If you book your holiday DIY style, you might find the most confusing part of the whole thing is picking a hotel. Why? Too much choice!
I always find the flight and transfer part easy, and when I’ve done that I get my airport parking booked too, so a) I don’t forget it, and b) I get the best deal. I head over to ParkBCP and sort that out, then I know how much I have to play with for my accommodation. I’d certainly recommend you sort out your travel logistics early on in the game, because like my reasons, you know how much you’re spending, but also the earlier you do it, you usually get it cheaper on the whole. I regularly book Maple Manor Meet and Greet at Gatwick, I have always saved money and by doing meet and greet I cut out the stress of parking and getting transfer buses – It’s the perfect way to arrive at the airport?
Once I know how much this is all costing me, I can put some serious thought into my hotel quandary.
I guess the first thing to consider is your board basis; do you want to go all inclusive, which is a great choice for family travel, or do you like to get out about, in which case bed and breakfast or self-catering is the way to go. If you want to cook your own food from time to time, then a self-catering apartment is for you.
I usually book self-catering, not because I want to cook, but because I want to get out and try different restaurants, with the fall back of having a fridge and kettle etc in my room. I like the freedom this gives me too, and more space as a general rule.
Once you’ve sorted out your board basis, you can whittle down your choices from there. The next important factor is location. If it’s a new destination then your best bet is to stay central, but not too close to the party sections of your resort. Head to Trip Advisor for honest reviews, but do pay only a little attention to most of them, as everyone’s opinion is different! Where location is concerned however, you’ll get a general idea.
Next up is facilities. Do you want a huge swimming pool, or would you rather head down to the beach? Hotels with lots of facilities do tend to be more expensive, but this does give you more scope in terms of things to do around your hotel if you don’t fancy venturing out one particular day. I like a swimming pool, but not a huge one with water-slides, because they’re busier and louder, when I want to chill out.
It’s all about your personal choice and opinion.
Write yourself a list of things that you won’t budge on, such as cost, board basis, location, bar facilities etc, and don’t move from them. Then work in the other extras where you can, such as a pool or wifi access. You’ll soon find your choice is between two or three, and you can hit and hope if needs be!
The question is this, at the end of the day, do you want your hotel to be a base to lay your head, or a base to enjoy yourself?
