What’s the question I get asked the most?
“Can you find me a 5-star resort at a 3-star price?”
While I wish I had some magic ability to get you a really great deal where you are paying far less than everyone else at a high-end resort for your stay, the short answer is that no, I don’t have any secret bargains or deals tucked away for special occasions. In these post COVID/high travel demand days there just are no longer any last-minute price slashing happening to try to entice travelers to come on vacation. The planes and resorts are selling out before the suppliers are even thinking of that idea these days.
In fact, while we are on the subject, I should also mention that it is the suppliers who set their current price of what the live inventory is for an all-inclusive package. Whether you book directly with the supplier, fall down the rabbit hole of chasing a deal on some flashy third-party website claiming to have the best prices, or have a travel agent book directly with the supplier as I do, the price you will find on the final booking page is the same. No one is allowed to undercut the supplier or offer their product for cheaper than they state it is. When you book with a trusted travel agent, you get the additional value of a professional to help you with your choices and questions from start to finish, ensure you have all the information you need to be travel-ready and help handle any hiccups that come up along the way.
The value that I also bring to your plans as a Certified Travel Advisor specializing in all-inclusive vacations is my knowledge and expertise. I spend all my days looking at the options out there, all the different resorts, the price points, the experiences, listening to my clients' feedback and my own experiences at various levels of resorts. It is difficult for clients who don’t spend their whole days doing this to know the difference in experience between resorts and the value per dollar, even if they are priced similarly, especially when they all seem to call themselves ‘5-star’. The star system in the Caribbean doesn't always match up to our North American expectations and you can have stunning over-the-water bungalow resorts with spectacular views in the same category as a more modest resort that has a spa and some nice restaurants also able to call themselves 5 stars.
I have stayed at many resort chains at different levels of experience (Majestic, Excellence, Breathless, Barcelo, Bahia Principe, Ocean H10), and have trained with all the major suppliers who have a North American head office, and I can tell you that each one, even if they are in the same category level have their own personality and vibe, their own focus (families, couples, party, chill) and their own unique offerings in terms of food, amenities and service. What is a perfect match for a girls' party getaway doesn’t jive with the multigenerational family trip looking for fun for kids and grandparents alike or the honeymooners looking for a romantic escape. So this becomes much more of a rabbit hole when looking for the best fit for your vacation in addition to not wanting to pay more than you have to.
I will say, that for the most part, all of the resorts out there have all the components you need to have a wonderful vacation: sun, food, sand, pools, and a team to take care of you. There are so many variables in addition to the resort you pick to stay at that can elevate your experience or dampen it. Every resort, even the best of the best, experiences long lineups at check-in sometimes, or has occurrences of a staff member having a bad day or a leaky faucet. When traveling, your vacation really is what you make of it. You need to be prepared that everything will not be perfect but there is so much potential to have a wonderful time with your loved ones.
There are some rock-bottom priced resorts you’ll see online, and you’ll also notice that I do not recommend them in my suggestions to you, that is because your stay will feel like a no-tell motel experience. If the lowest price is the most important thing for you we can certainly still book these resorts as long as your expectations are in line with what the experience will be like. You’ll still have sun and sand but you’ll notice the pool might be a 20x20 foot square, there is a low staff-to-guest ratio, the furniture is old and rusty, the rooms are drab and have components that may not work properly etc. This is how they keep their prices down. So as much as I would love to get you a deal, this to me is not value for your money. Alternatively, when you invest more money into your vacation you will see the differences in the luxury that you feel, sprawling pools, waterparks for the kids, attentive staff, pillow menus, and more and better food choices to name a few of the elevated experiences.
Here is an example of a 3, 4 and 5 star experience for the main pool to demonstrate my point:
Apply this image to your room, the restaurants, the beach, the service from staff and you'll get my drift.
I like to think of the different resort levels as similar to the experience you have when you go out for a day of shopping. You have a choice to make and the money you spend often reflects the choice of the experience you want. Say you are looking for the perfect birthday present for your sister, you can walk into Tiffany’s (what I would compare to a 5+ star experience) and be greeted with a glass of champagne, a personal shopper, and an elegant experience as you complete your purchase. Alternatively, you can save some money and choose to shop at the Bay (which I would rate as a 5-star experience), which is a perfectly lovely shopping experience as well. You can go middle of the road and find your present at Homesense or Walmart (4.5 and 4-star in my books) and might notice some things out of place, a wonky bathroom stall, or a messy display but overall you get what you went for. Or, if you are looking to save even more money you can choose to shop at your local Giant Tiger (3-star), and while the front door might not close all the way, the buggy might be wobbly and the cashier does not look you in the eye as they check you out, you still have a successful shopping experience purchasing your present. All the choices for where to buy your present are similar to all the levels of resorts that are out there, and the price you pay for your vacation and your overall experience reflects similarly to the price you pay for your present at different levels of stores and the experiences you have at each one.
So .. just as I can’t get Giant Tiger to serve you champagne, I also can’t get you a 5-star resort on a 3-star budget .. however, I can advise you as to the best resort that fits your budget with the understanding that there may be some parts of it that are a little rough around the edges or cause disappointment. You can be confident that based on what I know of the location, I know that with the right attitude and expectations, the resort I am recommending will provide an enjoyable holiday at the right price for you. And we may get lucky and find that if we move your dates a few days, or look at late-day flights, we can get the resort you want for a little less money.
That is the value that working with a travel agent brings to your vacation. It is hard to see the forest through the trees when looking just at prices online. Knowing the differences in the different resorts' personality, amenities and services offered as well as the different variables that affect the bottom line cost, helps me get you the best value for your money at a place that best suits your desires so we have the right formula in place for you to have a wonderful vacation.
As always, I am happy to chat and help you narrow in on the best choices for you! Send me an email at sbowles@thetravelagentnextdoor.com