let you all down......sorry

[blackpoolowl]

hiya guys sorry but i have let you down.
after months of research about which villa cheap flights etc. i have gone & booked a MOTEL again!!!!!

my story:-

we got back the end of february from 3 weeks in florida.....4th year on the trot & went to book with virgin for next year going the same place same time everything the same. we usually pay £2400ish every year, this year they quoted us just short of £3000.....£600 increase (not just a 1 off .tried 3 different quotes from virgin).we deliberated should we try somewhere new but the only place we ALL wanted to go was back home....i mean florida!!!!!lol

so we got the prices for flights....picked the villa priced the car everything was set to book today!!!!!the villa package was coming at around £3400.

i found out the new virgin brochure came out today so i gave them 1 last chance & gave them a ring.
the price has only gone down to just over £2500 (2 adults 1 teen 2 children)even with no free childrens prices!!!. £900 cheaper than the villa senario.....£500 cheaper than last months quotes!!! only £100 dearer than last year even with the £160 fuel surcharge.

i had to book it.everyone who helped me with advise on the villa.....thankyou.

i have 10 months left now to find things we already haven't done......its gonna be difficult but i am sure i will enjoy the planning[msnwink]....its gonna be a long 10 months.

terry

[jo carroll]

I wish you a great holiday Terry [8D], but had you booked the villa you would have never gone back to a motel again! Maybe next time.......?[msnwink]

[blott]

That's OK Terry, hope you have a great time! :)

Although I have to say that there's absolutely no comparison between a motel room and a whole villa for three weeks - having done both (without children even). I know what my choice would have been but this is your holiday and not mine.

[heathercobbett]

You would have had a much better holiday in a villa and saved on meals out.Also, everyone has such a good time in the house that you spend less money going out.This is not sour grapes as we do not have the right size house for you anyway

It was a revelation to us the first time we had a house and as Jo says,you never go back!I have not heard of ANYONE go back to hotels or motels after having a villa.When you are all getting on one anothers nerves cooped up in your rooms this will come back and haunt you!

Have a great time anyway

Come on you non owners,back me up

[steph_goodrum]

Hi Terry

Please don't think you've let us down in any way, it's not our holiday, it's yours and you have to make up your own mind what is best for you and your family and budget.

With this being your 5th trip I'm sure you would have appreciated the villa experience even more, the children must be getting bigger and to have 3 in one room would be a nightmare for me. We've only got the one but even when she was around 11 it always caused niggles when her and her dad both wanted to watch different tv channels or she wanted the telly off to read and he wanted to watch.

As we've said though it's your holiday and you know what you are getting for your money as you've been with them before. Now you've just got to plan all the other things you haven't had time to see before.

[Harmony]

We had great holidays staying in hotels but once we tried a villa there was no going back. Treat yourself and try it sometime. Till then have a great time and let us know how you get on.

Jeff

[florida4sun]

You alwyas would find a motel cheaper (and for good reason). 4 or 5 in one room is a recipe for disaster. No intimacy, all sharing 1 tiny bathroom, watching tv with the sound off. Did it once and would never do it again. The hotel/motels are basic to say the least. A holiday is the one thing we all work hard for, surely it pays to take the best on offer rather than the cheapest offer. May be saving up a little longer to ensure a comfortable stay.

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by blackpoolowl
hiya guys sorry but i have let you down.
after months of research about which villa cheap flights etc. i have gone & booked a MOTEL again!!!!!

my story:-

we got back the end of february from 3 weeks in florida.....4th year on the trot & went to book with virgin for next year going the same place same time everything the same. we usually pay £2400ish every year, this year they quoted us just short of £3000.....£600 increase (not just a 1 off .tried 3 different quotes from virgin).we deliberated should we try somewhere new but the only place we ALL wanted to go was back home....i mean florida!!!!!lol

so we got the prices for flights....picked the villa priced the car everything was set to book today!!!!!the villa package was coming at around £3400.

i found out the new virgin brochure came out today so i gave them 1 last chance & gave them a ring.
the price has only gone down to just over £2500 (2 adults 1 teen 2 children)even with no free childrens prices!!!. £900 cheaper than the villa senario.....£500 cheaper than last months quotes!!! only £100 dearer than last year even with the £160 fuel surcharge.

i had to book it.everyone who helped me with advise on the villa.....thankyou.

i have 10 months left now to find things we already haven't done......its gonna be difficult but i am sure i will enjoy the planning[msnwink]....its gonna be a long 10 months.

terry
[/quote]

[E. Cosgrove]

Whatever your plans I'm sure you'll have a great holiday. Who knows one day we might convert you[msnwink] and like everyone says, if we do you'll be a convert for life.
Have a really wonderful holiday.[msncool]

[Cruella DeVilla]

It's your choice, no need to apologise, maybe next time!

