Mark Warner first holiday. Should we still go?

[Love2dance]

DH, DS (will be 5 1/2 m) and I were about to book with MW on a late deal for the first time to go to Ocean Club Portugal when poor little Maddy McCann went missing. Ocean club sounded just up our street (we don't usually do all inclusive and before DS born tended to go on independent self catering hols) as it has apartments for independence but also the creche/babysitting facility so we could eat out in the eves and relax on our own some (but not all) of the time.
I now feel a bit uncomfortable about going, particularly as I can empathise with the McCanns' suffering.

Anyone know of anywhere shortish haul with apartment or small villa with a babysitting option? Any advice gratefully received.

Expensive shite at that.

Hunkermunker. I agree. They sound grim.

They are definitely not for me, but then I don't really do hotel/campus type holidays anyway. I personally prefer self catering houses/cottages/villas where possible.

Actually we've had huge fun on MW holidays. But I can well imagine that you'd hate them HM.

i agree from the pics i have seen on the telly the resort looks small and crappy

give me a nice villa anyday with a kitchen i can make tea and toast at 2am

LM, why would I hate them? In particular?

not the resort the complex

could you stop yaking abut holidays and help me on my health htread pretty please

tbh I'm tempted to go on them more for the inclusive activities for the kids such as sailing and tennis than the childcare. Our kids don't do kids clubs unless they have a purpose (ie skiing).

That's exactly it, MT.

Are there organised activities?

I know it doesn't answer your question but Mark Warner type holidays don't sound like a holiday to me, being told what time to eat and having to worry about childcare is just hassle, I can do that at home!

you're not told when to eat! You book in one of several restaurants at a time to suit. Yes, there are organised actitivties but you are not rounded up to do them!
tbh - MW is a little too organised for me, but it does serve a purpose and makes an excellent family hol for some, yes, and makes it easier to have adult time too! We don't all have spare family members to take kids at the drop of a hat, you know.

I thought you were told when to eat and woken up by a bell and you all had to wear a MW T-shirt and sing a MW song.

god, can't believe I've just gone all defensive over MW having sworn I'd never go with them again! Villas etc are all v well, but self-catering with a v LO is not a holiday for me at all and "staffed" villas tend to be much more expensive than MW!

If you know about the mW song, you must have been on hol with them, it's all top secret you know

I don't think it does make it easier for having adult time, otherwise there wouldn't be so many threads stressing about what to do. Personally, if you don't have babysitters and I prefer not to take the IL's on holiday I find self catering much easier, you can put the kids to bed and have a glass of wine and eat on the patio.

Rantothehills - you hum it, I'll play.

Agree iwth nogoes

lol at the idea of MW being 'easy' when there aer a GAZILLION threads about how when and where etc etc

am humming, can you hear?

slef-catering is not a hol in my book! I love cooking but I want to escape domesic duties on my hols!

can't your dh cook?

yes, but he makes sucvh a bloody mess and takes so long to clear up! Am fed up arguing over this at home, don't want same argument on hol!

We mainly eat out at lunch time when it doesn't matter so much if the LO's run riot and just have nice cheeses and bread etc in the evening.

Exactly. For us, Self catering isn't about cooking. It's more knowing you can make a decent cup of coffee whenever you like, and having somewhere to stash all the lovely local food we pick up while we are out. We tend to eat out one or twice a day on holiday anyway, but it's good to have a place to prepare a picnic or barbecue etc.
But there is a big difference between a private rent self catering holiday and a resort one. We made the mistake once of booking via thompsons and were absolutely sneered at when we didn't attend the welcome meeting and then just sit around the pool for the whole week like all the other families.

agree so much nogoes. My 4 dc's are only covered by 7 years age range, so we go self catering and have lovely relaxing evenings. We don't have babysitters on tap at home either. rtth - you don't have to do excess domestic duties - it's easy to choose no prep/hardly any prep stuff for meals, partic in spain/france etc.