These days I am a big fan of self-catering holidays but to be honest it’s not something I would have thought about a few years ago. Yes, I do still like the odd hotel break; a night or two away with your partner never did anyone any harm!   But what about travelling with a family? Which is the more practical choice?  In my opinion, self catering is the only way to go, and the reasons are endless from simple things such as having drinking water on tap, to the more crucial elements of space and comfort.

As our expectations are rising, so are the standards in self-catering accommodation. You can now get luxury self catering homes, with on-site facilities including hotel, full leisure centre, golf course, spa and seasonal activities such as kids clubs and organised day trips. Many self-catering properties have been built on the grounds of hotels all around the country and in general, while staying in the holiday homes you are treated as a hotel resident and may use the facilities of the hotel (some restrictions may apply at certain locations).

The great thing about having your own holiday home is that you can come and go as you please, eat whenever you like with the facilities of a fully fitted kitchen, you can bring the contents of your kitchen cupboard with you, you have ample room and storage and in many cases a garden for the kids to play in!  Not only this but the children can have their own bedrooms and there is a separate room for them to watch tv in if they are early risers, or for you to watch after they go to bed without disturbing them.

But what about value for money, does it really work out much cheaper to go self catering? The answer is YES!

Family room in a 3* hotel Vs Luxury 2 bedroom Lodge at 5* Fota Island Resort

Now I thought I was going to find it hard to prove this as hotel rates vary dramatically but I am going to give it a bash… I called for availability and rates at a popular 3 star family friendly West Cork hotel for a week (6th to 13th December) in a family room (2 adults and 2 children) and was quoted a “last minute special offer rate” of €165.00 B&B per room per night, that’s an outrageous €1155.00 for the week! I also checked a 2 bedroom lodge at the 5 star Fota Island Resort and was quoted €670.00 for the week (including FREE access to the hotel leisure centre), so working back that’s €95.00 per night, a family saving of €490.00 for the week in favour of self catering.

So my only conclusion is that the two are not really comparable at all! Apart from the obvious reasons, including comforts, space, facilities on hand etc self catering wins hands down for… value for money! Going on the basis of a 7 night stay in a 3 star hotel vs a 7 night stay in a luxury self catering lodge with hotel facilities, a family can save up to €490.00 by opting for self catering!

Dream Ireland has a great selection of more than 3000 self-catering holiday homes, cottages and apartments, (many with hotel facilities onsite) and all within driving distance of well known tourist attractions,, towns and cities.  Our friendly and helpful team will be delighted to assist you in choosing the perfect destination for your next family holiday, so give us a call on +353 64 664 1170 and book today!

A Day Trip to Fota Wildlife Park:

Happy family

Dream Ireland Holiday Homes also provide Gift Vouchers. So give someone the perfect gift this Christmas, a gift voucher towards their next family break. Vouchers are available in any denomination from €50.00 upwards and can be used towards any Dream Ireland location. Vouchers can also be personalised to suit our clients individual requirements, so give our reservations team a call today! Call 064 66 41170 (within Ireland) or +353 64 66 41170 (international)

Top 10 Family Holiday Destinations

10. Quality Hotel Youghal Apartments and Holiday Homes, Yougal, Co Cork

9. Jameson Court Apartments, Salthill, Co Galway

8. Great Western Parklands at Park Inn, Mulranny, Co Mayo

7. Muckross Holiday Village, Killarney, Co Kerry

6. Barley Cove Beach Holiday Homes and Barley Cove Beach Court Yard Cottages, Mizen Head, West Cork (beautiful beach location)

5. Castle Gardens, Bunratty, Co. Clare

4. Ard na Mara & Radharc na Mara, Dingle

3. Kenmare, Co. Kerry (multiple properties)

2. The Lodges and Apartments at The Shannon Oaks Hotel, Portumna, Co Galway

1. Mount Wolseley Holiday Homes at Mount Wolseley Hotel Spa and Country Club, Tullow, Co Carlow

Mayo, Ireland

So where are we holidaying next summer? Are we going to give Ireland another chance or are we going to head to sunnier climates? I think the question, in our current economic state, is what is going to be the best value?!

