7 reasons why we love Villa Holidays
Since becoming parents we have been on at least one Villa holiday a year, sometimes more, and we love them. Why do we love them so much? Check out 7 reasons why we love Villa holidays here!
1. Space
An obvious one really, but when you book a Villa you inevitably have much more space than in a hotel. Even suites in hotels (at least the ones we can afford) never match up to the size of the Villas in the same price range.
We have often found that for the same price as a hotel room, we get a bedroom each, a living room, kitchen and dining area, private pool and outdoor space. And occasionally much much more!
This means the children have their own bedrooms and can go to bed at a reasonable time, leaving us the evening to enjoy in the living room or out on the terrace. In a hotel we find we’re all stuck in one room together and this forces our evening to end when the children go to bed.
2. Cost
The value for money with a villa is fantastic. Even more so if a group of you go and split the cost. In fact, some of our cheapest, yet most luxurious holidays have been in Villas with extended family.
Check out some of these villas that we’ve stayed in over recent years.
3. Privacy
A big one for me in particular, is privacy. As well as space you get a private pool and often we are in the middle of nowhere with no one around. This is particularly appreciated when the kids are screaming in the pool! But I also like the freedom to come and go from the villa to the pool as we please, with no one over looking us.
It also means one of us can watch a child in the pool, whilst the other is doing something else but we’re all still near each other.
4. Luxury
As mentioned above, the luxury we can afford with a Villa far surpasses the luxury we can afford in a hotel. Yes that is because the villa wouldn’t generally have the other facilities like a a spa (although we’ve stayed in a few with Saunas!) and onsite restaurants but the other benefits offset this for us.
We’ve stayed in Villas that have private Cinemas, play areas, pools, numerous seating areas and some of the most beautiful views we’ve ever seen. We’ve often had private chefs come to cook for us (some of the tastiest meals ever!) and occasionally a spread of food available for us on arrival.
5. Freedom
With a villa there is no rules as to when you eat or what you eat. You can eat in as often as you want, at any time of day and as you’ve paid for no ‘in house’ meals you can eat out at restaurants as often as you want to.
As hiring a villa generally means you’ve got your own car, this affords you the opportunity and freedom to go off and explore the area around you.
6. Variety
No two villas are ever the same. We have stayed in a huge variety. Some big, some small, some insanely luxurious, some more rustic. But it’s always been a great experience.
7. Kitchen Facilities
It sounds a bit dull but having kitchen facilities when you have young children has been a huge help for us. Whether that be so we can easily store milk, rustle up snacks at a drop of a hat (kids need that facility right!) or give them a quick dinner before bed. We have really appreciated these facilities and in fact, it’s probably the main reason we opt for villas over hotels.
Let’s be realistic – are there any downsides?
Yes! Of course there are some things Hotels do better than Villas. For example:
- Daily housekeeping – a big one for me as it feels so luxurious. Having someone clean for you is a bit benefit of Hotels. We have had it occasionally in Villas and that really is bliss!
- Choice of Pools and Restaurants available – the variety of where to splash and where to eat is often vast at hotels, if this is your thing – Hotels are for you.
- Evening entertainment – most Hotels put on a wide range of evening entertainment and guests can spend time at the bar enjoying these.
- Waited on hand and foot – you don’t have to lift a finger at a hotel if you don’t want to, all inclusive provides everything for you and you don’t need to leave the premises. Pure luxury.
Is there a best of both Worlds?
Yes! Occasionally we have stayed in Resorts, such as Martinhal Sagres, that has duplex apartments and all the bonuses of a Hotel. We didn’t have a private pool but we went during off season so the resort pools were fairly quiet.
There are a number of resorts like this, particularly in Europe and if you’re lucky you can get it for a reasonable price.
Where do we book our Villa holidays?
Usually for large Villas we go for HomeAway – they are exceptional.
For smaller apartments and Villas we tend to use AirBnb – we have stayed in some stunning places from this website.
Conclusion
As you can see from these 7 reasons why we love Villa holidays that there’s lot of pro’s to holidaying in this way. But there are also things you miss out on – it really does depend on what you want from a holiday.
We really love Villas for all they provide, and until the girls are a bit older and can really appreciate all that a hotel has to offer, then a Villa will always be our top choice.