The villas really do have so much more to offer, games rooms, your own bedroom and same for kids, toilets each, your own pool, spa, ps2, great for teens and the list is endless! There would be days when you would not spend too much cash by staying by the pool and just enjoying the villa and its facilities.

We stayed in a hotel/motel one night whilst buying our place and checked out the next day because it was a Virgin hotel and I have never seen so many badly behaved kids. The manager was mortified when he watched his dollars walk out the door beacuse of the reason we told him. Please reconsider they are checking out tomorrow...too bad! We could not hear ourselves think by the pool, gangs of kids running around screaming, crying etc......uuugh!

:D

[ahagan]

Terry

I hope you have a good holiday. I wish you had tried a villa this time around. Villas have excellent facilities with no time limits, no sharing and lots of personal touches which is just not comparable to a motel/hotel. We never looked back to motels/hotels after renting a villa for the first time. So hopefully you will become a convert soon :).

[blackpoolowl]

i would have loved to have tried the villa....we were all set to but £900 is a massive difference to us. the £900 is our visit to new york in november!!!

i have no doubt a villa would have been more room & compfort but in all honesty we just use the motel as somewhere to store our shopping & sleep!
we go out early in the morning come home late at night.

2 years ago we went out to buy a villa but circumstances prevented this (lent the money to my aunt for her house....long story) so i am sold on the villa life but when all is said & done £900 is £900!!!!
i am a typical yorkshire man & do not like spending more than i have to.
terry

[trevlad]

nice one terry.
to be honest we did have the same opinion - get up early out all day back for sleep, but last year after putting a deposit down on a villa, we stayed in one - totally changes everything. we wouldnt do anything but a villa now.
any way we are out in ny in november for the marathon so i'll listen out for accent!

by the way are you going for 3 weeks?

[KarenScott]

Hi Terry
We are over in Florida at the moment:D[8D]:Dand staying for the first time as a family in our home - what a difference! We were only saying how did we manage when we stayed with the family in a hotel. I think we ate out all the time and felt we were on top of each other. This holiday and last when we stayed in a villa (which convinced us to buy) we had such a better time. We do love Florida but found it was just a much better experience with a home based holiday. All that convenience all those advantages and I'm sure we saved ourselves quite a bit by not eating out all the time! Mind you we did our fair share of that too[msnwink]! Also every Mum's holiday nightmare - the wash loads on return!!! Mine will all be done here with just a small amount for our return to the UK, yahoo:D!! Having said that Terry you've made the right choice for your destination maybe next time you'll pick a villa!

[LesleyB]

Hi Terry, did you go for the Premium car with Virgin in the end?(you could always get the kids to sleep in there if you want some privacy[msnwink])

[dbrook]

That's a shame Terry. You would have loved a villa holiday, but hope you have a good time anyway.

With 3 girls, 2 of whom argue like mad when they are tired, one who snores horrifically and the other who sleeptalks, I would hate for us all to be together in a motel room[V] How we all love a bedroom each (excluding husband:D) and the facilities a villa offers.

Maybe a villa holiday the year after[?]

[Lyn]

I can totally understand why you picked the motel, as you say £900 is £900 and if you are out all day everyday a clean bed is all you need. We do love staying in a villa but it can cause arguments as Bill still wants to be out all day when some of us would prefer to stay in.

[Curly Wurly]

You will have a great holiday in Florida wherever you stay I'm sure.

We were in a hotel 2003 (but it was more like a condo) with its own kitchen, an upstairs, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms (1 ensuite) so we did have a good experience.

This year will be our first in a villa but there are 9 of us going and i'm really looking forward to it.
[msnsmile2]

[blackpoolowl]

i did get the premium car lesley. put a special request for the chrysler 300 again.....what a car. the boot is big enough for all the kids to sleep, alternativly they all can swim, ill have to take thm down to the pool then dissapear for 2 minutes for some afternoon loving[msnwink](yes 2 mins is all it takes.......when your desperate[msntongue])

i am going for the 3 weeks again but just for 4/5 nights in ny. never been ny before any hote recomendations?
terry

[LiesaAnna]

the thought at being in a hotel/motel for 2 weeks or even 3 with all the family, not being able to get away from hubbys snoring at nights, swimming when I want to[msnwink]etc etc....i could go on!
but we wont ever go to a hotel/motel unless its for a night if the flights are not available to get to florida and stay in the villa from our dates then we would have to!
wishing you all the best for your hols Terry[msnwink]

[chunkichik]

Hey Terry, don't apologise its your holiday and no-one elses[msnsmile2]

£900 is a lot of money and although I don't think I could do the hotel/motel thang, I understand your reasoning behind it.

