Perfect Holiday Home??!!

[Big Sis..]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel ... t=0&page=1

Here are the most important things that the Harvey family - mum, dad, two boys aged four and five - cannot do without when planning an apartment holiday.

There must be two bedrooms.

Sleeping in the same room as the children has always been a real cramp to the holiday, effectively ending the grown-ups' day at 8pm.

There must be floor space (in the bedroom or living area) for the boys to play.

There is nothing worse than being forced out into the rain/town/restaurant because you can't stand another minute cooped up on top of each other in the apartment.

There should be a swimming pool or a beach within easy walking distance.

There should be baby-sitting available.

There should be a well-supplied kitchen and a decent supermarket within easy driving distance.

[Partridge]

Well that kept me entertained for some time Ros. Following various links it looks like 'upmarket' self catering is growing considerably......now where can I hire a Spanish concierge/cook/masseuse

[Christine Kenyon]

Hi, Big Sis and thanks for sharing the thoughts of the Harvey family on what they need from their holiday home.

Here's my thoughts (and I've no kids so they're probably not valid!!):

* Not sure that many cottages can offer baby sitting. We're fortunate that our neighbour is now a trained child minder and offers baby sitting services. No-one has yet taken her up on this .

* Surprised that there isn't any mention of a garden or enclosed play area. From our enquiries, that seems to be more important than a nearby swimming pool or beach (and we do have a lake within 5 minutes' walk .... who said it's b***dy cold!).

* No mention of towels ... despite all the LMH debates .

* Even with only two children, many parents seem to want three bedrooms. And I don't think that means one each for the parents!

* Do they mean well-supplied kitchen or well-equipped kitchen, I wonder? I think folk sometimes forget that we are offering "self catering". Our nearest supermarket is over 30 minutes' drive away, but we have three wonderful local shops who supply wonderful goodies such as home made bread, local meats, superb range of beers and wines ... what more do you want?

Happy hols

[Partridge]

what more do you want?

Quite a lot it would seem http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel ... 700272.ece

[Giddy Goat]

Liked this bit Party:

The British preference for private holiday space has spawned a huge self-catering industry, but one that doesn’t always deliver. Too often, your average cottage rental can prove a protracted exercise in figuring out the eccentricities of how somebody else’s house works, not least getting into it in the first place: the key under the mat (eventually located under a flower pot); the unfathomable instructions on how to work the hot water; the aged plastic folder containing fliers for dubious local attractions; and the phone number for a woman who “might be available to baby-sit”.

All part of the fun, some might say, and for a moment I actually missed those time-honoured rigmaroles. But I soon got over it. Who needs misplaced nostalgia when there’s a kitchen that’s been equipped down to the last utensil? (And try telling me you’ve never puréed through a colander, served salad in a saucepan or resorted to some other makeshift classic of self-catering.) What chance eccentric charm when you have bathrooms with pond-sized baths, CD players, fluffy towels and power showers with unlimited hot water, and a widescreen TV in the sitting room, with every last children’s, sport and movie channel?

[Musetta]

what in the WORLD kind of parents leave their CHIDREN ALONE with only a baby monitor while they enjoy dinner OUT????!!! I'm also suprised at the babysitting wanted - who actually leaves their CHILDREN with a TOTAL stranger on holidays (unless it is an organised, resort-type program)! I was shocked actually at the ignorance. (and, therefore, I kind of ignored all their other "wants" too)

[Alan Knighting]

what in the WORLD kind of parents leave their CHIDREN ALONE with only a baby monitor while they enjoy dinner OUT????!!!

Bearing in mind the international publicity surrounding the McCann case I’m amazed that you don’t know the answer. The mother is a general practitioner and the father is a cardiologist and yet they left three very young children without even a baby monitor while they enjoyed having dinner out. The answer to your question about what kind of parent does this sort of thing is patently obvious – it’s irresponsible parents who leave their children unattended.

I think I am stating the obvious but if people want to fight with me about parental responsibilities then so be it.

Alan