We have been on many family holidays and are always torn between booking a villa or a hotel. With the miserable weather outside and my current dreaming of sunnier climes, I thought I would put together a list of advantages to staying at a villa.

Exploring the James Villa holidays website, I came across lots of Villas in the Gran Canaria region. Gran Canaria offers beaches with an expanse of white sand and is architecturally rich with numerous cultural scenes. With the annual temperatures rarely going below 18 degrees across the Canary Islands it is a great place to visit all year round.

So if the pictures are not convincing enough, here are a few reasons to stay at a villa…

• Space – it is no fun, particularly if you have a large family, being squashed together in a couple of rooms and racing to get a chair by the pool is not a problem when you don’t have to share it with other holiday makers.

 

• Comfort – A villa is a real home away from home with all the amenities you would find in your own house, unfortunately this includes the washing up but most have a dishwasher to help you along with that.

 

• Self catering – this may be a negative for some but I love exploring the local supermarket when I go away and seeing the price difference compared to home is so amusing (I’m easily pleased) plus I want to eat when I’m hungry not when the hotel announces that it’s lunchtime. Eating out is great a few times but the cost soon adds up when you have a lot of mouths to feed so being able to cook is a great alternative.

 

• BBQ – Nothing gives you the feeling of being on holiday like a BBQ and most villas have a built in one accompanied by an outdoor dining space.

 

• Privacy – No need to feel self conscious in your bikini by the pool when you are the only one there! Also nobody likes to be interrupted from their afternoon nap by somebody paying a visit to change the sheets!

 

• Energy saving – It’s a short walk to the pool when it’s outside your back door and you don’t have to drag wet towels across holiday complexes when you’ve finished drying yourself off. You can also chose how close you want to be to the town centre or beach at your convenience.

 

• Security – I always worry about leaving my possessions poolside when I go for a swim but no need to hide your phone or other valuables inside your shoes while staying at a villa.

 

• Relaxing – You want to let your hair down on holiday and let the kids be themselves (which often means making noise) but you don’t want to worry about disturbing the room next door or in turn, having to listen to annoying neighbours through the walls. You don’t have to at a villa.

 

• Freedom – A holiday is the perfect time to forget about your daily routine so why follow one on holiday? If you want to go for a moonlight swim and eat your breakfast at lunchtime then why not?

 

• Economical – You are charged one rate rather than per person which can work out a lot cheaper for larger families and does not include a lot of the hidden costs that hotels have.

 

Well I think I have managed to convince myself that a villa is a great choice of holiday home, now I just have to find the flip flops!

Have you stayed in a villa before? What would you add to the list?

*Written in collaboration with James Villa holidays, all thoughts and opinions are my own