So, for the purpose of this article I am going to compare a self catering Irish holiday with a self catering apartment in Lanzarote and to show just what great value a self catering holiday in Ireland is, I am going to compare one of Dream Ireland’s 4 star luxury properties with hotel facilities to a standard 2 star apartment in Puerto del Carmen.

The following is based on 2 adults and 3 children for a 7 nights stay in peak season (25th July 2009 - 01 August 2009)

a saving of a whopping €2593.05 in favour of an Irish holiday….

Conclusion

As you can see, the price of a 2 star holiday in Lanzarote is €720.01 per person sharing (before you step out of the airport! Add car hire, fuel, spending money, meals, activities etc) versus €201.40 per person for 4 star holiday in Ireland with hotel and FREE leisure centre onsite (again there will be extras for food and activities but with a self catering break in Ireland you can bring the contents of your kitchen cupboard.)

……. so where are we holidaying next summer?

Proof that it rains in Spain too……

Dream Ireland is very excited about the newest additions to our ever expanding portfolio of superb accommodation in some of the most sought after locations in the country.

Jameson Court, Salthill, Co Galway

Jameson Court in Salthill is a luxury development of 29 brand new apartments. The development itself boasts secure underground car parking and landscaped courtyard style gardens. Inside each spacious and light-filled apartment, guests can enjoy the comforts of a luxury four star property, while instantly feeling at home!

Ard na Mara Killala, Killala, Co. Mayo

Ard na Mara Killala is modern development of luxury courtyard style apartments and townhouses in the quaint seaside village of Killala, near Ballina, Co Mayo. This spectacular development offers 1, 2 and 3 bedroom units, while the village of Killala is the perfect location to explore all North Mayo has to offer!

Seafield Mews at Seafield Resort, Ballymoney, Co Wexford

Last but certainly not least, Dream Ireland introduces its newest luxury retreat - Seafield Mews at the Seafield Resort, Ballymoney, Co. Wexford. This exceptional property, just an hours drive from Dublin City, has it all with hotel, 18 hole championship golf course, luxury spa and children’s play ground on-site and within minutes of a number of Wexford’s finest beaches and top tourist destinations. A truly perfect choice whatever the occasion.

If donning your ice skates is totally out of the question, then why not treat yourself to a relaxing treatment at the hotel’s Sanctuary Spa or a round of golf on the championship 18-hole golf course designed by Christy O’Connor Jnr.

This New Year at Mount Wolseley Hotel guests can enjoy a lavish 5-course gala dinner, followed by Black Tie Ball and Fire Works Display to help ring in 2009…

Top 5 Christmas Party Locations with Self Catering Accommodation On-site:

• 5. Great Western Parklands at The Park Inn, Mulranny, Co. Mayo
• 4. Luxury Lodges at Farnham Estate, Cavan
• 3. Mount Falcon Estate, Co Mayo
• 2.  The Lodges & Apartments at the Shannon Oaks Hotel, Portumna, Co Galway
• 1. Mount Wolseley Hotel, Spa and Country Club, Tullow, Co. Carlow

And finally, some Ice Skating from around the world!

Image via Wikipedia

Top 5 Gifts This Christmas

• IPhone
• Lingerie (for the ladies)
• Jewellery or a huge diamond to be exact and commitment to boot (trips to New York and a visit to Tiffany’s seems to be almost customary these days)
• Perfume (the more expensive the better - limited additions get extra brownie points)
• A romantic weekend away (romantic being the word chosen by the ladies in our office who do not have kids - so to rephrase that in my own words “an uninterrupted nights sleep”.

