5 advantages and disadvantages of a self catering holiday

5 advantages and disadvantages of a self catering holiday

We have been home from holiday for nearly 2 weeks and I have got the serious holiday blues! I have spent a lot of time looking through all our holiday snaps and reflecting on our week in Majorca.

As soon as we decided we were going on holiday, Oli and I immediately agreed we didn’t want to stay in a hotel and we wanted to go self catering. We wanted to have the evenings to ourselves and have lots of space so we decided to rent an appartment for the week. We had an amazing week (read all about it here) and I definitely feel we made the right decision but there were a few moments where I wished we  were in a hotel, only a few though!

self catering holiday

5 advantages and disadvantages to a self catering appartment holiday.

Advantages


1. You have lots of space. Instead of the three of us being cooped up in a hotel room we had 2 bedrooms, a living room, a bathroom and a balcony. This was great as we had the pram and 2 massive suitcases and it was nice because it felt more like home.

2.  Food. Yes all inclusive is amazing but when you have got a fussy eater on your hands it’s nice to know you can cook food you know they are definitely going to eat. Also, any meal time tantrums (they happen a lot) can take place away from other people trying to enjoy their holiday!

3. Relaxing evenings. On the first night of our holiday we all shared a bedroom in a Premier Inn and it was HELL! Staying in a 2 bedroom appartment meant we were able to put Leo to bed in his room and not be forced to sit in the dark or whisper on the balcony. We could spend our evenings making cocktails in the kitchen, watching T.V in the living room, chatting and laughing on the balcony before retiring to our own bedroom for the night.

4. No need to change the routine. Having your own house and not just a room means you can do things you would normally do at home. Leo loved being able to get up with me in the morning and play and watch Cbeebies and I didn’t have to worry about waking Oli up. You can still put baby to bed like normal and spend your evenings doing whatever you want.

5. No dirty clothes. We had a washing machine in our appartment so on the last day we washed all our clothes, one less thing for us to do when we got home.

Disadvantages

1. No entertainment. We had an amazing time and made our own fun but when you stay in a hotel there is normally a lot more going on. We missed out on evening music entertainment and Leo could have got involved in kids clubs if we had been in a hotel.

2. Cooking and washing up. If was great that we could make food Leo likes at the times he would normally eat but actually cooking it and washing the dishes was a bit of a pain.

3. No housekeeping. In a hotel you can leave towels all over the floor, the bed a mess in the morning and by the time you get back a lovely maid has come and tidied everything up for you. While staying in an appartment you are the maid, just like at home then really!

4. Harder to make holiday friends. As you’re not eating in the same restaurant or drinking in the bar or hanging aroung the same pool as other holidaymakers it is hard to get to know other tourists. We stayed in a block of appartments that were mostly homes to Spanish people and it was mostly Spanish children playing in the pool, sometimes I felt like I was intruding in their home.

5. Fire alarms. This might have just been our appartment and could happen in a hotel too. It went off a lot though and it was loud!

Have you been on a self catering holiday? Do you have any pros and cons to add to this list?

If you enjoyed reading this post you may also like to read..

Our first family holiday in Majorca

Our camping holiday in Somerset

A trip to Centre Parcs

How to plan your family summer holiday

 

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Want to know if a self catering holiday is the right choice for your family summer holiday? Here I have put together a list of 5 pros and cons to going self catered. www.naptimenatter.com

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6 Comments

  1. August 6, 2015 / 3:27 pm

    looks like you had a lovely time. We usually do self catering but like you I occassionally want the luxury of someone else cooking and cleaning up! great post #brilliantblogposts

  2. August 6, 2015 / 6:20 pm

    I think you've got the pro's and cons sewn up. I enjoy both kinds of holidays, for different reasons. I think it depends what you need at the time. We have just booked an all inclusive, because I don't want to worry about the dishes and cooking food. Next time round, I might think the space will suit us better. So glad you had a good time though, that's what really matters #brilliantblogposts

  3. August 8, 2015 / 9:18 pm

    We had a fab time thanks. Yes, luxury is definitely needed sometimes xx

  4. August 8, 2015 / 9:21 pm

    I'm thinking all inclusive next year, Leo will be older then and will hopefully will be ok staying up later and sleeping in a room with us. It would be nice not having to do any cleaning. Have an amazing holiday!xx

  5. July 20, 2018 / 10:58 am

    Thinking of what to cook is no more a problem Just Let your Caterer know what menu you would like to offer your guests.

  6. July 17, 2019 / 4:15 pm

    I liked that you said that self-catering is one great way to enjoy a relaxing holiday. I would imagine that this would allow you to focus more on your family. I would be sure to use self-catering so that I could spend more time with my family and enjoy my holiday.