Why do people stay in hotels on family holidays?

[JambonetFromage]

We’re on a city break with DC so staying in a hotel which is not the norm for us.

DC sleeping after a late night last night. I’m currently stuck in the hotel room waiting for them to wake (I’ve already been out for a run and come back, DH has now gone to hotel gym). I’m itching to get out of the room!

If we weren’t in a villa, apartment, tent, or whatever I’d be sat outside with a coffee, making a picnic lunch, doing some yoga or something that’s not sitting on a bed next to snoozing kids.

Whatever way you cut it, children sleep longer than adults and until DC are older someone needs to stay in the room while they’re sleeping, which just seems to make hotels seem like a bad choice with kids. But loads of people always stay in hotels, so what is the appeal I am missing?

These holiday threads make me laugh. Several posts from the last few weeks:

Why do people go to the med in August?
Why do people go all inclusive?
Why do people stay in hotels with kids?

I’m not sure whether people are looking for genuine explanations or if it’s tongue in cheek. Surely nobody is so lacking in imagination that they can’t work out why just because it doesn’t suit their family it might work for someone else?!

We always pick a hotel room that has a balcony or a terrace so morning or evening I can sit out in the sun while kids are asleep and read my book. Then once they are up it's off to breakfast and the pool

It's probably down to cost. If you have to share a room with children it's never going to be relaxing.
You need an apartment style hotel. So you have two bedrooms and a sitting room but the benefits of hotel catering.
Now it's just DH and me I get a suite so the one who isn't sleeping doesn't disturb the other.

We like it as convenient for city break, no cooking or washing up. We tend to take turns popping to hotel bar, we’ve been known to giggle with a glass of wine and silent chess while they sleep, take a sneaky bath together or ready companiably in silence side by side 🤷🏻‍♀️

Unless I can help it, we always get a suite/apartment/family room so DS is separate to us.

Self catering is not a holiday for me- I’d just be doing the same chores I do at home.

My kids were early birds - up around 6 no matter what (DD a bit later, sat 7). So no chance of a lie in ever! So I’ve never had this problem, more that I’d want to stick to their bed time which meant early dinners and evenings inside. But we only stayed in hotels in Australia as we moved around so much.

I always find it baffling how people think self catering = cooking. I love self catering but eat out for all meals, I just vary where I eat meal to meal. I can’t imagine anything worse than eating at the same hotel buffet rather than exploring local restaurants but I can understand why some people like it.

Nothing better than having your own pool and freedom to do whatever you like but it is almost always more money the way I do it.

I’ve never known anyone that actually cooks more than a bbq at a villa though. I don’t think we’ve ever had the oven on!

But a lot of people who choose those things go on to complain about them.

We went to a 3 star AI hotel, the food wasn't very nice.

We went to Greece in August and it was too hot.

We went to a well known party resort and there was lots of drunk people.

I did lots of unnecessary cooking and cleaning on holiday so it wasn't very relaxing.

Did it not occur to them to not do the thing they don't like?

Like what ?

we eat out all the time

I did have to pull my sheet up over my bed - that was hard work and took maybe 2/3 seconds a day 😉

but I don’t cook or clean on holiday so curious what chores you do

I do do washing as have a machine but washing dries in 2/3grs on clothes horse

but means it’s all clean for when go home so unpack into drawers etc

so easier to wash abroad as always sunny

I’d always go for a hotel over self catering. We usually book either apartments/villas within resorts or spacious adjoining rooms with seating areas, so there is plenty of space for everyone to do their own thing. It also helps that we are all early risers. My DC really love hotel breakfasts, and for me, it’s such a relief not having to think about meals, washing up or housekeeping during the holiday. There’s something so nice about coming back to freshly made beds and clean towels every day!

I love hotels, they’re my happy place. We book interconnecting rooms or suites with separate sleeping areas. No cleaning, no cooking, no washing, absolutely bliss

If you stay in a hotel for a fortnight don't you need to take masses of clothes? 14 bras & 14+ knickers & 14 t shirts just for yourself? Or do you hand wash in the sink? I love having the space & privacy of a villa. We go out for plenty of meals. I'll always use the washing machine a couple of times too. It's no hassle, clothes dry quickly in the sun, we don't need to take as many and don't have enormous amounts of washing to do when we get home.

Totally this. It’s supposed to be a holiday!

I've never had to scrub a villa before leaving.

14 bras? Is it gross to not change your bra every day? I didn't know.

Hotels have laundry services and there's often a laundrette around if you need to do any washing. Otherwise I'd gladly take 14 knickers if that's the worst thing about hotels.

I would definitely rewear things apart from knickers. Then I either take the full amount or use a laundry service (but I would never stay in once place for 2 full weeks).

Who washes their bra after every wear? It must be terrible for them (and the environment).

Me too to be honest - I try to avoid booking places that are clearly cannibalising the local property market (hence staying in a hotel this time). Ethical tourism is a minefield though,to take it really seriously you’d probably not go on holiday at all

Maybe if you're putting the washing machine on for just a single bra. 🤣
Personally I wouldn't want to wear a sweaty bra from the day before.

How old are the DC? It's unusual for young ones to have a long lie in, but typical if they're teens!

Or you could camp, in the UK (assuming you live in the UK) while eating locally sourced and produced food.
Then you're not using AirBnB, airmiles etc etc

Oh no! Have you had to sleep like a peasant!? Dear me! What would the Kardashians say!? And no yoga!? Won't anyone think of the hipsters!!!

The last Airbnb I stayed in was absolutely beautiful. Big glass patio doors, an immaculate high shine kitchen, loads of rooms. Omg the stress of staying in it with kids. I was literally following them around with a roll of kitchen roll and a bottle of glass cleaner. Every time I glanced up I saw more fingerprints on the surfaces. Not relaxing at all. Manageable for a long stay with a half day of cleaning at the end but would have been ridiculous for anything shorter . Not to mention stripping the beds, packing up any shopping we’d brought, etc etc. I totally see the appeal of a premier inn or similar for families. If you’re doing loads during the day at a new location anyway, mostly it’s just for sleep.
Not to mention the patchy safety aspect of random accomodation. My kids are bigger now but I travelled with them a lot as toddlers, and so many times I’d arrive at a self catering place, only to spend the whole time worrying about a low balcony, or a poorly secured tv, a dangerous mezzanine or any number of toddler- unfriendly things.

Knickers - I normally take around 18-20 for a two week holiday.

Bras - I handwash if I am somewhere I sweat a lot, they are dry again the next morning.

I also take 16-18 T-Shirts as we are out most days.

We did one week s/c this year followed by one week hotel. I washed most items during the s/c stay so that I came home with a huge amount of unworn clothes.

I think that must be the nub of it - I don’t really value the not cooking/cleaning thing that much - in principle it would be nice but I generally prefer the flexibility of being able to self cater even if my budget stretched to AI/half board.

Blimey! How much spaces does that take! I have a fairly full case for a fortnight with only about a third of that (and I only have as many as four bras because of sports bras!)