Holiday - what makes a stay? Rating accommodation types

Hotels, guest houses, b&bs, hostels, holiday rentals, camping/caravans and friends / I've done them all, but I decided to sit back and think what is the best, what provides the experience and what offers value for money.

Don't worry none of this has been swayed by work, or affiliations, but it has by friends and family - so let me review the forms of accommodation, and let me know you choice and any I've missed with your rating.

Hotels: convenient,serviced, in and out, no fuss, sometimes expensive. Prices go up year after year, like airlines it's hard to know when to book and last minute deals are on the way out. 5* always seems the best but it's the boutique that excite me! but make my credit card quiver. So many options from early booking, non-refundable to package deals, it gets confusing and difficult to compare prices. Choice of supplier is booking.com

Comfort rating: 5

Value for money: 3

Expense: 4

Guest houses: differently marketed to a hotel, independent, more personal, in and out, quaint. There's always the personal touch and sOmething unique about it. They are often run my people who've been in the game for a while or who are upgrading their b&b, but I wouldn't say it has the best furnishings and may cut on costs more obviously than chain hotels. Again, my choice of website is Booking.com

Comfort rating: 4

value for money: 3

Expense: 3

B&bs : small, independent, family owners, personal, less private. You'll probably be in. 4 - 12 room property, you can hear every creek on the stair but there is so,etching cosy and inviting, welcoming and warm about b&b and you can find them just about anywhere. The best option is to receive friend recommendation or use Google.com local search/recommendation, or if desperate just drive the streets.

Comfort: 5

Value for money: 4

Expense: 3

Hostels: personal, cheap, well located, friendly, great experience, less private, low class. I am bias, especially when in South America, or SE Asia, but there are some brilliant hostels in Europe too, except I dislike European hostel rules, they are too strict. I have met so,e great people staying in a hostel. I certainly advise it. Check out Hostelbookers.com/ hostelworld.com and lonely planet books have great recommendations and is best when just rocking up somewhere.

Comfort: 2

Value for money: 5

Expense: 2camping

Holiday rentals: private, value for money, out of town, groups and families, personal. It's your own apartment, or cottage, you can do as you like (kinda) and arrange for a large group or a romantic retreat. You just have to do your own washing and cooking! My choice are travel agents or HomeAway.co.uk/ ownersdirect.co.uk

Comfort: 4

Value for money: 4

Expense: 3

Camping and caravaning: an experience, cheap, not very private, dirty, fun, exhilarating, discovery. The open roads take you wherever and under a star lit sky you can find the best camping spots, a nightmare to pitch a tent if pouring with rain but once inside it's an exhilarating and thrilling experience. How to find one? Follow the signs, a field is a field after all.

Comfort: 1

Value for money: 5

Expense: 1

Friends: familiar, comfort, warm, inviting, cheap, personal. If you have the right network you can go anywhere, and have your own personal hosts with whom you can enjoy your study and get the best insider information. You might have a spare room, the sofa or the floor, depends how lucky you are. For finding a place I use Facebook 

Comfort: 4

Value for money : 5

Expense: 1

What's your preferred choice of accommodation? How would you rate these? Any I may have missed?