All inclusive holiday or Villa with 2 young kids?

[Biosblbay]

I haven’t been on holiday since my first born was 7 months old, which was back in June 2023! I have since had another baby who is now 11 months old and I am now desperate for a holiday abroad! It just hasn’t happened due to lots happening in such a short space of time, we had a baby, got married, moved to our new house and fell pregnant when we moved! So money has been tight and it just hasn’t been the right time, now I am more than ready!!!

I am looking to go away for a week in September or October, somewhere in Spain, my son and daughter will be 4 & 1 by that time.

I just want to know from other’s experiences, which is more relaxing with two young children, but also what is more beneficial for the kids.

Part of me is thinking an all inclusive because I don’t have to cook or clean at all, then theres also the entertainment and kids clubs, or is a villa the better option because it’s easier in terms of the baby needing a nap, easier for me and my husband to enjoy an evening while the kids are in bed, can go out for dinner every evening if we wanted to but would have breakfast and lunch at the villa, which means basic cooking and cleaning. Would the kids get bored at a villa. We would of course find somewhere with a pool and close to a beach but there would be no kids splash pool like a hotel would have.

I am so stuck! Please help! Thank you in advance x

Team villa (or aparthotel). With AI It’s difficult to get your food at a buffet with two tiny ones. By the time you sort them and go queue up to get your own food they’ve eaten and are restless to be out the high chair. Also do you want to be around people drinking all day to ‘get their moneys worth’ at an AI? Most kids clubs won’t take a 1 year old. If 4 year old is trying to sleep and 1 year old is crying and you’re all stuck in 1 room it’s a nightmare. As soon as 1 of you is awake you’re all awake so no talking it in turns to have a little extra sleep. No sex as all in 1 hotel room etc etc. AI food typically not the best and gets very samey.

We've done Eurocamp style holidays when our children were those ages - I truly did not think it would be my vibe, but it suited us well. The campsites we chose were more "nice" relaxed ones over ones with loads to do, but the pools were immaculate, the on-site ice cream shop and restaurants were fantastic, there were lovely playgrounds and kids clubs (we didn't use the kids club but it existed) and there was some kind of evening entertainment... but we didn't go. We were able to put the kids to bed and then have 1) a separate bedroom for us 2) access to a full kitchen/fridge for drinks 3) plenty of space to sit inside or outside in the evening to chat and play cards. It made it so easy for nap times too. There was minimal cleaning really as we spent so much time away from the accommodation and the kids survived on mostly bread, fruit and crisps anyway. https://www.holacamp.net/en/destinations we went to one of these twice and they were great both times.

I wouldn't want to do AI as buffet restaurants with little children are stressful and often much too noisy/overstimulating. A villa likely would get boring for me.

Do you realise there is more than one type of hotel? A hotel holiday with children isn’t limited to a single room.
Most family rooms are very generous with a separate living room.

Couldn’t agree more and I think without sounding snobby, unless you are going really high end my H thought the food was sub standard and wine on site was appalling ( doesn’t drink beer or spirits) so we ended up eating out nearly every night - we did it twice and whilst I am easier going he hated it . He actually enjoyed Eurocamp far more and it was a lot cheaper - decent mobile home, amazing site facilities and pools , bought pizzas and crepes on site plus a good site restuarant , bakery on site for good bread and croissants - easy to put son to bed and sit outside with bottle of decent wine, sometimes let him play with others till late on terrace outside restaurant - sometimes went into town on an evening - I found it more varied and with company if wanted- met several other families also on their terrace at night with wine!! Cheap too!!

Ha, I’ve just posted about this - I agree !!

I also agree with a eurocamp style holiday for those ages. We'd do breakfast like pastries or cereal, and picnic style tea on the patio (so minimal cleaning up other than loading dishwasher), and usually do lunch out, either at the on-site restaurants or out and about. Swimming pools, parks and entertainment on hand, but more space and privacy in the accommodation than a hotel. Easy to manage nap times. Once kids in bed, adults can sip wine on the patio. Yes, I did need to give the place a quick clean on the last day but I could also have paid a cleaning fee to not do that. Yes I did need to visit the supermarket, but we made that part of the day. My 4yo loved helping me shop, choosing unusual cereals or fruit.
I think eurocamp is a good middle ground for my family, but everyone is different. A villa would have been too quiet and isolating, but offers privacy and space. An AI hotel would have zero cooking and cleaning, but you'd not all be eating at the same time as you're managing kids food, and are restricted about when you eat, depending on hotel meal times. While most hotel rooms have a separate space for kids to sleep, you are still usually stuck in a small space with neighbours all around just one wall away.

I vote for AI but paid extra for two bedrooms. That way we could chill out in the living room / balcony in the evenings while kids slept. We even got a babysitter one night and went out.

Villas are lovely but tend to not be walking distance to restaurants / bars so someone has to drive if you go out. Self catering makes it feel like not a really holiday when I’m spending hours cooking and cleaning, plus I’ve stayed at some where the pool was really cold and the kids wouldn’t stay in for more than a few minutes.

It’s good having kids’ clubs at AI so you can have a bit of a break and we’ve been to some where the clubs were really good and the kids enjoyed going. I also like having more to do there if they get fed up with the pool.

Agree100% with you - but then I love a poke round foreign supermarkets and I don’t like hours and hours round and in pools or on beaches -although I do enjoy a couple of hours a day with a book round a pool -even when our son was young I still enjoyed pottering in supermarkets and making picnic teas/lunches.. I guess we are all different - for anyone who likes foreign supermarkets - just been to Dusseldorf and the huge Edeka just off the konigstrasse is immense - rather like. Harrods at Sainsbury’s prices on 2 floors with champagne bar, lovely cafe, nice restaurant, fresh juice machines, an enormous Lindt chocolate section, fruit and veg to die for -lots of posh stuff- but all ordinary stuff too - I was in for several hours just perusing - oh and followed by a large immense cafe milche each and the most beautiful huge slice of multi layered gateau ( we shared one and it was still a lot ) - 10.75 ( euros) for the 2 of us. Incredibly reasonable - it would have been at least £14 in UK and nowhere near as good and in lovely surroundings - what a shop!!

