What are your family's holiday non-negotiables? Win a £200 voucher

[EllieSmumsnet]

Every family has certain things they look for when booking a holiday, whether that's a brilliant kids' club, a splash pool, an easy walk to the beach, short flight times or simply staying within budget.

We'd love to know what are your family's holiday non-negotiables? What features, facilities or little extras help you choose the right holiday, and what makes a trip feel like a great fit for your family?

• Share your must-haves and tips in the thread below by 01/07 to be entered into a prize draw.
• One lucky contributor will receive a £200 VEX voucher for a store of their choice.
• Don’t forget to vote in our poll below.

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw!

MNHQ

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When I think about my family as a whole, non-negotiable has to be areas to explore or do window shopping at. There has to be something for everyone, including a variety of food. Depending on how close the country is, the flight times also have to be worth it, especially since we don't want to miss any extra time that could be spent elsewhere.

Having plenty of crockery and cutlery items in the kitchen. I hate arriving to find 6 bowls, 6 plates, 6 spoons, 6 knives, 6 glasses - end up having to wash up after every meal or snack!

Easy access to places to go by public transport. I don't want to spend the whole holiday near the hotel, I want to go sightseeing.

For me there's always a few things that are must haves, flight times are very important as I dont have the patience for longhaul flights anymore. Also distance of the hotel from the airport, cant be more than an hour and a half away.
Food reviews at the hotel are also important especially if we're going all inclusive.
And distance of the beach from the hotel is another big factor.

Clean !

Clean accommodation at least as comfortable as our own home if not more luxurious.
Decent flight times, I am beyond being exhausted to save a few pounds.
Safe - we research as thoroughly as we can and appreciate a personal recommendation.

I always look for accommodation with at least two rooms. I don’t want to have to go to bed when the kids do.

Also food options are important. If eating on resort we want a mixture of local food but also some home comforts if the kids are feeling a bit fussy and unsure.

Adults only
Decemt food and a good selection of wine, not just from a tap.
plenty of comfortable sun loungers which
A couple of pools
Air Con in rooms
Fridge in rooms
Away from busy roads
Close to beach
Close to a nice local town for meals out and wandering round.
Extra pillows - can’t sleep with just one!
No overbearing staff, just returned from Morocco where the team, as lovely as they were, were pressured by management to be interacting with guest all day. It became intrusive but wasn’t really their fault as managers were actually standing around observing.

I always start with location. A luxury hotel that’s miles from anywhere is a no from me, however good the facilities. I want to be able to walk to a good selection of restaurants for dinner, ideally clustered around a pretty harbour. I’ll take a 3 star in the right location over a 4 star in the wrong place every time.

The hotel itself needs to be clean and comfortable with enough sun loungers to enjoy the pool and nearby access to a beach. Other than that
• Proper size beds and enough pillows.
• A decent breakfast, that includes fresh fruit, and good bread, not just cheap fry up ingredients.
• Comfortable beds, with air conditioning included, not as an extra.
• A fridge to keep drinks cool.
• A bathroom door that isn’t see through. Spain, I’m looking at you.
• Hot water in the early evenings when everyone is trying to shower.
• When DC were small a play park area in the shade was always a good idea when they’d had too much sun.
• Regular maid service, with linen and towel changes - this is definitely on the decline.

No music blaring out by the pool! Why oh why do places do that? No guests seem to like it.

Large room with a proper bed for everyone. A balcony with a sea view. Sunshine, lots of glorious sunshine please!

Child free

A king sized bed! Also much prefer private accommodation so we can have our own space to sleep/chill/cook. Find that this works much better for us as we often travel with extended family.

A pool. Ideally water slides. Somewhere for us to sit and watch while the kids are in the water.

Beds for everyone and a separate room for the kids

Flexible sleeping arrangements. Due to snoring and very poor sleep our family needs options to sleep in different spaces.