In a nutshell, self-catering is ‘the action of staying in accommodation with facilities to cook one’s own meals’, but have you ever thought about this way of holidaying as a luxury? No? Then you’ll want to read on – from more freedom and total privacy to oodles of space, it offers so much more than the average hotel room…
1. Freedom
Self-catering holidays offer freedom that you just don’t get with a hotel.
Eat what you want, where you want, when you want!
There are no set or restricted meal times, so you can eat whenever you want and take things at your own pace – and that’s just want you want on holiday, right? If you want to lie-in and eat breakfast in the middle of the day, you can!
It also means than you can spend less money on food if you wish to, by cooking and eating in – which for some people may well be preferable over dining in a crowded restaurant anyway, costs aside.
Whether inside or al fresco, enjoy a quiet, intimate meal with your loved one, a leisurely, relaxed supper with a group of friends or a sociable, memory-making lunch with the family – self-catering offers this all, with no interruptions #bliss.
Do all the cooking, share the cooking, have a cooking competition (pretend you’re on Come Dine with Me or MasterChef!), cook outside, cook inside, do your best Jamie Oliver impression with gourmet, locally-sourced or even self-foraged ingredients – the kitchen is your oyster (and you could cook them too!).
On the flip side, not only does a self-catering holiday mean you don’t feel tied to a hotel restaurant, it makes you get out and about and explore more, especially when it comes to food. Whether you stumble across a hidden café on the cliffs whilst out stomping the coast path or get dressed up and treat yourself to a slap-up meal at a Michelin restaurant, you’ll make holiday memories that you’ll treasure for years to come.
“Freedom is the oxygen of the soul” – Moshe Dayan
2. Privacy
With self-catering you get the whole place to yourselves, meaning total and utter privacy. And who doesn’t want to be left alone to enjoy their holiday…it’s a no-brainer.
Do what you want, when you want.
Come and go as you please, through your own private entrance, without worrying about bumping into fellow guests.
Lie-in for as long as you want, without being awkwardly interrupted by the maid.
Any additional facilities – i.e. a hot tub – will, more often than not, be yours and yours only to enjoy for as long as you want.
After all, we go on holiday to get-away-from-it-all and therefore privacy is oh-so-important for escaping from modern life and reconnecting with one another.
“Live life and stay low key. Privacy is everything” – Mansu Manwani
3. Space
A self-catering holiday property is a home-from-home, offering so much more than a hotel room, with all the facilities you could want, comfort to match that of your own home and plenty of space to spread out in.
It’s a great way to holiday with groups of family or friends, as the adults can watch TV or socialise in the evenings while the kids are either asleep in the bedroom(s) or hanging out in a separate space, all under the safety and security of one roof.
It’s wonderful for couples too, providing not only extra facilities but more space to spread out than your average hotel room.
Aside from a balcony, something you rarely get with a hotel room is outside space (e.g. a patio or garden), and a lot of self-catering properties offer this in abundance. Relax in the sun, cook up a storm on the barbecue, read a good book and play games with the kids until your heart’s content, all in the privacy of your own dedicated area.
The provision of more space, both inside and out, means that there are a lot more dog-friendly self-catering properties than there are hotels. After all, holidays just aren’t the same without our faithful four-legged friends and taking them along with you will save money on kennels or dog-sitters too. Rover will love exploring a new place, with plenty of space in which to roam around and lots of interesting smells to explore.
“In today’s life, luxury is time and space” – Harmon Okinyo
“Luxury must be comfortable, otherwise it is not luxury” – Coco Chanel
And, you’ll certainly be very comfortable in a self-catering property.
Katie Chown is Co-Creator of Where Oh Where. Where Oh Where is a new way of discovering your perfect place to stay in the UK, with luxury hideaways that go beyond glamping.
If you would like to be a guest blogger on A Luxury Travel Blogin order to raise your profile, please contact us.
