When you go to the sea, one of the points in your vacation plan is to get your fill of seafood. Well, where else if not in a restaurant by the sea, because they promise the freshest and only caught fish! And this is, of course, what you expect from dinners at your all-inclusive hotel.
Not certainly in that way. Don't be naive, pike perch and squid in the kitchen are canned products. These are canned goods pre-soaked in beer!
Juicy trout
You love trout, and in the description of your hotel restaurant there are many references to delicious fish dishes. Can't wait to try...
Not certainly in that way. Shark meat is served instead of trout and other local fish. It is boiled in salt water to change the taste. It is almost impossible to detect the catch.

But we cannot say that this happens in all hotels. It depends on the type of hotel and the choice of country.
All leftover meat and offal are thrown away
Not certainly in that way. There is no waste left in the meat department; all pieces of the carcass are used. Usually the cutlets come with veal brisket, but there's a lot more you won't like.
Take a closer look at the tray with cutlets. It may be better for your health to stick to whole cuts of meat.
Benefits of dishes
If you analyze the components of the buffet menu, you will see that dishes with potatoes predominate there. This is due to the fact that they are very high in calories and keep you feeling full for a long time. " In the kitchen where I work, three people spend the entire day solely peeling potatoes. I add potatoes to at least 3 meals a day.“, one of the cooks working at an all-inclusive hotel told us.
Salads with mayonnaise
There is an opinion that you should not even approach salads with mayonnaise. After all, food in a large hotel is prepared for more than 2,000 people, and not always everything happens properly in terms of sanitary and hygienic standards. And salads with mayonnaise promote the growth of bacteria.
Not certainly in that way. Most hotel salads are prepared without mayonnaise, and the ingredients are often served in separate plates. Of course, it all depends on what hotel you are in, but for the most part this is true.
Fresh buns for breakfast
For hotel guests, fresh and fragrant breakfast rolls are baked in the kitchen every morning.
Not certainly in that way. Breakfast buns are semi-finished products that are stored frozen and then simply heated in the oven.
Wide range of alcoholic drinks
The all-inclusive system means a lot of alcohol. Even if you don’t drink or drink only a little, don’t be surprised that there will be people there who drink a lot and often.
Not certainly in that way. Almost any cocktail certainly contains a lot of ice and a little alcohol. And the quality of alcohol in such hotels leaves much to be desired. The advantage of all inclusive is that you can eat and drink as much as you want. But there is one question: will you want to eat and drink it?
Beautiful fruit decor
In Turkish hotels you can see a lot of carved vegetables and fruits. At the same time, the carving is done so beautifully that you just can’t take your eyes off it.
Not certainly in that way. This is done in order to deceive customers. The cook in the kitchen explains it this way: “ We make a lot of watermelon and pumpkin carvings. According to my calculations, for 20 dishes there are 50 decor options. First you need to satiate your eyes, and only then your stomach. We know a lot about this."

Of course, not everyone’s home is always sterilely clean, and we don’t always know what quality of products we buy in stores. We don’t cook just for one day and don’t label the food in the refrigerator. But homemade food is still healthier!

Good hotels try to keep everything at the proper level, because there is a lot of competition among them. Try to be more attentive to choosing a vacation spot. Talk to people who have already been here, listen to live stories, read reviews, pay attention to the quality of the food. Filter the information received and arrive at an average result.

I wish you, no matter where you spend it, what you eat and drink. It is important that you have fun and a positive charge of energy for the whole year!

Nastya does yoga and loves traveling. Fashion, architecture and everything beautiful - that’s what a girl’s heart strives for! Anastasia is an interior designer and also makes unique floral-themed jewelry. She dreams of living in France, is learning the language and is keenly interested in the culture of this country. He believes that a person needs to learn something new all his life. Anastasia's favorite book is “Eat, Pray, Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert.

More than half of our tourists prefer to relax in an all-inclusive hotel. This is both comfortable and satisfying, and also allows us to understand what the final amount of the vacation will cost us. This year our main question is where to go now if you want to not think about anything and
just enjoy your vacation?

1. Tunisia

At the moment it is the most popular destination with All Inclusive meals. Many hotels have large areas with water parks for children, as well as their own spa centers with inexpensive services. Overall, this is a good alternative to Egypt. In Tunisia, as in any other country, you may be disappointed by the “all inclusive” in 3 star hotels - there will be less choice and service
worse. But you can safely take 4 and 5 stars!

2. Greece

At All Inclusive it is not always a buffet, and the variety of food is very different from the usual Turkish one. In 3-star hotels, this can even be a menu with 3-4 options for hot dishes. However, many traditional dishes and products are served, so it is not necessary to walk to the cafe, but you can get acquainted with the local cuisine in the hotel restaurant.

