I think it depends on your budget. For some, travel anywhere and staying anywhere other than home is a vacation. It also depends on what you want out of a vacation: relaxation, excitement, intellectual stimulation, conversation, great food...

As I am by myself most of the time, I do not like vacations that involve sitting and reading a book. Even if it is on a gorgeous beach. I want things to do; people to talk to, wonderful conversational food, fun activities. I don't really care that much about where I stay, I won't be there much.
It's all about the people and the activities.

As I get older, I prefer a hotel for the privacy.

I'm kind of mixed on this. The first time we visited our daughter in Hawaii after our granddaughter was born we stayed in a hotel and rented a car. Since my hubby travels we got a great rate on the car of $42 a day, but we had to pay $30 a day to park it since there's virtually no parking around the hotel. All we did was drive to our daughter's and she drove every where else we went so it seemed kind of crazy to spend $70 plus a day on top of the hotel room for less than ten minute drive. Our daughter said she'd come and get us and take us back to the hotel every day, but she was a new Mommy so for that time it was right decision.

Next time we stayed at their home sleeping in the baby's room and getting up to care for her when she woke. Though we enjoyed taking care of our little darling granddaughter is started to wear on us as we got very little sleep some nights. The nice thing was we had more time to visit and the trip as a whole was more enjoyable.

We're thinking next time to stay in cabins on the beach at Bellow's AFB where our Daughter and family can come visit us. We're hoping that will be the best of both worlds.

So I guess it depends on the situation which I would chose. But since we live out of state from all family, but our son and grandson who live with us, I normally don't mind staying with family at all.

Because of our family being spread all over our "vacations" are usually pared with visiting family. We do stay in hotels when I visit my family back home though.

I agree - staying with friends or relatives is a visit and I don't like to visit more than a couple days. A vacation is in my own accommodations and on my own schedule.

Sometimes our vacation is focused on visiting friends and relatives. In that case, I don't mind staying in their homes for a night or two.

To me, visits with family are not vacations, they are more like work. Our family members don't live anyplace vacation-worthy, and if they did I wouldn't want to fit my fun into anyone else's schedule.

My job involves being "on" for other people all day and tight scheduling. So for me a vacation has to involve doing what I want, when I want, with no obligation to jolly anybody else along.

I dislike intensely staying at family members' homes, but do so in the interest of not getting a divorce.

I pretty much feel like leafy. Visiting family to me is more like family business. Even when we drove to FL for DH's brother's wedding and got to stay in a hotel, it was business. When we visit the in-laws they pretty much expect that we stay with them and whatever we do, eat or watch on TV is completely based on them and I go stir crazy.

For me, a vacation means I can have some input at least to the itinerary, look into some shops that interest me, visit museums, etc (and I guarantee you, it will not be Dallas, which is not a bad area but also not what I term a place to vacation). I may have to wait a few years for that type of vacation but I will truly relish it when it happens.

Now, if my parents do retire to the San Diego area, I may consider visiting them a vacation as it will be expected that I do some of my own thing and enjoy myself and explore and not spend every waking minute with them.

Well our daughter lives in Hawaii and we do somethings on our own while visiting whether staying with them or when we stayed in the hotel. My sister lives in Wyoming and brother in New Mexico. We'd probably stay in hotels if we visited them as they've both downsized. I'm not sure they have guest rooms anymore. Both live close to great places to visit so we can mix in vacation activities with visiting family.

And really I feel almost anywhere you go there's something you could make a day trip of for entertainment when visiting family. I do think any of our family would understand if we wanted to do things on our own while visiting. Heck that would give them a break too.

I'm not one who really enjoys staying with others. A couple of nights with family or friends is okay, but no longer than that. We are very picky about hotels and it seems it is harder to find what we like. What we prefer are condos/villas, etc. or we have even rented a couple of small cottages in the last few years. Last year we rented two different small houses/cottages that were filled with antiques, etc. and LOVED each of them. We had space, privacy, nice bathrooms and kitchens and both of these cottages had scrumptious bed linens. In one we had a great, private outdoor space with an amazing view. It's more of a home-away-from-home feeling. Pampered. We often travel with our small dog, so that type lodging works great for us.
Trips for us are most often the get away from it all type and time alone to explore, lounge, etc. And then on the other end of the spectrum, we enjoy camping in our travel trailer!! As mentioned in the other travel thread (Mt's), we are people who enjoy outside activities so that influences our choice in accommodations also.

tina

Tina, where is your next trip? DH and I are joining you:) Seriously, you travel exactly as we do (minus the travel trailer part). We are also open to a good B & B.

As for staying with family, visiting my sister in Fl. is always fun for me. Generally, I/we avoid staying with other people (friends and family), but on the occasions that we have because it was more awkward to decline than accept, we had a really nice time. Still, we always try to graciously decline and find our own accommodations.

I like having house guests but don't want to be one.

My hubby travels every week and always stays at a Marriott so when we travel we stay there too. Because of his earned points we often get free nights. They don't always take care of every night, but because they are nice hotels we enjoy staying at them.
I went with him to work for the first two weeks of last December. We took a weekend trip to Monterey, CA for a two nights stay in their Marriott. They upgraded us to one of their suites. And it was sweet! Below is a link the album with photos showing the room from the outside of the hotel and photos we took of the inside. They only have three of these suites in whole hotel.

Here is a link that might be useful: Marriott Suite

Funnygirl - how could I forget! We do like B&B's. Haven't stayed in many, but the ones we have, they have been fantastic. And talk about feeling pampered . . .

I don't think we'll be traveling much this year as MIL is undergoing chemo - at least through June, so hopefully if things work out, we will be able to travel after that. We did not do a Charleston (island) trip last year, so that will probably be our first choice! We do plan on some camping trips though - can stay close enough to come home if needed.

tina