The perfect hotel doesn't exist
What one person considers a top hotel, may be a dreadful place for another to spend their holiday. There are a few things everyone agrees on: it should be safe, clean, have good beds, and it's nice if the staff is friendly and helpful.
However, when it comes to location, ambiance, and facilities, tastes vary widely. Personally, I prefer to stay close to the beach in a hotel or apartment with a lively atmosphere by the pool. The area should have lots of fun shops and cozy restaurants, so I can dive into the neon hustle and bustle in the evening. You won't find me at a picturesque hacienda in the middle of nowhere. I can't even imagine it. Yet, these are very popular spots.
Who are you travelling with?
The perfect hotel also varies depending on the company. A family with young children might choose a cozy all-inclusive hotel with a splash pad in the pool and a game room around the corner. If you're traveling without kids, a simple room in the city center might suffice. Or perhaps you opt for a super-luxurious hotel where brightly colored cocktails are brought to your lounge chair. In my opinion, the options for child-free holidays are more plentiful. For such trips, I never have much trouble finding something nice. For family holidays, I find it much more challenging.
The perfect holiday for families with children
As far as I'm concerned, this is the best hotel for families with young children: an aparthotel where all three-room apartments overlook the pool. The balconies have a view of the stage where very professional evening shows are performed. When the kids are in bed, you can enjoy a drink on your own balcony. There's a large pool where fun games are organized several times a day for both young and old, and a separate pool with a few water slides. If you're staying all inclusive, you can grab ice cream, nuts, and chips all day long. In the evening, there's fries, pizza, and at least once a week, there are fajitas. Everything is within walking distance and reserving sunbeds is strictly forbidden!
Enjoying your balcony during holiday
A few holiday spots came very close to perfection. But there are also quite a few hotels where I wonder what the designer was thinking. Balconies that are so close to each other that you have zero privacy. You want to enjoy a glass of wine in the lounge, but the light is so bright that you prefer to stay there as briefly as possible. A kitchen where the utensils are in the broom closet, a mirror with a point sticking out in the middle of the room, a showerhead you can't hang up... And then there's always that eternal toilet paper roll hanging behind you when you're on the toilet, so you go home with half a hernia by the end of your stay.
Cool! The trendy bathroom
The above is all bearable when you consider that more and more hotels are joining the latest trend: the trendy, open bathroom. Why would anyone choose to lay their head on a pillow right next to the toilet bowl? Or to look into the bedroom while showering in their birthday suit? Convenient if you're on holiday with the family and your time in the bathroom is the only moment of peace you have. And fun, if you're going on a weekend getaway with your new partner for the first time! I hope this doesn't become the rule instead of the exception.
What is the perfect hotel for you, and what gives you the creeps?