Love Eurocamp! Perfect balance of facilities and your own space.

Team villa here. Being stuck in one room in a hotel is my idea of hell. Even a one bedroom apartment feels claustrophobic compared to a house with its own garden and pool.

I don’t cook and clean on holidays, the villa doesn’t get overly dirty in a week. We eat out or buy pastries/fruit/local cheeses to snack on. There is uber eats or some other delivery app if we don’t feel like going out. Putting a dishwasher on takes a few seconds.

We always pick villas within walking distance of the town center. The quality of food in local restaurants tends to be much higher than an AI buffet.

I haven't tried Eurocamp, it does sound like a good balance of both worlds.

My kids are 3.5 and under 1, I guess priorities might change once they can go to a kids club and enjoy the pools by themselves.

Eurocamp is great if you can manage with slightly less than amazing accommodation as it’s mainly static homes and tents , ( pay for the best possible) and is really good at the point communal pools , loads of facilities and kids clubs kick in

https://www.eurocamp.co.uk/campsites/spain/costa-dorada/cambrils-park-campsite?cq_src=google_ads&cq_cmp=17996253356&cq_con=143758363430&cq_term=cambrils%20park%20resort&cq_med=&cq_plac=&cq_net=g&cq_pos=&cq_plt=gp&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=17996253356&gbraid=0AAAAADrGI_E78Zz6htw6aTcIKGqYis3JM&gclid=CjwKCAjwuuPRBhAnEiwA2Ji8ennlwGGBgIS_fSfd3TMy-PkuVWYKM31M8GXgNIqiEkiE2-QYunrsmBoCvHYQAvD_BwE. This is perfect. We’ve been around eight times. Best of both worlds.

^I don’t cook and clean on holidays, the villa doesn’t get overly dirty in a week. We eat out or buy pastries/fruit/local cheeses to snack on. There is uber eats or some other delivery app if we don’t feel like going out. Putting a dishwasher on takes a few seconds.

We always pick villas within walking distance of the town center. The quality of food in local restaurants tends to be much higher than an AI buffet^

This is also our experience of a self catering holiday. I have no idea what the people who think it involves endless cooking and cleaning are actually doing or why they're doing it'.

Could you share some of the villas you’ve found?

We much prefer AI but I’d definitely be open to trying a villa if it was high end nice designed, walking distance to nice restaurants and uber eats was available. I’m yet to find one that would come close to ikos (AI) which is where we usually go and is great.

I think it comes down to budget to be honest, a high end all inclusive is probably “better” than a villa, but a villa is probably better than a 3/4* AI.

@TheRealWhacker here are some examples of places we’ve stayed at. I don’t know if they meet your criteria of high end design. It’s not a priority for me, I tend to look at location first and foremost, followed by outside space. We share with my parents so need 3 bedrooms minimum. It’s a lot more cost effective to split the bill.

https://www.solmarvillas.com/destinations/spain-villas/balearic-islands/majorca/puerto-pollensa/villa-can-singala-46

https://www.solmarvillas.com/destinations/cyprus-villas/larnaca-region/protaras/villa-nausicaa-9

https://www.vrbo.com/en-gb/p11056

https://www.vrbo.com/en-gb/p9822132

https://www.solmarvillas.com/destinations/spain-villas/canary-islands/fuerteventura/corralejo/villa-bonnie

All inclusive, pick a good one where there's a choice of food places including a la cartes and snacks bars, a few different pools, splash park and slides and things like soft play and mini golf on site. Unlimited slushies and ice creams.

A cheap 3star all inclusive with one tiny pool, not enough loungers and one restaurant will probably be a bit rubbish.

Look for ones with rooms where you're not all in together but separate sleeping area for the children, it's sometimes a partition or sliding door but makes a big difference. A fridge in the room too.

I can't be bothered with the faff of a villa, finding places to eat and schlepping to the supermarket in the heat. I also like the beds and towels being changed daily in a hotel, floors mopped etc. Tiled floors get dusty quickly and you don't want to be mopping on holiday!

I think it all depends what you want to prioritise. For me a villa with a private pool will always feel more luxurious than a hotel.
You can kind of get the same feeling in hotels that have suites or villas with private pools within the complex but it’s not quite the same.
We always eat out or order in when we self cater and we choose villas that have a cleaner midway.
AI does have benefits. I know lots of people love entertainment and prefer the food situation with children and it is nice to just have someone bring you a G&T to your lounger.

Thanks the Majorca one looks like it could work….food for thought

OP - I stayed in a 3 bed apartment in that development where the majorca one is - it’s in a very lovely area- my favourite development and easy to walk to beach and town along the lovely pine walk - it’s not your typical middle of nowhere villa development

At that age I'd go AI. A villa is just the same shit in a different location. I love a peaceful villa holiday now my kids are old enough that they can swim (though I'm pregnant so here we go again) and we don't use kids clubs but I prefer a hotel so we don't have to think about cooking, washing up etc. The ideal is a one bedroom suite or family room in a hotel so we've got somewhere to sit and chat/have a glass of wine after the kids are in bed. Also I prefer a hotel with a la carte restaurants over a buffet.

This.

You will love it.

Majorca or Menorca (fairly short flights) and very family friendly.
X

All inclusive. Villa= you might as well be at home not a holiday