There is a minus for “all inclusive” in Greece - most likely you will want to rent a car and travel around the island or sail to neighboring islands - then you will miss lunch. Hotels in Greece often offer free rental of bicycles, tennis courts and other sports equipment.

3. Bulgaria

What is the advantage of eating in - products and dishes that are very familiar to us, which is convenient for families with children. As in Greece, it is likely that eating out may be cheaper here than on an all-inclusive basis. And the hotel area is not large, which means you will often want to go for a walk. However, in general, if you prefer a vacation only according to this system, you will not spend a lot of money - All Inclusive in Bulgaria is quite an affordable pleasure.

4. Cyprus

There are not many All Inclusive hotels, and drinks are often not included in the price. But it’s quite convenient to stay in a hotel that is located right on the shore, rather than running around and looking for good cafes in the area. Moreover, for example, in Ayia Napa and Paphos, to get to the city center, you need to climb a small hill. Take care of your knees and don’t leave your luxury hotel on the first line 😉

Read also:

It is worth warning that in Cyprus there is very little fresh fish, usually dishes are prepared from frozen, but there is a lot of meat - souvlaki kebabs in all types, meatballs, cutlets and steaks with different sauces - the cuisine here is gorgeous!

5. Spain

All-inclusive hotels at an affordable price are also quite rare. But you can find excellent specimens on the Canary and Balearic Islands - for example, in Mallorca and Tenerife. Considering the high cost of these resorts, eating on an all-inclusive basis will be cheaper than in local restaurants. In addition, on the islands, unlike the mainland, the hotels are very comfortable and spacious, with a large territory that you don’t want to leave.

6. Russia

Hotels in Russia are slowly but surely reaching out to foreign club complexes. Entire hotel communities are being built on the territory of the Krasnodar Territory - clean, new, spacious, with European-class service! The newer the hotel, the higher the quality of services and food.

If you are going on vacation with children, choose a hotel with water slides and a play area - this way you will save on visiting public water parks. If you don’t like crowds on the beach, then look for a hotel with its own beach area.

7-8 Cuba and Dominican Republic

Paradise resorts of the Caribbean are the best representatives of the all-inclusive system! Excellent beaches, quality drinks, freshly squeezed juices, a huge territory, animation and entertainment areas for adults and children - you couldn’t ask for more!

Restaurants serve buffet meals and there are several à la carte restaurants. You will see a lot of seafood: crabs, shrimp and even ready-made rolls! There are also a lot of meat dishes and fresh tropical fruits. Moreover, most often all hotel services are available around the clock.

The attractiveness of the all-inclusive system is that when purchasing a tour, both accommodation and meals with entertainment are paid for. On the premises of a hotel that has adopted this service system, guests can receive any number of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, for which no additional invoice will be issued. All inclusive usually involves three meals a day, organized on a buffet basis, the opportunity for a tourist to go to the serving table and fill his plate as he pleases. Guests of hotels with an all-inclusive system can use the swimming pools, baths, sports grounds and gyms included in the hotel infrastructure. Considered the founder of the all inclusive scheme, Club Med includes sailing, scuba diving and windsurfing under the guidance of an instructor in its list of free services.

Despite the apparent attractiveness of a pre-paid holiday, the services offered on an all-inclusive basis may have a number of limitations. Thus, free unlimited drinks will most likely only be locally produced. Some hotels may prohibit taking drinks outside the hotel or taking them into your room. In addition, depending on the country and the level of the hotel, this service may be available for a strictly defined period of time. Time at the buffet may also be limited.

“All inclusive” is a fairly common service system, and therefore, in order to attract guests, a number of hotels have developed their own versions of the popular scheme, called ultra, maximum or imperial. Expanding the range of services provided in such hotels may include a range of drinks, dishes and free additional services. Thus, the Turkish hotel “Topkapi Palace”, offering an ultra all inclusive system, includes among its free services a la carte service in restaurants with Turkish and Mediterranean cuisine, tennis lessons, scuba diving, one-time hairdressing services and imported drinks. In the hotels of the “Magic Life der Club” chain, where imperial all inclusive is accepted, free entertainment includes water skiing, darts and archery.

The benefits of the all-inclusive system are designed, as you might guess, for lovers of a relaxing holiday on the hotel premises. For travelers who prefer sightseeing tourism, the all inclusive system may be less attractive compared to cheaper schemes.

Sources:

History of the Club Med network

For a long time, a trip to a resort has been associated with the All inclusive or All Inclusive system. This system includes breakfast, lunch, dinner and local alcohol completely free inside the hotel. But not all countries organize this type of vacation.