There’s never been a more fitting time to demand more bang for your buck. The savviest travellers know that there are excellent offers to take advantage of through curated holiday packages, which can include everything from daily dining to bougie spa treatments.
So put your wallet away: you can leave it at home when these inclusions are on the house.
Buffet Breakfast
Image credit: Mulia Bali Luxury Escapes | Website
Could the humble hotel buffet breakfast be one of the most underrated inclusions of all time? Fill your boots late morning and you won’t even need to fork out for lunch.
Forget the sad cereal dispensers and sloth-speed toasters of old, these days the spreads are next-level: Mulia Bali, with its sizzling dishes from every corner of the world, and entire room dedicated to desserts, is the stuff of legend.
Massages And Spa Treatments
Image credit: The Shore at Katathani Luxury Escapes | Website
Don’t think the spa emoji, BE the spa emoji. It’s no secret that massages and spa treatments at five-star hotels cost hundreds of dollars.
But when they’re built into your package, like at Thailand’s The Shore at Katathani, you’ll be spending your holi-days the way you should: unwinding in luxury, then strolling away in the blissful knowledge it won’t be going on your credit card.
Lunches And Dinners
Image credit: Grand Hyatt Bali Luxury Escapes | Website
Paying for three meals a day, especially in destinations like the Maldives where importation of ingredients makes prices high, can really bump up your bill.
A few complimentary lunches or dinners, club lounge access with all-day refreshments (at city hotels like Pullman Bangkok G and Intercontinental Singapore), or even an all-inclusive dining package like those at Grand Hyatt Bali, will go a long way. Mövenpick resorts even do a cheeky mid-afternoon chocolate hour to sweeten the deal.
Cocktails And Happy Hours
Image credit: The Trans Resort Bali Luxury Escapes | Website
If you usually balk at the price tag on a piña colada, look out for resorts that offer complimentary sunset cocktails, like The Trans Resort Bali, served on the rooftop, and happy hours by the pool or the beach.
Some will even chuck in a bucket of beers during your stay to save on your bar tab. It’s the pre-dinner ritual you never knew you needed.
Experiences
Image credit: InterContinental Hayman Island Luxury Escapes | Website
Included experiences are a great way to immerse yourself in a destination without having to sign up for costly day trips.
Cruises to the Great Barrier Reef, watersports (like at InterContinental Hayman Island), splash park tickets, wine tastings (like at Chateau Elan) and complimentary bicycle hire are potential perks you won’t have to pay an extra cent for.
Transfers
Image credit: Centara Ras Fushi Luxury Escapes | Website
Not the most glamorous of inclusions, but certainly one of the most useful. Eradicate the extra admin of organising transfers when the hotel includes them for you.
These are especially valuable for island holidays, like the Maldives or Whitsundays, as extra charges for domestic flights or seaplanes to the remote islands can really add up (look to Finolhu, Mercure Maldives and Centara Ras Fushi for included transfers).
Kids Stay And Eat Free
Image credit: Grand Hyatt Dubai Luxury Escapes | Website
Holidaying as a family is a sizeable investment when you’re talking multiple plane tickets and numerous hotel rooms.
Travel savvy by looking out for interconnecting family rooms or suites with free accommodation for kids on sofa beds, and perks like complimentary kids’ club access and free kids’ meals (Thailand and Bali are particularly good for cracking family packages, as is Grand Hyatt Dubai).
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Image credit: Luxury Escapes | Website
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