Four star favourite

I would never have considered myself a hotel snob - I spend half my life in a tent, for goodness' sake! I'm more than happy to stay in a Travelodge or a Premier Inn - I'll even stay in a Formule 1 if I have to! I've stayed in B&Bs with a communal bathroom. I've stayed in 2-star hotels with barely enough space to walk around the bed. I don't consider £100 a night good value for a hotel room and I'd balk at paying £150 unless it was a VERY nice hotel and a VERY special occasion. I'm more quantity over quality - I'd rather have a longer holiday in a bargain hotel, or have money left over to eat out or do other things, than spend it on a posh hotel. Peeling paint doesn't bother me - nor does a bit of limescale in the bathroom, a chipped cupboard door or a slightly threadbare carpet. I absolutely draw the line at dirty - but 'basic' or 'in need of renovation' don't really bother me. So why did I find myself disappointed on some level when we arrived at our perfectly nice 3-star hotel in Spain last week?

In truth, I think it was partly simply because it wasn't the Bitacora (If you can't beat them...), where we holidayed for the previous three Octobers. Our hotel in Spain could have been an amazing hotel but there would still have been an element of disappointment that it wasn't 'our' hotel. But I think it's also down to expectations and what you want out of a hotel. For many (okay, most) of our holidays, our hotel - or tent or cottage or mobile home - just serves as a base while we explore the local area. We spent days out and about, while our accommodation is just for sleeping, washing and sometimes eating in. It doesn't need to be posh, well decorated or have great facilities - as long as it's clean and comfortable, we're happy. But for the last few years, our October holiday has become something else. We spend the rest of the year exhausting ourselves by trying to cram as much in as humanly possible, but our October holiday has become more about chilling out, relaxing by the pool and letting someone else cater for us. We chose Tenerife four years ago because we had already visited the island previously and done lots of the touristy stuff, so we wouldn't have that feeling of missing out if we did very little and stayed mostly in the hotel. And that's exactly what we've done for the last few years - we've eaten breakfast, lunch and dinner in the hotel. The kids have spent mornings and afternoons in the kids' club, in the playground or in the pool, while we've been able to relax in the sun with a book and do very little. We've spent evenings in the mini disco and then in the bar watching the hotel entertainment. We have left the hotel - we went for walks, played mini golf, went to the beach, etc. - but we spent a large proportion of our holiday in the hotel and making the most of being all inclusive.

Once upon a time, that would have sounded like my idea of hell - in fact, on paper, it probably still does. But somewhere along the lines, your priorities and requirements change when you have children. You want somewhere with great kids' facilities, which they will enjoy. You want somewhere where you get some time to yourself as adults but also get to enjoy family time together. But most of all, you just want a break - a chance to relax mentally and physically, to escape from work, chores and stress, and to enjoy doing nothing in the sun. The Bitacora has fitted the bill perfectly.

Although we couldn't afford to book the Bitacora again this year, we spent a lot of time finding another hotel that would match our requirements. We found a four-star hotel in Menorca with excellent reviews - a brilliant kids' club, delicious food and lots of facilities. But then, after the whole Monarch fiasco and our holiday being cancelled (Monarch mayhem), we ended up having to book a different hotel in Salou instead. Because it was last-minute, we were very limited with time and with budget. This hotel was 3-star, reasonably priced and had good reviews overall on Trip Advisor. But, in hindsight, it wasn't really what we were looking for or what we had become used to.

Before I go any further, I should make it clear that there was nothing wrong with the hotel. It was 3 star. We paid less than £120 a night for bed, full board and all drinks for four of us - it was an absolute bargain. And we had a great time. But as somewhere to chill out, relax and enjoy the hotel - not so much. It was the little things. You had to find your own table in the restaurant and get your own drinks (and if you didn't want wine/juice, you had to get your drinks from the bar and bring them into the restaurant). You even had to get your own serviettes. Drinks from the bar came in plastic or paper cups. You didn't get given pool towels and had to pay a deposit for the TV remote control. The evening entertainment was not of a high standard. The food, while nice, was limited in choice. There were no pancakes at breakfast (this was a major disappointment for me personally). The kids' playground was basic. The pools were small and cold. But the worst thing, for me, was that it was very British. I know, I know, I am British. But if I go to Spain, I want to feel like I'm in Spain. I don't want to eat British food. I don't want every other guest in the hotel to be British. I don't want to give up on speaking Spanish to the staff because they all speak English regardless (and don't have time for your attempts at the language). And although I confess to liking a quiz and a game of Bingo (hey, we won both!), I'm not a fan of the whole 'Brits abroad' entertainment- it had a slight feel of 1970s Butlins. I have no problem with other British guests or the staff speaking English - far from it - but I would prefer a mix of nationalities and to feel like I'm experiencing a bit of culture. This hotel just didn't hit the mark in that respect.

As a base, this hotel was fine - more than fine, in fact. We actually had an apartment just outside the hotel, which gave us loads of space. It was clean, it was comfortable, the food was good, there was entertainment if we wanted it. But as somewhere to spend all day, every day, it wasn't ideal. It made me realise that I have very different expectations depending on the holiday. Most of the year we like to explore, see and do lots of things and keep busy, and we are very happy with cheap accommodation to use as a base. But when it comes to October, our chance to relax with a bit of winter (okay, Autumn) sun, all of a sudden cheap and cheerful just won't do. When it comes to spending your days by the pool, eating from buffets and taking advantage of the entertainment, you want that pool, food and entertainment to be something special. You want that little bit of 'luxury' - that extra star makes all the difference.

So next October, by hell or high water, we will be going back to the Bitacora. We will, of course, be looking for the cheapest possible accommodation for all our other holidays, in order to try to save enough money to pay for the extra expense of going four star in October. Hotel snob, me? Just occasionally.