The Lodges at The Shannon Oaks Hotel

Top 10 Self Catering Breaks This Festive Season:

1. Anzère in Switzerland (French speaking in the heart of the Swiss Alps)
2. The Courtyard at Sheen Falls Lodge, Kenmare (Luxury accommodation with 5star hotel facilities)
3. Zermatt in Switzerland (Ultra-luxury German speaking ski paradise)
4. Jameson Court Apartment, Salthill, Co Galway (Brand new apartments ideally situated within easy walking distance to Galway City)
5. St Anton in Austria (Snowboarders Paradise)
6. The Luxury Lodges at Farnham Estate(Luxury in the heart of Cavan - a truely beautiful county that seems to have been forgotten)
7. Mount Wolseley Holiday Homes at Mount Wolseley Hotel, Spa and County Club(something for everyone - golf, spa, leisure centre and children’s playground)
8. Seafield Mews at Seafield Resort, Co Wexford (a brand new luxury retreat with hotel and spa onsite)
9. Inbhear Sceine Waterside Holiday Homes, Kenmare (a home away from home)
10. The Lodges at The Shannon Oaks Hotel, Portumna Co, Galway (cosy Alpine like Log Cabins on Lough Derg)

Image by jackhynes via Flickr

I thought I would let you in on a little secret! Dream Ireland still has availability at their Lodges at the Shannon Oaks Hotel, Portumna, this Christmas. So if you want to spend this Christmas tucked away in a cosy log cabin, have your turkey and ham delivered to your door or indeed have Christmas Day lunch served to you for a change… Then this is the place to be this Christmas!

Image by pensacolawinterfest via Flickr

Where will you find a Santa’s Grotto that shows children the real meaning of Christmas?

…Killarney!

For the past 3 years over 5,000 children have queued for hours, their excitement filling the air around Deenagh Lodge in the Killarney National Park. What could have these children so excited? Well, firstly they are waiting in anticipation to enter Santa’s Grotto, to meet Santa, Mrs. Claus and the elves, but something makes this visit extra special - these kids are not anxious to see what gifts Santa has for them, instead, these special little children are helping Santa by bringing along a gift to add to Santa’s sleigh, so that less fortunate children throughout Kerry will wake up to the magic of Christmas spirit this Christmas morning. This coupled with the impromptu Christmas carolling (which in previous years has been initiated to help pass away the time) makes this the ideal way to begin your Christmas Season.

For anyone who is interested in taking part this year, dates for 2008 have been set as follows:

• Saturday 6th December, 2-5pm
• Sunday 7th December, 2-5pm
• Saturday 13th December, 2-5pm
• Sunday 14th December, 2-5pm

Arrive early to avoid long queuing times!

When your good deed for the day has been completed here and while you are in Christmas mode, why not take a stroll down Main Street where you will find the best of local food and crafts in Killarney’s very own Prague-like open air market! Whether you are looking for stocking fillers, ingredients for Christmas Day lunch or one more Christmas decoration, you’re sure to find it here…

While I am on the subject of Killarney and Christmas gifts, I have Christmas all wrapped up this year! “How?” I hear you ask! Well, High School Musical tickets will go down a treat with my 9 year old daughter (and she won’t have to wait for months to see the show as it is running from 7th to 18th January) - who’s the best mom in the world?!!

And not forgetting my favourite (and only) niece, she is so into Stephanie and Lazy Town that she will be over the moon to hear she will be going to a live show in March (just so long as she doesn’t ask me to accompany her!). There is loads more happening throughout the year so have a look at the Irish National Events Centre (INEC) websiteand pop a little bit of excitement into someones Christmas stocking this year! Shows include:

• Disney’s Classic Beauty and the Beast
• Ireland’s Largest Ever Under 18’s Event featuring Cascada
• the gorgeous and very entertaining Shayne Ward
• New Years Eve with Sharon Shannon, Mundy and Shane McGowen
• Disney’s High School Musical Live Show
• and much much more throughout 2009

Self-Catering Accommodation in Killarney this Christmas

• Muckross Holiday Homes
• Park Place Apartments
• Park Court Holiday Homes at the Quality Hotel
• Innisfallen Holiday Village
• The Paddocks
• The Gleneagle River Apartments

Finally, I’ll leave you with this Christmas in Killarney Jingle!