This is how I made a ‘profit’ on my all-inclusive holiday

By lunchtime, I had made a profit.

It was January 2026 and I was at a five-star all-inclusive hotel in Turkey, clutching a glass of white wine, staring at my notes app and realising I had already racked up over £50 worth of breakfasts, coffees, beers and buffet plates.

And the day was still young.

Smiling, I took another sip in celebration. 

The all-inclusive nature of the holiday meant that if I spent a certain amount every day at the hotel, I would surely get my money’s worth.  I wondered that if I spent more than the daily cost of this holiday, I could technically be lining my own pockets.  

I first heard of the attempt to try to ‘make a profit’ as an online trend recently, with YouTubers tallying up the price of cocktails in an effort to cover the cost of their trip. 

Of course, that’s not strictly how a balance sheet works, but I loved the idea of testing whether an all-inclusive really is worth what you pay for it. 

And whether, if you were strategic, you could tip the balance in your favour.

The key, I suspected, was timing.

So in order to test it out, I had booked a week at the five-star Akka Antedon in Antalya, Turkey in January for £489 per person for me and my partner, James. After subtracting the cost of our flights (around £94), I calculated that I needed to get £56.42 of value a day to get my money’s worth.

And this is exactly why timing mattered. 

I booked this for January – whereas if I had booked it for August, the exact same holiday would have cost £1,729 per person. At that price, I’m not convinced any amount of mojitos could claw your money back.

In January, Turkey reaches an average high of 15 degrees celsius and whilst it’s not quite enough to get a tan, it’s certainly much warmer than back home. So, combined with the promise of a half empty hotel, it felt like a good time to go.

Of course, January isn’t all sunshine and smug spreadsheets. I worried things would be closed, corners would be cut and the so-called five-star label would turn out to be more about the hotel having a business centre than actual quality.

Perhaps most importantly, I’m now in my mid-thirties. The version of me that once viewed all-inclusive as a competitive sport has mellowed slightly – I still love a drink on holiday, but I probably couldn’t consume enough as I used to.

My other half James, who loves anything that feels remotely luxurious, was more than happy to join me on the experiment – though I was the only one obsessively tracking numbers. For him, it was simple: good food, strong drinks, zero effort.

Luckily, the hotel itself made a strong first impression. A vast, shiny floored lobby that practically reflected your face back at you. A huge bar. A newly renovated buffet restaurant piled high with lamb kofta, fresh pide and enough baklava to test anyone’s willpower.

But after lunch, we hit our first wobble: the wine bar was closed for renovation despite still appearing on the hotel app. 

And with five of the à la carte restaurants closed, we were disappointed to discover the only remaining option needed a minimum number of bookings to operate. It was a (delicious, in fairness) buffet or nothing. 

Still, I kept adding it all up.

For one full day, I tracked everything I consumed and conservatively priced it based on nearby menus I’d found online. Breakfast omelette: £6. Coffee: £1. A small beer: £2. Chicken shish and salad: £8. I even included £30 for my share of the room.

By lunchtime, the maths had already taken care of itself and from that point on, it became less about spreadsheets and more about curiosity.

We’d hoped to try the hotel’s fishing activity (which I’d earmarked at £10 based on local prices), but it was fully booked – a reminder that even in winter, you still need to plan ahead. So instead, I headed to the aquapark.

I was delighted to find there was no one else there. It was just me, hurtling down slides in the January sunshine, stunned that it was even open. I’ve stayed at off-peak all-inclusives before where outdoor facilities were firmly closed so this felt like a win.

Drinks turned out to be the real value driver. Basic spirits and cocktails were included, and while some people worry about watered-down alcohol, these were generous freehand pours.

Plus, a very sweet mojito – my drink of choice – easily fetched £6 on my tally. Over roughly 12 hours, my boyfriend and I had eight drinks each and we were feeling a little squiffy. 

That might not seem like a lot, but for us, it felt like a fairly balanced effort. 

By the end of the day – after spa access, buffet dinner, cocktails and even a nightclub gin and tonic – my total came to £122.50. That’s £66.08 over my daily target.

I was delighted to have been making a ‘profit’ on this all inclusive holiday.

But, not every day looked like that.

On quieter days, I’d have broken even, but not by much. And tracking every pastry and coffee quickly started to feel less like a holiday and more like an accountancy workshop.

There were drawbacks to visiting in January too – the buffet did get repetitive, and it felt like not all of the food stations were operating. The weather can’t be guaranteed either – one blustery day had me cocooned in my room away from squealing children in the indoor pool. 

But when the sun did come out, even at a mere 12 degrees, it felt glorious. The outdoor pools were heated, people were sunbathing, and I wore nothing more than a light jacket.

The ‘profit’ framing might be a bit silly, but what this proves is that January is a brilliant time to experience a five-star all-inclusive that would feel eye-wateringly expensive in peak season. 

Just make sure you check with the hotel about what’s actually open.

After all, you’re not paying for guaranteed sunshine. You’re paying for the facilities – the spa, the pools, the endless food, and the ease.

I wouldn’t attempt to ‘make a profit’ in August – but it was worthwhile in January, when the prices drop and the pools are still heated. 

That’s when the maths – and the holiday – finally made sense.

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing Ross.Mccafferty@metro.co.uk. 

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