When we first started traveling to international destinations we started with a cruise. Hated a cruise the short time in port to explore the location but a great way to see lots of places at once and say I would like to go back and stay there. Well we started going back and staying there and at an AI. That quickly changed to non AI. With an AI even if you get out you are insulated from the real world wherever in the world you are. Maybe the food will be good and maybe not.
We stopped staying in any AI a decade ago (+more). If you do your research you can have even a better experience with much more variety in what you eat and also stimulate the local economy by staying non AI and the price can be break even or less. In Negril most of the guys (security) we would meet as the roamed the beach through the AI's and when we explained where we were staying and why we were passing through agreed. They liked the job they had at an AI but appreciated people that would stay non AI and stimulate the local economy instead of the corporate Negril.
That all said if an AI is what you want most certainly stay there as it does create the jobs for security, maids, bartenders, etc. but so do the non AI and to in my mind to a greater extent.
Sorry if I roamed and got off topic
Just my 2 cents
