When choosing a family-friendly holiday, all-inclusive packages are tempting, particularly on hotel resorts that are offering the works. For families, a holiday with no meals to prepare and entertainment on tap seems like the perfect option to keep peace and harmony. However, you shouldn’t write off self-catering accommodation just yet.

Self-catering options such as luxury serviced apartments, holiday villas, or cottages may seem like more effort, but they do provide things that all-inclusive hotel stays just can’t.

Benefits of self-catering

We’ve highlighted some of the core benefits of going self-catered below:

Privacy

Privacy is one thing that really makes self-catering holidays worth it. A serviced apartment or villa allows all the family to come together for mealtime and games nights, meaning you are still having fun but are also having quality family time without hundreds of other holiday makers around you.

Self-catered accommodation gives you the privacy you need as a family, but still offers the freedom to go out for dinner or go out and explore or try new activities during your holiday.

Added flexibility

From a practical viewpoint, self-catering offers more flexibility as you aren’t having to stick to specific times when meals are available. This can dampen plans, with your mind always thinking about what time you need to be up or back at the hotel to make sure you can eat.

Plus, if your children are fussy then you may spend more time encouraging them to eat unfamiliar food from the hotel buffet and may not even get value for money.

Cost-control

When you go self-catered you may think that you will waste a lot of money, but in reality it can be just as cost-effective as going all-inclusive and can actually work out cheaper!

The benefit of self-catered is that no matter where you are there is going to be a supermarket somewhere. So you can create a list, set a budget and get off to the super market as you would at home.

Many people that go all-inclusive actually end up going on day trips and eating out at restaurants for lunch or dinner, which effectively lessens the cost-effectiveness of choosing all-inclusive anyway! There are also often drinks or snacks that you or the children may be tempted by that aren’t actually included in the offering.

Self-catering gives you the ability to do cater for your family’s wants and needs, at your own pace, so it is worth remembering that is isn’t necessarily an option that is any more hard work or more costly.