NCAA, Resorts, and All Inclusive Upsets

As I sit here watching the NCAA Basketball Tournament hoping for an upset, I am moved to think about how college basketball and all inclusive resorts compare. I have my favorites in both, and I know the public has its national preferences. Just as in college basketball, people have their home or "favorite" team they root for. Some people root for Carolina, Duke or Kentucky while in the travel realm, the all inclusive vacation crowd makes it known that they are a Palace Resorts fan or "we always go to Couples Resorts in Jamaica". It is inherent that people develop favoritism in sports, life and personal choice. If you follow college basketball, you know that Gonzaga used to be the "Cinderella". No more. Gonzaga is a perennial NCAA team. Gonzaga was once the darling of the tournament, but now I just kinda look at them as any other team.

I would like to examine all inclusive resorts in relation to the previous example. Some all inclusive hotels have long been established as the "king of the hill" in terms of offerings. Newcomers such as the Karisma Hotels chain, Excellence Resorts or the Dreams and Secrets Resorts chain have shown up on the scene and brought new "moves" to the table. Cutting new ground and going head-to-head with the established resorts was like Gonzaga taking it to the powers of the NCAA. Consumers welcomed the new choices like finding a "Cinderella" team to follow through the tournament. Finding a great deal with better inclusions is like discovering the surprise of the NCAA. You picked it before anyone else did. If you picked Gonzaga years ago, then you were cutting edge or an early adopter. Or better yet, you could find the "good deal".

The all inclusive industry is constantly changing and everyone is trying to beat the next guy or girl. I would check out Karisma Hotels if you want to make a bet on the next "champion". Great food, great service, cutting edge inclusions and affordable luxury pricing is within reach of most people. Karisma Hotels' flagship, the El Dorado Royale, features rooms for all budgets. The key here is that you don't have to eat buffet every day. I would take the spread against a Sandals Resort any day :)