I have always traveled to Mexico all inclusive. This time I am not. Say I am sitting by the pool and I have a couple of drinks - do I pay and tip each time? Or can I 'run a tab' so to speak...and then can I charge that to the room?

Run a tab. And charge to room

Yes charge to your room, and I think you can add tips to each charge if you want...or carry a little cash for that.

You can give a tip when you finish drinking for the day dont worry!

They take your room number. You sit poolside. And when done they will bring total bill.

Agree with the run the tab, but I always keep US singles on me and tip a single per drink. You get awesome service that way!

They make peanuts too ... like 3$ an hour. So consider that in tip.

all incl..why would you need to run a tab?? I tip 20 pesos per drink,

She is not doing all inclusive this trip....

ok,,ok..sorry

Run a tab. I love not all inclusive.

I will tip thru the day direct to my server for sure...was just wondering how the rest of it worked.

Charge to your room. Make sure u check your bill as often there’s errors or it’s someone else bill Bring lots of change. Tipping cash and to the server is easier as their shift changes.

Glad you said this. I was just going to point out then person needs to keep track of how many drinks they've had and check their tab from time to time. Even doing that I've lost track of course. It's cost me to lose track...

I usually tip cash to them and charge drink to the room.

One thing to be aware of: we had an instance in PV where there was a tip included on the bill. If we had been tipping the server all along then we would have been double tipping.

Isn’t all inclusive cheaper in the long run?

Cheaper or not, I never go all inclusive. If I am all inclusive, I will never leave the resort and have to pay for food and drink elsewhere. All inclusive isn't for everyone...

Amen Catherin! There are too many great restaurants to go AI!

Rima - I think it depends on how much you drink and eat! If you are a heavy drinker and will eat/snack lots, then I would say yes - but we don't drink much anymore and we found we never really explored dining options because we felt we have already paid for meals at our resort so why would we pay to eat out? I think we have missed out. This is a short 5 day trip this time, so figured we would try it.

Booze and food is cheap off resort. Average supper at local place in downtown Cancun with a couple drinks for me and the wife was $30 or less. Regular meals can be had for quite a bit less. Chedraui has all the snacks and fresh fruit you could ever want and you can buy a case of corona at the oxxo or 7-11 for $10 or less so it's not that hard to at least come out even with the price of an A/I. Especially if going non A/I is $300 pp or more cheaper.

Chris Yup I get it, makes sense. I have only been to one all inclusive and still ate out for 2 of the 7 days.

Scott that’s interesting.

All the beaches in cancun are public as well. So for as little as $12 a day you can rent two loungers and a palapa at say Playa Tortuga. BYOB and food or buy from beach restaurants.

The longer you stay the less all inclusive is a deal. In MEX food and alcohol are cheap. We book a condo for a month.

thanks everyone for sharing your experiences.

Don't sit at the pool. I'm in Mazarlan right now. This is your chance to enjoy Mexico... Go outside the resort and enjoy Mexico, eat with the locals and taste good food, not resort food. Have a drink for a buck and a half instead of $150 a day. Never go back to all inclusive.

All inclusive doesn't include tips. We live in Mexico in the winter and the one thing we notice is that hotel guests never or very rarely tip. Those pool waiters and restaurant waiters only make 70 pesos a day ($5.00). The maids only make $50 pesos a day for all day cleaning ($3.00). It's very sad! No matter where you go in Mexico, all-inclusive or not, please tip them for good service. They depend on their tips to survive. The hotels don't give them anything extra.

Thanks for this reminder about tipping at “all inclusives”.

When you book the sites always say gratuities included...I tip anyway but this could be why

Thanks for this reminder.