I tested the Butlin's all-inclusive drinks package to its limit – here's everything I drank in one day for £30

The Irish Sun

14 hours ago

Prosecco, beer, wine and cocktails are all included, as well as Costa coffee
DRINK UP I tested the Butlin's all-inclusive drinks package to its limit – here's everything I drank in one day for £30
WITH Europe's mega hotels luring Brits abroad with the promise of free booze, Butlin's has now launched its own all-inclusive drinks package that can be added onto your reservation.
Known for its great-value family breaks, Butlin's offers a lot for guests staying at one of its three UK seaside resorts.
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Butlin's offers great value for families and there is a lot to do with children of all ages
Credit: Helen Wright
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Writer Helen headed to Bognor Regis to see whether the all-inclusive drinks package was worth paying extra for
Credit: HELEN WRIGHT
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There is a large choice of drinks on the all-inclusive drinks package at Butlin's
Credit: BUTLIN'S
Last year, the holiday park chain launched an all-inclusive drinks package for £30, so I signed up and headed to Bognor Regis to see if it was really worth the money.
Within the initial cost of your stay, your booking includes accommodation, evening entertainment, a huge swimming pool with a wave pool and slides, playgrounds, children's activities and shows, and an on-site fairground where the rides are free.
Four-day, mid-week, term-time breaks start from just £49 for two adults and two children, which is great value for younger families wanting a fun-packed holiday on a budget.
The three-day breaks, which typically fall over the weekend, are usually priced higher.
During the summer holidays, a weekend break at the Skegness Resort costs £348 for two adults and two children, which works out to £87 per person for three days.
For a family weekend and with so much on offer, it's still a very good deal.
So how does the all-inclusive booze package work?
Geared up for my holiday, I did wonder if the deal would be worth it and whether the drink on offer would be half decent.
In the school holidays, the Butlin's all-inclusive drink deal is £30.95 per adult (15+) per day and £10.50 per day for kids aged 6-14 years (children under five drink for free).
On a three-day break, this would be an extra £92.85 per adult - but is it worth it?
Never one to shy away from important journalism, I headed to Butlin's in Bognor Regis with my mate Gen and four kids ranging from five to fourteen.
I wanted to know if we would drink enough over three days to justify the £304 extra spend for all six of us - and to see how easy it was to use the plan and get into the holiday, ahem, spirit.
I tried the new Gladiators event at Butlin's with some of the TV stars… and my kids were obsessed
Our basic holiday package for one adult and two children, staying in a Comfort Room was £468 (£52 per person, per night).
I had one room, sharing with my two children Finn, eight, and Isobel, five, and Gen had a separate room, sharing with her sons Cole, 14, and Stephen, 10.
To add the all-inclusive drinks package onto the booking, it was an extra £41.45 for us and £51.95 for Gen and the boys per day. An overall £124.35 and £155.85 respectively.
When you check in, you are given a wristband and a QR code to use when you want to order drinks during your stay.
But with with the amount of activities and entertainment, I was unsure whether I would get through £42 worth of drinks in one day.
Ever keen to hydrate, we checked in at midday on Friday and headed straight to the on-site Costa coffee shop.
After a 2.5-hour drive from London, a large caffeinated beverage was a must, and Butlin's heavily advertises that Costa coffee is included with the all-inclusive drinks deal.
Joining the line of fellow, sleep-deprived parents, I eventually made it to the front where I hit my first roadblock…
Despite Costa Coffee being included, I soon realised that, crucially, you can't order said coffee from the dedicated coffee shop at the resort.
If you have an all-inclusive package, you have to head next door to the generic bar, where Costa-branded coffee is served from a coffee machine.
No barista-whipped macchiato with this wristband, pal.
The big kids went for Coca Cola and Sprite, which usually cost £2.50, and my younger kids opted for a small orange squash (usual cost 80p).
Gen and I stuck with the coffee that would have been £3.85 to purchase, which I actually thought was on the high side, given the instant coffee machine situation.