Now just sit back and start your planning[msnsmile2]

[skoeper]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by blackpoolowl
i did get the premium car lesley. put a special request for the chrysler 300 again.....what a car. the boot is big enough for all the kids to sleep, alternativly they all can swim, ill have to take thm down to the pool then dissapear for 2 minutes for some afternoon loving[msnwink](yes 2 mins is all it takes.......when your desperate[msntongue])

i am going for the 3 weeks again but just for 4/5 nights in ny. never been ny before any hote recomendations?
terry
[/quote]

Terry.....I read your post and walked away, but couldn't stop thinking about it, lol. I just HAVE to ask you this: your kids sleep in a car trunk? I know there are different words used here in the U.S., but I THINK a boot is a trunk (is it?). Also wondering if your 2 minutes while the kids are in the pool is also in the boot/trunk? lol. Sorry, just a confused Aemrican here!

Shari

[blackpoolowl]

hiya shari
just kidding about the boot(trunk). things that run through your mind when you are desperate!!!!lol

terry

[Steviek]

Hope you have a good holiday Terry, next time it would be great if you tried a villa as Im sure there would be no going back. We have gone from staying in 1 of the Sheratons to a condo to our villa & now wouldnt be without our own pool
For hotels in NY the Milford Plaza in Times Square offers good accomodation at a reasonable price and is in a great location. It is one of the big chains so Im sure you will locate it easily enough?

[Magical Dreams]

Terry

No matter where you stay

Have a FANTASTIC TIME

Hopefully we will be here next time you dig deeper in your pocket for that extra cash!

(Fellow Yorkshiremen)[msnwink]

[orlandobabe]

it's funny isn't it-but on our very first trip to Florida 15 years ago and our only one in a hotel-we found we spent much more money then than staying in a villa.

Although eating out wasn't terribly expensive-when you did it twice a day times 5 and you're the only one picking up the tab-well it all mounts up.

Well I don't even want to mention 5 (kids aged 13, 11 and 9)of us in one bedroom with one bathroom between us all-so I won't[msncry]

We must have been in the only hotel in Orlando without a bar-no wonder we never did it again!

[luckylady]

Hi Terry,
Everyone has different priorities ,
I agree £900 is a big saving but what have you sacrificed for that saving,
To me where I stay on holiday is the foundation
A villa for you would have been just perfect.
Yes I hear what you are sayng, if you are out all day what difference does it make, where I stay.
But that is why you stay out all day everyday, because staying in a motel room for all your party,
is not a pleasant prospect ,so like you if I was staying in a motel room ,I would prefer to be out all day and the longer you are out the more you will spend, I would guess you will all be shattered as well,
But if you had chosen a villa you would have looked forward to going back to your home,(because that is what it is while you are on holiday) and relaxing all your party could have done their own thing , had a swim.played in the games room ,watched what they wanted on the television listened to music
I could go on and on
But there would'nt be any point, but I would say at the end of your holiday you won't be £900 better off
Yes you will have have enjoyed your holiday ,but if you had chosen a villa your holiday, would have been a fantastic. memorable holiday and you would remember the enjoyable time, you spent in the villa ,I doubt your memories of your motel room will be the same,
Its to late for your next holiday ,so you have a great time when you are on holiday
My holiday staying in a villa will be fantastic I guarantee it

[blackpoolowl]

we have stayed in the motel for the last 4 years and ALWAYS been more than happy. the only reason we even considered a villa was because the motel had gone up £500.
we stay out all day because we want to do as much as possible for the 3 weeks.
we dont eat out every day. we usually go to wallmart get rolls & such for breakfast. grab a burger at lunch then eat at our motel each night which costs us less than $40 for the 5 of us.....excellant meals aswell as service, each staff know us by our first names as we do them.....they are more like friends now.
as i said in previous posts ,we own a hotel and cook for big numbers ALL year so the last thing either of us want to do is cook!!!!!!
we are happy, more important the kids are happy....i would happily sleep in a shed every visit if it meant we coould carry on returning home!

terry

[Magical Dreams]

Terry

As long as you and your family have the best time ever, thats all that matters.

We have stayed like you in motels on our first visits to Florida.

I think what Barbara is trying to say, is, although you will have a great time,
staying in a villa just puts the icing on the cake.

I must admit, the first time we went, I would have been happy to sleep at the side of the road
When you feel the atmosphere in Disney, you know you are in for a fantastic time.

