There was a time when booking a hotel was simply what you did when you went on holiday. Then came the rise of Airbnb, holiday apartments and short-term rentals, and suddenly having your own kitchen, washing machine and living room became part of the holiday dream.
For families especially, an apartment can seem like the obvious choice. You can cook your own meals, spread out, put the children to bed in a separate room and, quite often, get more physical space for your money.
But there is another way of looking at it.
The things that make a hotel more expensive can also be exactly what makes it feel like a holiday.
Someone else makes the bed. Someone else cleans the bathroom. There might be breakfast downstairs, a swimming pool, a bar, room service, a concierge and somewhere to sit that isn't the same sofa you've been sitting on all week.
If you're going to spend the extra money on a hotel, the trick is to actually use the hotel.
The hotel itself is part of the holiday
One of the biggest advantages of staying in a hotel is that you don't necessarily have to leave it all day.
This sounds obvious, but many people book a lovely hotel and then spend every waking hour sightseeing.
Of course, exploring your destination is part of the fun. But a hotel can also give you somewhere to retreat to when everyone has had enough.
A pool, garden, terrace, rooftop, spa, lounge or even just a comfortable hotel bar can become part of your holiday experience.
Instead of thinking of your hotel as somewhere you sleep, think of it as one of the places you're visiting.
Don't underestimate the luxury of doing nothing
One of the underrated pleasures of a hotel is not having domestic jobs to do.
At home there is always something.
The dishwasher needs emptying. Someone has left a towel on the floor. The bins need taking out. There is food in the fridge that needs using.
In a hotel, the bed can remain completely unmade.
And then, somehow, someone makes it.
There is something wonderfully decadent about leaving your room in the morning looking like a disaster and returning to find it magically transformed.
Let yourself enjoy it.
You paid for the cleaning, so don't feel guilty about benefiting from it.
Take advantage of breakfast
Hotel breakfast is one of those things that can feel expensive until you realise how much more than food you're actually buying. There is a retro beauty in the hotel buffet breakfast only at a hotel!
There is no shopping.
No deciding what everyone wants.
No washing up.
No trying to find a supermarket in an unfamiliar town.
And, most importantly, no making breakfast.
A good hotel breakfast can also set you up for the day. Have fruit, yoghurt, eggs, toast, cereal or whatever you enjoy. Fill your water bottle before heading out and perhaps grab a coffee for the journey.
If breakfast is included in your room rate, make the most of it.
If it isn't, compare the price with what you'd spend going out for breakfast every morning. Sometimes the convenience is worth paying for; sometimes a local café will be better value.
Use the facilities you've paid for
This is perhaps the biggest hotel mistake.
You pay extra for a swimming pool, gym, sauna, rooftop terrace or spa — and then never use it.
If your hotel has facilities, build them into your holiday.
Go for a swim before breakfast.
Spend an hour by the pool in the afternoon.
Have a drink on the terrace before dinner.
Book the sauna.
Take a bath.
Read a book in the hotel lounge.
You don't have to use every facility simply because it exists, but if there's something you would normally pay separately to experience, take advantage of it.
Make the room your base
A hotel room doesn't have to be somewhere you collapse into at midnight.
Make it comfortable.
Unpack your clothes rather than living out of a suitcase. Put toiletries where you can easily find them. Open the curtains. Make yourself a cup of tea or coffee. Put your book beside the bed.
If there is a balcony, use it.
If there's a particularly good view, spend five minutes actually looking at it.
It sounds ridiculously simple, but these little things can make the room feel like your temporary home, rather than a place where you've dumped your luggage.
Order room service at least once
Room service is one of those things people often talk themselves out of because it feels unnecessarily expensive.
But holidays are about doing things you don't normally do.
You don't need to order room service every night. Try it once.
There is something particularly lovely about eating dinner in your room, especially if you're tired after a day of sightseeing.
Put on your pyjamas, order something delicious and eat it in bed while watching television.
It may cost more than getting takeaway, but you're paying for the experience as well as the food.
Have a drink at the hotel bar
Even if you aren't normally a hotel-bar person, try it once.
A hotel bar can be a surprisingly good place to end the day.
You don't have to find somewhere else.
You don't have to work out how to get home.
You can sit somewhere comfortable, have a drink and watch the world go by.
And if you're travelling with children, taking turns with another adult can mean everyone gets a little bit of downtime.
Ask the staff
Hotels have something Airbnb often doesn't: people whose job it is to help you enjoy the destination.
Ask the receptionist where they would eat.
Ask what neighbourhood is worth exploring.
Ask whether there is a quieter time to use the pool.
Ask about local events.
Ask how to get somewhere.
Good hotel staff can have a wealth of local knowledge, and you might get a much better recommendation by simply asking a person than by scrolling through hundreds of online reviews.
Take advantage of early check-in and late check-out
If your hotel offers early check-in or late check-out, use it.
Even if you can't get into the room early, many hotels will look after your luggage while you explore.
The same applies on departure day.
