Hotel or Self Catering - What do you prefer?

[smudge]

Just wondering whether you & your families prefer Hotel or Self Catering holidays & why please?

If you prefer Hotels, do you prefer B&B or half board, etc.

(I preferred to post this here rather than travel, as I'm asking people for personal preferences of places to stay!).

[funkychicken]

Me and my family prefer self catering as its too much hassle going out for every meal, we get fed up and just want something simple or home cooked food (well its not technically home cooked but more the kinda stuff you have at home rather than in a restaurant) its also quite a bit cheaper. Even if we stay in a hotel we go to a local supermarket and have food like bread and cheese in our hotel room.

[hugoboss]

I like staying in hotels and having B&B option, cos i like to have my breakie cooked for me so i can just stumble downstairs in the morning, and not have to think about cooking. However, i like to have to option to go out for a meal at local restaurants in the evening, so would never go full board.

[Artful]

Self-catering. We find that way we are much more independant as in there is no timetable to stick to. And if we want to eat out, well, there is nothng to stop us.

[FP]

Definitely self-catering.  I love the freedom of doing what I like when I like. We don't actually cook though, we just have a huge continental breakfast with loads of lovely local treats and then eat out in the evening.  Also feel more relaxed in a self catering apartment than in a hotel.  Think also that it is much nicer for kids, although mine has long since grown up.  The self catering apartments we have stayed in have all had a cleaning and bed making service as well, with clean towels everyday - best of both worlds!

[Jules001]

I'm with FP on this one, we always go self catering, we like the freedom of being able to get up and do what we like, when we like, without worrying about 'missing ' breakfast etc . We normally eat out in the evenings and if we don't actually go out then it is a B-B-Que and then hubby cooks .

[natalie_1982]

I would say when I was younger (16-19) I preferred Full Board Hotels as I was a spend freak and would have probably starved the second week having spent all my money on beer in the first.  However, since being with my fella we have found that self-catering is best for us as he never eats brekkie but has a big lunch, and I always have breakfast but rarely eat lunch so it suits us both!

[Dom Tuk]

Definetly half board for our family of 2+2 kids. I book only 4 star hotels and usually the food in these places is quite good ie breakfast and dinner. I like to eat food that i would not normally eat at home. Besides i am on holiday to get away from home cooking and washing dishes etc.I dont want my holiday to be like I am at home. As for time restraints....with kids we are up by 8.00 am on holiday and the dinner is usually available until 10.00 pm. For lunch we always eat out and mix it with sandwich type eat as  you go or sit down meals depending upon how the kids feel.

[Little Lady]

I have done both and like both LOL. Depends what sort of holiday you want i guess, i like self catering as it gives you the freedom to do what you like and i hate having to get up early to make breakfast if i am on my hols. I did go half board a couple of years ago with my partner at the time and the food in the evening was not very nice at all so we wasted money there, so i dont think i will bother with that although it was nice to have breakfast ready, again i don't like to emerge to early. They should do all morning breakfast i say LOL! So i would say i like self catering more after all that Hee Hee!

[trionam]

I agree Hugoboss on this I Love the comfort of a hotel but like to try a new restuarant every night, I went all inclusive in ibiza when i was younger it ended up costing a fortune as the food was muck so we had to pay for meals out as well.

[Philtaz]

B & B in a hotel usually, though roughly 3 or 4 nights out of 7 we use the option of booking an evening meal in the hotel, depending on whether we've had a long day or been on a day trip/excursion.

[oxeyedaisy]

self catering as i am picky with food and hate breakfast..and i am a really good cook so if the food isnt to my standards i wont eat it..last time we stayed in a hotel we had paid for our food but still ended up eating out..so we paid twice..last time we went away we rented a bread mill in north wales it was 3 miles from a shop and in the middle of nowhere it was fabulouse and we had acres of land so the dog amused himself..and their was every mod con including 2 bbqs and a games room the farmers wife even left us a fridge full of wine and fruit and other goodies..it was a lot better than being in a hotel..

[Ouisch]

Cooking or preparing meals is not my idea of a vacation or holiday.  That's why I'm leaving home for a while, to get away from the drudgery of everyday chores.

[silly moo]

Used to be self catering when children were young - less hassle all round. In fact we went camping usually when very young.
Now prefer to have to do NO cooking or cleaning whatsoever. Either B&B or HB depending on finances etc.
Convenient if booking late to go HB.

[jbarltrop]

Definitely self catering.  Complete freedom as to when, where and what you eat, whether you cook or eat out.  Not the same old people, same old dining room and possibly same old mass prodcued, or even worse, buffet  food every day at set times. Not to mention the fridge for your own wine and ice for G&T rather than hotel restaurant prices!  And the extra space rather than a cramped hotel room.

Jules, Yorkshire

[snoteater]

This is chat surely?!

[smudge]

Well you know where the 'REPORT' button is!