At Symondsbury Estate, as we have a number of luxury holiday cottages which are perfect for a group holiday with friends and family, we’ve learned what makes for a fun-packed, memorable and stress-free trip. While you can’t plan for every eventuality, our top tips below will help smooth the way for a successful break.
1. Appoint a group leader
While it’s good for everyone in the group to input into the planning so you get an idea of what people want from the holiday, it helps to have one person in charge who can make sure that everything gets done. That doesn’t mean that the leader can’t delegate – for example, asking one person to look into local restaurants and another to research activities nearby.
2. Research self-catering accommodation
You can’t beat a group holiday cottage when you’re getting together in numbers. At Symondsbury Estate we have a range of great group accommodation, with the largest sleeping up to 21 people. This way you get a large living room to relax in and a kitchen to cook together in – plus self-catering can keep the cost down.
3. Think about the make-up of the group
Be clear about who is coming on the holiday so you can ensure your group accommodation has what you need to keep everyone happy. If there are babies, do you need there to be a cot? Does someone have accessibility needs? Or even, does the cottage allow dogs. It’s best to have all the information you need to make sure you can find the perfect place to stay.
4. Book early
Once you’ve found the perfect holiday cottage, book it straightaway or you will be horribly disappointed if you lose it and have to start from scratch. You should also look to book restaurants well ahead of time too as finding a table to accommodate 10 people on the night can be difficult.
5. Plan activities
The perfect group holiday tends to be one where you have a mix of planned activities, but plenty of downtime too. Planned activities can simply be making the most of staying in a beautiful part of the world. For instance, when staying in Symondsbury Estate you can access miles of trails on foot or by bike or head down to any one of the stunning beaches along the Jurassic Coast for a stroll, picnic, swim or even paddleboarding.
Or, if you want something more structured, then research any fun workshops happening locally (e.g. willow weaving or something foodie) or look for activities that run near where you’re staying – for example, a boat trip if you’re near water, rock climbing or canyoning if you’re in the mountains.To make the most of your downtime, you can find cottages that give you wonderful ways to relax, such as offering a pool, hot tub or games room. Plus it’s also worth bringing your favourite group games to play.
6. It’s all about the money
Issues with money are the most likely to create issues on a group holiday so be clear about costs up front and it’s worth finding out (before you book somewhere) how much people want to spend.When you’re on your trip, nominate someone to run a ‘kitty’ where everyone puts in the same amount. Use that for ongoing expenses and top it up as needed. Plus, you can also use apps like Splitwise which keeps tabs with what people have spent, and works out who owes what to whom at the end of the trip.
