What’s better than traveling solo and staying in a hotel on your own? Traveling with a group of quality people that matters to you, of course — your beloved family who’d love to see new, exciting places, your high-spirited cousins who’ve got a lot of gossips about your relatives, or your circle of friends who’d never run out of stories to tell and tequila bottles to open.
Traveling with more people on board is fun, but this also means having to make special travel arrangements and considerations — like finding the best accommodation for groups.
Choosing where to stay when you’re planning a group vacation can make a huge difference to your travel experience. If you’re the one tasked to find the best lodging option for your holiday family trip, vacation with your friends, batch reunion, and other group travel occasions, check out these accommodation ideas.
1. Family-friendly hotels
Okay, we said this article is about alternative accommodations that are better than hotels, but you might want to consider this option if you’re traveling as a small unit.
If your pack is smaller, like a family of five or a gang of four, and you want exceptional service, you can consider extended stay, family-friendly hotels. Hotels catering to families, group travel and longer stays tend to have bigger rooms and more beds, where up to 6 persons can sleep. If you don’t like sharing one room, you can find suites with connecting rooms at a higher rate.
Hotels are perfect for travelers who are looking to enjoy a fuss-free vacation. No need to worry about cleaning up messy rooms, cooking your meals, and doing the dishes — there are housekeeping services to keep your room spotless, and an in-house restaurant to provide you with delectable meals. All you have to do is relax with your family or friends, and enjoy your vacation.
Family-friendly hotels also have swimming pools, and in most cases, free breakfasts!
2. Serviced apartments or suites
Want to stay in a bigger, apartment-style accommodation but prefer to enjoy the luxurious vibe of hotels? Look no further — find a serviced apartment.
Serviced apartments are fully-furnished suites that are generally more spacious than average hotel rooms. They look like an elegant apartment, complete with a fully-equipped kitchen, dining area, and living room. They also tend to have compartmentalized bedrooms, should you and your group need some privacy.
The main difference between serviced apartments and vacation rentals is they have housekeeping and reception services — just like hotels.
Serviced apartments are a cost-efficient option for group travels, especially for longer trips. You can buy groceries and cook your food instead of surviving on takeaways and eat out.
3. Self-catering vacation rentals
Vacation rentals are perfect for group travelers who’d want to have a bigger space, privacy, and a more laidback policy. They come in different forms. You can rent an entire house, a private villa, or a fully-furnished apartment or condo unit, depending on how big your party is.
You can stay together in one house, prepare meals in your kitchen, and do whatever you want to do (as long as you’re not breaking the terms and conditions). You can even play games and party until dawn — there’ll be no curfews.
You can find vacation rentals on Airbnb, HomeAway, and VacationRentals. Other rentals are listed on social media and travel booking sites. The home rental scene is thriving and the properties are becoming more innovative and competitive than ever. Chances are that you can find unique accommodation properties that are anything but a traditional house, like castles, treehouses, aluminum pods, and hobbit holes.
4. Hostels
Gone are the days when hostels are nothing but shabby. cramped rooms with ugly bunk beds that resemble prisoners’ beds. Hostels have come a long way, and they’re one of the best
While they can still come with bunk beds to accommodate a group of people, they’ve become better than ever. Good hostels have common areas for socializing. They usually have pool tables, televisions, ping pong, and comfortable coaches. You can also find hostels that organize group activities like walking tours, pub crawls, cooking classes, and BBQs. Aside from having fun with your circle, you’ll also have the chance to mingle with other fun-loving strangers.
5. Resorts
If your idea of a perfect vacation for your family and friends includes beaches and pools, then you may consider an all-inclusive resort. Resorts provide (almost) everything you want as a vacationer under one property: lodging, dining, entertainment, shopping, and more. They’ve got swimming pools, others have sandy beaches complete with beach chairs and beds. Some resorts have an array of dining and drinking options. As for lodging, it can be as fancy as a suite or as humble as a modern hut.
6. Camping
If your team is willing to ditch comfort in the name of thrill, why not plan a camping trip? Find a tranquil destination close to nature and camp for a night or two. Next to bringing tents for lodging, you can also hire camper vans or RVs.
Just remember that camping isn’t for everyone. You’ll need to effectively plan the trip to make your vacation as stress-free as possible. You need to talk about who’s going to bring and buy what, and how you’re going to sleep.
Author Bio: Carmina Natividad is a free-spirited writer who loves exploring the great outdoors. She loves traveling, eating, taking food and streetscape photographs, and simply enjoying new experiences and writing about them. To know more about hotels and travel blogs, you may visit PREMIER SUITES Birmingham.
