by Duncan
Anyone who goes on vacation will be faced with two main options to consider with regards to food. Do you choose catered accommodation or self-catered. The choice may be easy for some, but for others it deserves more consideration. Here are some of the key points to consider before you make a booking.
Budget
If you are expecting food with your accommodation, you should also be expecting to hand over more dosh than if you source your own grub. The cost of including food does however vary tremendously between hotels and if you hunt around, you can often find some bargains. Hotels often subsidise the cost of adding food as they want to secure your room booking above all else. Having said this, if you plan your self catering well, there is no doubt that you can save a small fortune. Some holiday villas for example will come complete with a kitchen where you can prepare your own food of an evening and make a nice packed lunch whilst you’re out enjoying yourself.
You may however choose to eat at restaurants rather than make your own meals, and in this case it’s unlikely that you’ll save much money over the catered option. Something else to consider is that you will likely have to fork out for transport to and from restaurants, which can soon add up if you’re staying somewhere out of town.
Time
There is no doubt that catered accommodation is convenient. You don’t have to waste time in the morning making your meals for the day, or hunting around for somewhere to get your morning omelet or pancakes. Additionally, it is very easy to secure a reservation at a hotel restaurant so you won’t be worrying come dinner time about losing the last table in a local eatery to someone who claims to be “big in Hollywood.”
Having said this, there is not always the option of a packed lunch from catered accommodation choices, so you might find that you can never venture too far from your base in order to make it back for each meal. This can be a real drag and cause havoc with your time allowance.
Enjoyment
Whether the catered or self catered option is more enjoyable really depends on myriad factors. For example, a hotel might have a Michelin rated chef working in their restaurant and likewise might showcase different world-class entertainment each evening for dinner’s pleasure. Alternatively they may offer the same meal each day and have an amateur guitar player reciting ‘Lady in Red’ on loop, in the wrong key.
When it comes to enjoyment then you really have to ask yourself whether you’ll like eating at the same place every day, or you’re more adventurous and want to sample a few places around town. It also pays to do your research on the hotel to find out what kind of food is on offer and even how many restaurants there are at a particular resort. You may also want to research local restaurants before you book as you may be missing out on a gem by choosing catered accommodation.
The other consideration is that you might really enjoy cooking and if your accommodation provides cooking facilities, it can be great fun to try your hand at some local delicacies.
As a last piece of advice, hotels often offer an upgrade facility whereby you can change from self-catered to catered accommodation if you wish, even after you have arrived. Always check with the hotel first, but if they do allow this it can be a great way to get the best of both worlds.
BIO: Duncan is a traveler and travel writer working for a villas in France operator in the UK. He has visited countries all over the world, but still has many more to see.
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