There are a number of factors to consider when choosing the right accommodations for your big group, whether your big group includes your friends, coworkers, or extended family. Price, location, spaciousness, amenities, and the duration of your stay are all important.
Plus, there’s an advantage when booking for a big group: you can split costs and access deals and discounts not available to individuals. For help planning your group trip and more info regarding the availability of large group accommodations in your destination, contact a knowledgeable travel advisor today!
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Hotels for Large Groups
Cramming all of the members of your big group into a hotel room is not only uncomfortable, but also a safety hazard, and not allowed by most hotels. However, hotels can be a great option for group trips for many of the same reasons they are good for individuals or smaller groups. Usually located near a destination’s main attractions, hotels can help reduce your group’s transportation needs. This makes hotels a solid option for big groups, providing plenty of amenities and enough space when planned properly.
Customer service offered by hotel front desks means questions are answered and needs met, even in the middle of the night, if necessary. This is key if your group trip includes kids. A swimming pool is another perk many hotels offer. Hotels are frequently located near pharmacies and convenience stores.
Block Room Booking or Adjoined Rooms
While possible to book a block of individual hotel rooms next to one another, actually doing so can be tricky. Some hotels offer adjoined rooms when groups need to stay together. You might ask about a discount for families booking adjoined rooms, with big hotel chains most likely to offer deals discounts for families or other groups.
Book in advance to give you and your group the best chance to be placed next to one another. Hotels are unlikely to give you the option to do so, especially on busy weekends or during peak travel season. But if your big group books early enough to claim a section of the hotel, it can balance the benefit of staying together while maintaining privacy and comfort.
Apartment-Style Extended Stays
Because extended stay rooms are designed to accommodate longer stays, they tend to be more spacious with a longer list of amenities. This gives your big group more space to spread out, with more storage space for better organization and maximum comfort.
An extended stay hotel room won’t necessarily allow more individuals per room just because it’s bigger. But you might find multiple extended stay rooms provide adequate accommodations for your large group.
Most extended stay and apartment-style lodgings offer a full kitchen including appliances and some cookware. A full kitchen can include a refrigerator, fully-operational stovetop, oven, and microwave. Choose this option for your overnight group trip to cook your own meals and serve them in a space large enough for a dinner table.
Suites
Suites combine the privacy and convenience of regular hotel rooms with the space and flexibility of extended stay options making them the gold standard for large group accommodations. Plus, there’s an easy trick to find which hotels offer suites: it’s usually right there in the name of the hotel.
Most rental suites are a series of interconnected rooms with or without a shared space. They are typically connected by a shared door only accessed by occupants of the suite. Some suites may have kitchens and living rooms where occupants can gather. They will almost always have upscale amenities such as a full guest laundry room, gym, pool, and hot tub.
Resorts (Including All-Inclusives)
What’s not to love about resorts, especially for large groups? Resorts provide beautiful locations, spacious rooms, and nearly endless amenities. For large groups, they are also convenient. There are four main advantages to the group resort experience:
- Ample meeting and event space.
- Separate areas for families and adults.
- Access to numerous on-site activities and amenities, including restaurants, shopping, and provisions.
- The option for an all-inclusive group stay, where food, drinks, and activities are included in the room price.
A common hurdle to a resort stay for large groups is the price tag. But don’t discount the chance to stay at a resort too quickly—they can be an attractive option for large families or group work trips.
Short-Term Rentals For Groups
Short-term house rentals for big group getaways have exploded in popularity. With options galore including large rentals, flexible pricing, and ideal locations in quiet neighborhoods, hosting travelers isn’t just for hotels anymore.
Unlike hotels, short-term house rentals may be flexible in terms of the number of guests allowed, depending on the rental owner and local codes.
Short-term rentals can include sprawling luxury properties that combine home rental and resort experiences. Visitors may have access to the entire property, plus extras like a pool, grill, fire pit, and space for outdoor activities. More secluded lodging may even have access to hiking trails for walks in nature and team-building activities.
Vacation Rentals
While you could consider short-term rentals through a website, vacation rentals typically refer to properties that were built specifically for tourists, rather than converted homes. Big vacation rentals can include cabins, condos, cottages, villas, and even boats! A vacation rental is a common option when large groups, including extended family and friends, head to the beach, mountains, or lake, but they can also be great for other types of group trips.
Large rentals typically have spacious floor plans, ample rooms, fully-functional kitchens, and outdoor patios and porches. For getaways in more remote areas like mountains or lakes, vacation rentals can be your best option among slim choices. Not to worry, they are often well worth the price, which can be split between members of large groups.