Have a FABULOUS time [msnwink]

[ellie]

Hope you have a great time, Terry. You obviously have everything worked out [msnwink] so am sure you will enjoy every minute.

Although you won't be in a villa, which is course the ultimate luxury experience, and great, great value, you have obviously chosen what is right for you and your family at this time.

However, as the children get older, you may well feel it worth while to look again at the villa scenario. There are lots of ways of saving money if you look in the right places - flights, for instance. Virgin seems to be everyone's first choice, but they are expensive, and frankly our recent trip (returned on Monday [msncry])using American Airlines was not only considerably cheaper, but the enormous leg room and comfortable wide seats knocked Virgin's cattle class into a cocked hat, and made the transatlantic flight enjoyable.

So, even widening the net to include the US airlines can save you a fortune. Car hire from the above site can also save you a lot of money, and of course there are attraction tickets at great rates from here, too.

Of course, should you decide to 'go it alone' just shout if you want any advice. You will never look back.

:)

[Steviek]

For us with kids not having our own laundry facilities would be a big downside to say nothing of the playstation, CD players, games and books that we have there and are standard features in the majority of villas on this site. We need some space to relax after the hectic parks and shopping.

Have you sorted your NY accomodation yet?

[steph_goodrum]

Terry
Why not try a compromise, you don't have to have your motel for 3 weeks, why not try 2 there and last 1 in a villa for a bit of relaxation and pampering before you come back home. I'm sure for 1 week it would not be much more than a week in the motel and I'm pretty certain it beats risking leaving the children unsupervised by the hotel pool while you nip back to your room.:D
You don't generally have to book your whole accommodation with Virgin for the time between your flights, you could for example be going off to the Keys or a cruise for a few days so they are quite used to it.

Just think no "right everybody up it's time for breakfast" just open the cereal and sit beside the pool (in our case it's usually watching a flotilla of hot air balloons going overhead), as and when it suits.

3 bathrooms instead of 1 to fight over - I don't know if your children are boys or girls but that may become more of an issue as they get older.

Enough space to separate when they squabble.

With the standard US hotel room comprising of 2 queen beds, presumably that means the 3 children either share 1 bed (or possibly one on a rollaway) and parents the other.

And as you've said you run an hotel anyway wouldn't it be nice for a little while not to have a busmans holiday and get out of the environment for a little while?

At least it will put you in a better position to decide for another year if you think it is worth the extra.

As we've always said this site isn't necessarily about finding the cheapest option for Florida - it's about finding the best value for money and helping guests to get the most out of their holiday, for virtually all the people I know that starts with when they get to their accommodation and think either "Yes this is OK, this will do or WOW - I don't want to leave this place".

[mm69340]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by ellie


However, as the children get older, you may well feel it worth while to look again at the villa scenario.
:)
[/quote]

Ellie, I sure do hope the kids are OLDER now as he said in one of his posts he can leave them alone in the motel pool and scoot back up to the room for some "private time". [msnwink][msnwink][msnwink]

[marg3574]

Terry
Have a great holiday on your trip "home". Thats just how I think of Florida too.:D:D
When your children are teenagers and you have to hire two motel rooms you will probably find that a villa compares favourably price wise. You will then get your chance to try out the " villa experience" and probably be converted. [msnwink]

[wrpac00]

I have always maintained that everyone has their own tastes, hope you enjoy yourself Terry.

The first time the 4 of us went to Orlando in 93 we stayed in a motel. All cramped up, no where to put your clothes and having to eat out every night. Once we tried a villa there was no turning back. Privacy, Space, eat and drink what you want when you want, watch what TV channel or DVD when you want, multiple bathrooms, the ability to freshen up your clothes, have a BBQ, I could go on.

I am sure if you had priced it up yourself Terry you could have got a better price. Keep it in mind for next time. I am positive that once yoy have tried a villa you won't go back to a motel.

[ellie]

Oh dear, Karen, you may be right! But not sure that older children would turn a blind eye to the afternoon siesta. Too many questions I think!:D[msnsad][msnembarrased]

[nicholson]

Hope you have a great time Terry and family, I'm sure you will.

We have done both motel and villa holidays in Florida. The villa experience turned out to be so much more comfortable (we are a family of 5 as well) that we now make the villa our priority and find other areas to save money, such as flights and car hire.

[trevlad]

i expect you've had enough replies now terry[msnwink].i did pose a new york accom question but cant find the thread now . from somewhere i also came across. [website link edited] which is quite good also , allows searches by areas and food types.
also i dont know if the villa site ticket agency does them but you can pre book for things like copter flights or the 'circle line' boat trip etc which can allow you to budget and confirm an entrance etc

have a good un[msnsmile2]