Some families visit once. And some come back without hesitation, year after year, almost as if returning to a place that feels like home, even if it is not officially theirs.
The difference is not the price, the size of the apartment, or the number of swimming pools. What drives returning families sits on another level — something you cannot photograph, but you can measure when you understand how they truly live their holidays.
In recent summers, we have followed the behaviour of hundreds of families who return every year to Salou, Cambrils and La Pineda. Not through superficial surveys, but by analysing how they book, what they choose, what they change, and what they repeat without question. When you place these patterns together, a truth appears that few say aloud: loyal families are not looking for “more”; they want exactly what ensures a summer without friction.
1. They look for emotional continuity, not just comfort
Returning families are not searching for “something better”. They want the same experience — but guaranteed.
They avoid uncertainty because they come to unwind, not to experiment.
What they truly value:
- Knowing how the morning light enters that specific balcony.
- Knowing the exact route to the promenade.
- Predicting where their children will sit for a snack after the beach.
That level of familiarity, in summer, is worth more than any upgrade.
2. They want accommodation that behaves like an extension of real life
They are not seeking luxury. They are seeking flow — logistics without friction.
Our data shows this clearly:
- Families with a spacious terrace return more often.
- Families who prioritise two bathrooms return more often.
- Families who can enter and leave the accommodation easily return more often.
When travelling with children, every micro-logistical detail becomes the difference between living and surviving.
3. They do not look for new plans: they look for rituals
Returning families come back because they have built a summer script — and they do not want to rewrite it.
Common rituals among returning families:
- The first ice cream always in the same place.
- The same evening walk along the same stretch of the Salou promenade.
- An afternoon in the same cove in Cap Salou.
- A visit to PortAventura during the same week.
Rituals anchor emotional memory. And no one abandons a place where their memories are happy.
4. They look for a destination that takes care of itself
Returning families have something in common: they are meticulous observers.
If the beach is well maintained, they return.
If access improves, they return.
If services decline, they disappear.
The Costa Dorada has a real advantage: it maintains stability.
And for families seeking emotional safety rather than “surprise”, that is a magnet.
5. They want to be treated as people who already know what they want
This point is essential.
Returning families do not want generic recommendations, welcome tours, or “your first time here” emails. They want communication designed for experienced users of the destination.
They expect:
- Precise information on traffic changes, schedules and access.
- Updates on quiet family-friendly areas.
- Improvements in the accommodation since their last stay.
In tourism marketing, very few do this. Those who do, keep families for life.
6. They want to book without stress
Here we reach the core of behaviour.
Families who return every year never book late.
They already know the consequences: worse location, fewer options, more noise, more improvisation.
Repetition is a strategy, not a coincidence.
And their strategy always begins the same way: they book before the peak season even starts.
This is the only universal pattern.
7. And finally, they value loyalty programmes that respect their intelligence
Returning families do not want random vouchers, pointless newsletters or fake discounts built on inflated prices.
They want a system that is simple, transparent and useful.
That is why MyPlanet exists — our loyalty programme for returning guests.
What members value:
- Real discounts.
- Priority availability, especially for high-demand family accommodation.
- Early information about improvements, renovations and new properties.
- Mature communication, designed for people who know what they want.
MyPlanet is not designed to convince first-timers.
It is designed to reward those who have already made the Costa Dorada part of their emotional calendar.
And yes — it is exactly the kind of quiet advantage that explains why so many families return without hesitation.
Conclusion
Families who return do not come back “because they liked it”.
They come back because the destination gives them control, continuity and calm — three resources increasingly rare for any family today.
And when an accommodation gives them that, it becomes a tradition.