i have already posted this on the costa brava forum, but as it probably applies to spain in general i am also posting it here.
A/I might be slightly different in other parts of spain, and will be different in the caribbean.
I have read many threads on both this and other sites where people are disappointed by what they get as opposed to what they thought they were going to get when going All-Inclusive, and thought I would try and set out my views from my own experiences. If it puts you off in any way, I'm sorry, but I have met and talked to many people whose expectations were far above this level and they have spent their holiday moaning to reps and hotel staff, and me, about issues that could have been avoided if they knew what to really expect. I hope this helps someone.

Firstly, for whatever reason you have chosen to go A/I, you should remember how much you are actually paying for each day of your holiday. After taking off the cost of flights, transfers if included, and accommodation the amount left is to feed you and cover the costs of your drinks while you are there. If you do the calculations you will see that there is not much left for this, usually as little as 15-20 euros per day.

As one of the attractions of going A/I for most people is knowing that everything is paid in advance, it is then a general trait of people to ensure they get their moneysworth, as they have already paid for it. This can, and does, mean that some people will take advantage of the "free" food and drink and overindulge.

The typical A/I hotel on the Costa Brava will offer 3 meals a day and snacks in between times. This usually means that you can eat at any time from the start of breakfast right through till possibly as late as 11pm. The restaurant will normally open for around 2 hours for each of the main meals, and then a snack bar will be in place between times.

Whatever the * status of the hotel, you will get fed, but you are not going to a 3 or 4 * restaurant, you are going to a hotel where the * system is based on various things like telephones/tvs in the room, whether it has a pool, inside pool etc.; the * system is not based on the dining experience, so you will get a buffet type meal with plenty of choice. You will get fed. By and large do not expect it to be like eating out in a restaurant at home, but more like the staff canteen. Also remember that you do not need to fill your plate to overflowing, as you can go back as often as you like.

Breakfast would normally consist of fruit juices and coffee/tea (from a machine), a choice of cereals, rolls and bread -with a toaster that works at its own speed - cold meats, cheese, and hot food usually including bacon, eggs, sausages, beans and tomatoes. You may also get chips! There will also be a selection of fresh fruit. Note -the bacon is usually only lightly cooked. If you get crispy bacon the chef is having a bad day!

Lunch would normally consist of soup, rolls, a choice of fresh salad, a cold pasta dish, and some choices of hot food, usually including pasta, fish, meat, vegetarian and chips. You will also get some sort of vegetables, but this may be the vegetarian dish, or it could just be tinned mixed vegetables. The Spanish do not go in for root vegetables like we do, but eat more salad dishes, so you will not see much in the way of fresh vegetables. You may occasionally get a different type of potato dish, but treat this as a bonus. There will be a choice of pudding, including jelly and small individual ice creams. There will also be fresh fruit.

Dinner is much the same as lunch, but occasionally they will have a "special" on, normally with the chef carving up roast beef or ham or serving up paella.

As with all mass catering organisations, the chefs will work within a budget and so will try to eliminate wastage and use seasonal fruit, vegetables and meat. In order to reduce wastage, you will be able to witness the chefs' ingenuity in using all the ingredients at their disposal- ham rissoles, pasta salad and meat stew spring to mind. They will also tend to buy the cheaper cuts of meat, so you should not expect to see sirloin steak, king prawns or any other expensive cut of meat you might eat at home. You will tend to get fish, pork and turkey on a daily basis, with occasionally a chicken, rabbit or beef dish. You do not get much lamb. You will see different cuts of meat from that which you are used to, and it will taste slightly differently, as they use a lot more olive oil than we are used to. The menu tends to go on a weekly cycle, so you may (will) get bored by the choice or lack of it.

You should expect to get food that is edible and fresh, but possibly not at the piping hot temperatures we are used to at home, as the Spanish tend to serve their food at a lower temperature to us. That is why they have a microwave near the hot buffet!

The snack bar will normally have bread, rolls, some salad and normally burgers, frankfurters and chips. You may even get pizza. You should be aware that this is, as it says a snack bar, and is not really a substitute for a meal. The choices will be very limited even on a daily basis.

With regard to snacks, free ice creams and food in general, most hotels do not let you take food outside the snack bar/restaurant, so if the kids are going in for free ice cream they would normally have to eat it in the snack room.

Drinks! You can get "free" coffee and tea from the machines in the bars all day. You can normally drink alcohol from 10.00 till 24.00. Be aware. Some people do!

You will normally be served in ½ pint plastic beakers, have to queue up to be served by waiters, some of whom have a manặna attitude, and will be limited as to the number of drinks you can get at a time -normally 2. It has been known that if you are seen to be giving the bar staff a tip on a regular basis that you will then be able to get more than 2 drinks, but that only works when the bar is quiet!

If you are drinking in the bar later in the evening, there will be a cut-off point after which you will have to pay for your drinks. If you want to ensure you don't have to pay for that last round you will have to get it in early, or synchronise your watch with whatever clock or barman's watch that the staff want to use that night.

As a result of the A/I drink, some guests will overindulge, and can cause a bit of a noise nuisance once the bar closes. As it is normally pointless trying to argue with someone who has liberally overindulged your choices are to
Contact reception or,
Ignore it, and try and go back to sleep or,
Stay up a bit later as you are on holiday or finally,
Learn to talk in a lower voice, how to identify your room at night and how to insert a card in the door lock.

Whatever you do, go with a laid back attitude, respect other people, treat each day as a new experience and remember that there will always be more drink available tomorrow.
You have paid your money to enjoy yourself, don't let anything upset you.