However, despite my initial disappointment, it was perfectly pleasant.
We grabbed a table outside in the sun.
Cocktails and mocktails are included
With people arriving for their weekend of fun, the resort was already starting to get lively, so we headed to the fairground for a spin on the Waltzer and a slide down the classic Helter Skelter.
I was impressed that the fairground rides are no extra charge to enjoy.
As a parent, amusement parks where rides are priced individually can become very expensive, so I generally avoid them at all costs.
Of course, the kids wanted to go on the Go Karts, which are slap bang in the middle of the fairground. These are not included, but at £7 per kid, I stumped up for tickets.
Besides, it was almost 1pm and with them occupied for 15 mins, Gen and I could enjoy our first cocktail of the weekend along with some adult conversation.
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My first cocktail of the day was a margarita, which didn't look much but it hit the spot
Credit: Helen Wright
Alcohol is served from 11am at the resort. A glass of house wine is £4.90 and a pint is £5.95.
I'm more of a cocktail girl, so I decided to get into the holiday spirit with a margarita, usually £7.75, but free with my wristband.
Gen had a 'Butlin's on the Beach', the family-friendly version of the Sex on the Beach cocktail.
From the main pub, The Beachcomber, the pre-mixed cocktail tasted fine, but was unsurprisingly pretty basic.
My margarita had no salt rim or picturesque garnish and came in a plastic beaker.
But, with the sun shining and the kids tearing up the race track, there were no complaints from me.
Doing a quick tally, it wasn't even lunchtime yet, and I'd spent over a third of my initial £30 a day outlay already.
The kids had gone wild at the fairground and large outdoor playground, so they were keen to neck their all-inclusive drinks too.
However, you can only order drinks on the all-inclusive deal at selected places and with both the wristband and a QR code, which is sent to your email.
Only the adults wear the band, so it does mean that kids can't go up and order their own drinks.
If you have a big brood, expect to be in and out, whipping out your iPhone and flashing your wrist every 15 minutes when one of them inevitably spills their drink or wants something else.
However, it was easy to get drinks, and despite the resort being very busy in high season, none of the bars were too crowded or had a long wait.
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Butlin's, Bognor Regis is a large resort with three hotels as well as traditional 'chalet' accommodation
Credit: Alamy
I liked that you could pick up a drink in a plastic cup, rather than a glass, and roam around the resort with it.
That meant you were not restricted to designated places, and the kids could have fun while the grown-ups relaxed.
For lunch, we got a takeaway Papa John's pizza from the on-site restaurant and had a picnic on the grass. With my purple arm candy, I paired it with a cold beer AND a Coke.
Hey, it's all-inclusive, so I went wild. I am on holiday, after all...
Meanwhile, the kids were thrilled to be stuffing their faces with pizza and guzzling the unlimited soda drinks.
I certainly needed the caffeine and sugar, as after this, we headed to the new state-of-the-art indoor PlayXperience.
This massive games room is 50,000 square feet and has Lazer Tag, Neon Golf, Glow Pong, Escape Rooms and a VR arcade.
The games here are charged separately, but I thought £9 per person for laser tag and £7 for golf was pretty reasonable considering the prices places elsewhere charge.
There is also a cool bar here, HotShots, and the cocktail game was much stronger.
This time, my margarita did come with salt and a slice of orange on the side, while my friend had a mojito, complete with fresh mint.
Better still, happy hour at this bar starts at 4pm, so it was two cocktails for £12.50 for anyone not on the drinks plan.
The setting at HotShots was much calmer and classier than at the main bars in the resort, so we stayed for an extra round, and the kids were happy because they nagged us into a few more plays of golf and a go in the VR room.
A small price to pay for some adult conversation and a relaxing drink.
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Helen's children and their friends pose with the iconic Butin's bear at Bognor Regis
Credit: Helen Wright
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Older kids can get unlimited soda on the plan and at £2.50 a pint, they quickly add up
Credit: Helen Wright
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Some bars make cocktails that are more Instagram-friendly than others, but they tasted much the same. This was a 'Butlin's on the Beach'
Credit: Helen Wright
There is a huge choice of entertainment options at Butlin's, including a Peppa Pig show and a circus (which has an extra charge).