There is nothing worse than checking out at 11am when your flight isn't until 8pm and suddenly having to carry your bags around all day.
If late check-out is available for a reasonable fee, it can sometimes be worth paying for.
It can turn the final day from a logistical nuisance into an extra half-day of holiday.
Don't feel that you have to eat out for every meal
Interestingly, staying in a hotel doesn't mean you have to eat every meal in a restaurant.
You can pick up fruit, pastries, cheese, sandwiches or other snacks from a local shop and keep them in your room.
A simple picnic lunch can be much more enjoyable — and considerably cheaper — than a restaurant.
The difference is that you're choosing when to spend money rather than automatically spending it because you're on holiday.
Make use of the location
Hotels are often particularly good for city breaks because they tend to be located in central areas.
That can be worth paying for.
If you're close enough to walk to attractions, restaurants, shops and public transport, you can save time and potentially money on taxis.
You can also return to the hotel during the day.
This is particularly useful with children — or simply when you're tired.
A central hotel means you can go sightseeing in the morning, return for a rest, then head out again in the evening.
Think about what you're actually paying for
When comparing a £100-a-night Airbnb with a £180-a-night hotel, it's tempting to think:
“The hotel is £80 more expensive.”
But that's not necessarily the whole picture.
The Airbnb might require cleaning fees, service fees, transport from a less central location, supermarket shopping, breakfast purchases and time spent cooking and cleaning.
The hotel price may include breakfast, cleaning, facilities, Wi-Fi, luggage storage and a convenient location.
It won't always work out cheaper — but it's worth comparing the total holiday cost, rather than just the nightly rate.
Hotels can be especially good for short holidays
The longer you stay, the more appealing a kitchen and extra living space can become.
But for a two- or three-night break, a hotel can make an enormous amount of sense.
You don't have to stock a kitchen.
You don't have to work out the rubbish and recycling system.
You don't have to clean before leaving.
You don't have to worry about buying washing-up liquid, toilet roll or dishwasher tablets.
You arrive, unpack and start your holiday.
For a short break, that simplicity can be worth quite a lot.
Choose a hotel that gives you something you can't easily recreate
If you're going to spend more, make the extra money count.
Instead of choosing the cheapest possible hotel, think about what you actually want from the experience.
Perhaps it's:
- A fantastic location
- A swimming pool
- A sea view
- A rooftop terrace
- An amazing breakfast
- A beautiful historic building
- A spa
- A garden
- A family-friendly room
- A spectacular view
- A particularly comfortable bed
You don't necessarily need all of these.
Choose one or two things that will make the stay memorable.
A basic hotel in an extraordinary location can sometimes be more enjoyable than a luxury hotel on the outskirts of town.
## The real luxury is having fewer decisions
Perhaps the biggest advantage of a hotel is something we don't always put a price on: convenience.
On holiday, you're already making hundreds of small decisions.
Where should we eat?
What time should we leave?
Where can we buy breakfast?
How do we get there?
Should we cook tonight?
Where are the towels?
Who is going to wash up?
A hotel removes some of those decisions.
And that's valuable.
A holiday doesn't necessarily need to be more luxurious to feel better. Sometimes it simply needs to be easier.
## How to get your money's worth from a hotel
Before booking, check exactly what you're getting.
Look at:
What's included: breakfast, Wi-Fi, parking, pool access and other facilities.
The location: calculate how much time and money you'll spend getting around.
The room: a slightly larger room may make a huge difference, particularly with children.
The facilities: don't pay extra for a pool if you're unlikely to use it.
The extras: check whether resort fees, parking or breakfast are additional.
The check-in/check-out times: these can make a surprising difference to a short break.
Then, once you're there, actually use what you've paid for.
Have the breakfast.
Swim in the pool.
Sit in the garden.
Order the coffee.
Leave the towels on the bathroom floor.
Take the late checkout.
Enjoy the room.
And, occasionally, stay in for the evening.
## The hotel holiday is making a comeback
Perhaps the appeal of Airbnb was partly that hotels had started to feel too formal, expensive and impersonal.
But after years of treating every holiday like a temporary version of ordinary life — shopping for groceries, cooking dinner, washing dishes and taking the bins out — there is something rather appealing about going back to the old-fashioned hotel holiday.
Someone else makes breakfast.
Someone else cleans the room.
Someone else changes the towels.
You don't have to know where the fuse box is.
You don't have to decipher the instructions for the heating.
You don't have to worry about whether you've left the washing machine running.
You just walk through the door and you're on holiday.
And perhaps that's what you're paying for.
### Final thought
Airbnb and holiday apartments can be brilliant, particularly for larger families and longer stays. But hotels offer something that can be difficult to put a price on: the feeling of being looked after.
So next time you find yourself comparing a hotel with an Airbnb and wondering why the hotel costs more, don't just ask what you're getting in terms of square metres and beds.
Ask yourself:
How much is it worth to not have to do anything?
Sometimes, that's the best part of the holiday.
