Villa or hotel???

[Churmy123]

Hi

I am currently exploring holiday destinations for our summer holiday 2014!

For the past couple of years (and this summer) we have stayed in England. Mainly caravan or cottage holidays in North Yorkshire. We have been very lucky with the weather and on the whole have had fantastic times!

However we have decided to be brave next year and go abroad! Brave as in taking my energetic/noisy/non stop DS on a plane! He will be 3 years and 7 months when we go in 2014. We went in villa in Menorca when my DD was just three and she was fine and loved it but my DS is much more exciteable!

So do we do a villa or a hotel? All inclusive?

Thinking mainland Spain or Menorca/Majorca or maybe Portugal.

Any tips or recommendations would be much appreciated!

Thanks.

I would chose a villa every time. You can keep to your own routines, you don't have to suffer other people looking down their noses at you when your child is making lots of noise and climbing on the furniture, and you can safely have a drink on the terrace once the kids are tucked up in bed.

Definetely villa. Don't have to worry about anyone else, can sit outside with monitor when children asleep. Can self cater
as sometimes eating out more trouble than its worth !
I have friends who love hotels and eat out every night and children sleep in buggies. I just wouldn't relax doing that , plus there is no way on earth my boys would sleep!

Villa definitely. Hotels are ok for a night or two, but staying in your own place allows you to have a couple of 'normal' days- meal in, kids in bed at sensible time, vino on the balcony/by pool . You can still do the restaurants but I find it much less stressful to go back to your own place and make your own routine.

What we look for is the best of both worlds - a 2 bed apartment that has attached facilities such as restaurant, pool and some activities.

I like to have some room to relax, and find that this works for us.

Thanks for the replies! Sounds like a villa is the way to go!

Since going down the private villa route (always in Menorca), we've never looked back, I can't imagine staying in a hotel ever again. So much more space and freedom, separate bedrooms for the kids and best of all - no noise from other bloody people.

Self catering doesn't mean cooking every day, in fact the only "cooking" done is on the BBQ

I would definitely do villa with a lively child of that age - it gets quite wearing eating every meal in public, I find

Villa here too.

You don't have to cook 3 meals a day - but the option is there for you to decide.

Much more space for you all too.

I can do hotels for a couple of nights, just me and DH. Any more than that - no way.

Sorry but hotel definitely!!! The idea of taking kids to a villa with no entertainment scares me! All inclusive is the way to go.... No cleaning, no worrying about food (doesnt eat it..get something else), entertainment all day and night, meet loads of ther kids etc. My kids would be bored if we didnt go in a hotel and self catering for me is not a holiday! I do not expect to be washing dishes on my holiday!

Villa , but we are anti social, and like our freedom.

Will echo Villa definitely! We go every year with my DM and various family members and we love it. Don't think we can never go back now!
Love the feeling of 'home from home..... but your not' IYKWIM.
Everyone gets their own room, freedom to make a drink, snack at silly hours (yes you mother who needs a cup of tea at 4am )
We can go out for an evening meal, come back and put DD to bed then chill with a dvd, or sit outside and have a drink. No hassle finding a space by the pool etc. It works for us.

Definitely villa, we go somewhere with a private pool every year in France, I couldnt go back to a shared crowded pool. Nothing beats sitting outside in the peace of the country side at night, with wine! Even cooking dinner doesnt bother me - not when I can jump in the pool whilst cooking it and we can sit outside ourselves to eat it. We tend to picnic out at lunchtime to.

I have 8 yo dd & 3.7yo ds. We stayed in a thomson all inclusive family hotel last month. Bloody brilliant! My ds is very energetic/boisterous & demanding. Family hotel full of staff used to dealing with kids, kids clubs, evening parties & limitless ice cream, drinks & snacks made this the most restful holiday I've had since having children. Even had steps up to the bars so kids could get their own drinks! Also, we had a hotel suite with two bedrooms. No cooking, no cleaning = very happy mummy & daddy! Restaurant even had kids play area so you could enjoy a leisurely meal after kids had wolfed down their food. Best family holiday EVER. (Gushing a bit I know). Hotel was bodrum imperial in turkey. Have a look. Not expensive either. Cost us £2,200 for 2 weeks AI for family of 4 in a family suite. We're looking for next year & just can't match it so looks like well be going back.