Start with the feeling you are chasing, not the map. A trip meant to decompress wants fewer decisions: a beach or a spa retreat where the day has a natural rhythm and the biggest choice is which book to finish. A trip meant to stimulate wants density: a city where every street is a decision and the days fill themselves.
Match the group to the format. Couples and solo travellers flex easily either way; families often do best with a base that mixes both — a coastal town with a walkable centre, say, so children get the beach and adults get somewhere to eat that is not the hotel buffet. Mixed-energy groups are happiest when the accommodation itself offers range: a pool and a spa for the restful, a good location for the restless.
When in doubt, split the difference. A few nights in a city followed by a few by the water is the most reliable structure for a week-long trip — you arrive curious, then leave rested, rather than the other way around. Eli the Papillon is organised around exactly these categories so you can browse by the mood you are in.
