A touch of class – with all you can eat as well!

Hurrah for the upmarket all-inclusive holiday says Nick Trend, while Chris Leadbeater selects some favourites

The rise and rise of the all-inclusive holiday is often hailed as a success that had to be rescued from its insalubrious birth pangs in the Nineties. It was then that the big sun and sand tour operators started marketing low-cost packages to the Caribbean as a way of appealing to families who wanted to fix the price of their holidays upfront. Lukewarm buffets led to outbreaks of food poisoning and unlimited alcoholic drink to outbreaks of unedifying debauchery.

In fact, the concept of an all-inclusive holiday has a venerable history. Fullboard, where all meals are included (although not usually drinks) was being offered by hotels in the 19th century; it was integral to the idea of ski, chalet and house party holidays developed by Erna Low in the Thirties and Forties; and has been common for decades in old-fashioned seaside hotels in northern France. It was the package holidays of the Sixties and Seventies where B&B and half board became the norm.

But wherever you start in the long history of such things, after the Nineties the popularity and variety of allinclusive trips have burgeoned. For Tui, Britain’s biggest tour operator, it’s central to its flagship Sensatori brand launched a decade ago, which offers 10 five-star hotels with all meals, drinks and entertainment in the price. Richard Sofer, Tui’s commercial director, says that this is the fundamental appeal of the concept, and that it will be opening another Tui Sensatori resort in Rhodes this summer that will have seven “gourmet” restaurants including one Italian, one “American-inspired” and a contemporary Greek restaurant.

According to the Telegraph’s luxury travel editor, John O’Ceallaigh, choices of that kind are vital to success at the top end of the market. “Guests who are paying a premium for their holidays don’t want to be limited to a single restaurant, or to a basic selection of wines and spirits. Many top-end hotels and operators now offer remarkable variety to their clients on an all-inclusive basis. Recently, for example, I was impressed by Shinta Mani Angkor Bensley Collection in Cambodia which – for guests on its all-inclusive rate – will cover the cost of one meal at any other restaurant in the region.”

Including your food and drink in the holiday price is not unique to beach resort packages. Many cruises, safaris, ski and adventure holidays are also effectively all-inclusive.

So if you like the idea of signing off your holiday budget before you even leave, here is our selection of 30 of the best on offer this year.