| If you're looking up hotels in a book or online, you | | | | that they will make a little more money. It can be a |
| may see that they have meal plans or dining plans | | | | good thing if you are in an area without many |
| listed. There are different "plans" for providing a room | | | | restaurants..., but it also restricts you. If you want to |
| and meals and services to their guests. These plans, | | | | dine at different restaurants, you might want to look |
| and other amenities, are often listed as a string of | | | | for a hotel on the European Plan. |
| letters after the description of the hotel. | | | | "European Plan", EP, is a hotel rate that includes NO |
| I don't know about you, but I find all this alphabet | | | | meals. Another mystery. Don't most European hotels, |
| soup at the end of hotel listing a bit confusing.... All | | | | the small ones anyway, include breakfast? (I always |
| the more so because those hotel meal plans don't | | | | think they got this backwards because a room with |
| make sense when we look back on our travels. | | | | no meals is the way most American hotels operate.) |
| "American Plan", sometimes abbreviated as AP, | | | | Tips and service charges may or may not be included |
| means that the quoted rate includes all three meals a | | | | with American Plans and European Plans. |
| day. Why this became known as American Plan is a | | | | Bed and Breakfasts will give you a place to sleep and |
| bit of a mystery to me, because as an American, I | | | | breakfast. With any of these plans you want to |
| can tell you most hotels don't include breakfast in | | | | know what breakfast means... is it a small continental |
| their hotel rates, let alone another meal or two! | | | | breakfast or a full English breakfast? |
| But American Plan is what you should look for if you | | | | "All Inclusive" is a term that means all food and drinks |
| want to take all of your meals at your hotel and | | | | are included in the price of the room. It generally also |
| know what the price will be in advance. In the United | | | | means that all tips, services charges and some |
| States, you will generally only run into this kind of | | | | activities such as water sports or horseback riding |
| plan in resort hotels or in hotels in remote locations. | | | | are included. Not all of these plans are the same, so |
| "Modified American Plan", designated as MAP, includes | | | | you should check to see what is included. |
| only two meals a day. You will get breakfast included | | | | When you're evaluating all of these hotel meal plans, |
| and either lunch or dinner. | | | | think about what you want. Do you want to just |
| In Europe, Modified American Plan is more often | | | | stay at the hotel? Do you want to eat at any little |
| referred to as "Half-Pension" or "Half-Board". Those | | | | place of your choice? Will those plans save you |
| terms seem to make a little more sense.... At least | | | | money or cost you more? There's no right answer |
| they tell you what you're signing up for. | | | | here. Understand what you're being offered and |
| We have come across a number of hotels that | | | | make an informed decision for your travels. |
| require you to take half-board in Europe. This assures | | | | |