However, we were all excited for the Stephen Mulhern 'Out of this world' magic show, which saw the TV star doing his trademark tricks on stage and performing stunts.
All the kids loved it. The theatre was packed and the audience was clapping and cheering for the TV star. It was a great atmosphere.
Here, I went for a Gin and Tonic (usually £5.20). There was a bar outside, and I managed to get two in before the end of the show.
Luckily, it was 6pm and time for dinner after this, otherwise I might have got too tipsy to keep a tally.
By now, I had easily eclipsed the £30 outlay for my drinks of the day.
There was still time for a cheeky wine at dinner and another cocktail at the evening show on the main stage, Iconic.
Should you book the all-inclusive drinks with your Butlin's holiday?
There is no question, if you like a beer or cocktail in the sun or you plan on drinking at lunch and dinner, with a few extras like coffee and a lemonade in between, £30 a day is well worth the money.
Even non-alcohol drinkers would likely break even with two or three coffees, a few Cokes and a non-alcoholic beer or mocktail, but it wouldn't work out such great value.
One catch to the deal is that everyone on your booking must pay for the package. So if you have one non-alcoholic adult in the party, they can't opt out.
All the kids on the booking also need to pay for the package. The daily cost for two adults and two children (over 6) is £82.60 a day.
Gen's older kids definitely made use of the all-inclusive Coke Zero and Sprite, but my children, who are younger, probably only just reached the minimum spend.
With squash only 80p a glass, they needed to drink more than ten glasses in a day, and generally, they drink water.
It's worth factoring that in when you are calculating for the whole family.
All in all, we drank the equivalent of a £69.45 bar tab, exceeding the £42 outlay, but not by much.
Even without the package, drinks are very reasonably priced.
It wouldn't be a jolly holiday without a happy hour, and Butlin's is no exception.
In fact, if you bar hop, starting at Beechcomber Pub at 2pm, and moving to Bar Rosso in the main pavilion or HotShots at PlayXperience, you can actually enjoy Happy Hour(s) until 6pm.
By then, some people were very happy indeed.
The following day was much the same, but we did spend over three hours at the incredible pool and water park, Splash Waterworld.
As well as a huge wave pool, there are seven slides and a kids splash pool.
It's absolutely fantastic, especially considering the cheap term-time package prices.
I was only able to get the kids out and dried off with the promise of more unlimited soda and orange juice.
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The huge Splashworld water park at Butlin's in Bognor Regis
Credit: Alamy
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Helen's daughter Isobel (pictured) plays Vegas-themed golf at the Butlin's PlayXperience
Credit: Helen Wright
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This tray of drinks is worth £32.95, but all included with the Butlin's drinks package, which is £30.95 a day for adults
Credit: Helen Wright
Despite the fact we were at the pool for a good proportion of the day, we still managed to drink our quota of beverages.
I was impressed with the drinks package but I do think after five days and nights, the novelty of all-day drinking and downing cups of sugary drinks would wear off. Certainly for me, but probably for the kids too. And cold water is free across the whole resort.
They actually do seven and 10-night breaks at Butlin's too.
For seven nights, the adult deal would be £350 on drinks alone - that's a big spend for a budget break.
It's worth doing the maths in advance and making sure it's within budget.
I would certainly not drink enough over a whole week to make it worthwhile, as I doubt I would want to drink alcohol every day.
I'm generally a light drinker though, so if you do like your beer or wine and you want to relax and have fun on your holiday, it's easy to get your money's worth and excellent value.
However, on the three-day breaks I would definitely recommend the all-inclusive package.
It's a worry-free way to have a drink and enjoy yourself while the kids are also having a great time.
Just remember, your code will stop working at midday on the day you leave - so make sure you get a big coffee in before the drive home.