So, you have the responsibility of making a large group booking? Scared it’s going to be like ‘herding cats’? Don’t worry! We’ve got some great tips to help you organise a most memorable celebration or special event. Here at The Woodland Collection Holidays in Cornwall, we cater for up to 24 people in our four luxury holidays homes and we’re used to group holidays but these tips are great wherever you stay!
So, what can you do to help make the booking process stress free?
- Establish how best to contact your family/friends/ guests and agree the location, dates and price range with them first. If you all have Facebook Messenger, which is free to use, you can set up a ‘poll’ to agree on the best dates for everyone, the favoured location and the price range. Whatsapp also works well or even an online tool like https://doodle.com can work well if not everyone has a smartphone. Once agreed, you can send a calendar invite through Google or Microsoft to ensure the dates are saved in everyone’s calendar well in advance.
- If you are booking more than one holiday cottage online through the same provider it might be worth speaking to the company to ensure the accommodation is close together and suits all your group needs for accessibility. At The Woodland Collection, our four luxury cottages can sleep from 2 to 24 people and the great thing is they are right next door to each other so the group can stay together…
- How many cars will the group bring? Make sure there is plenty of free parking and good WIFI available, especially if you have multiple devices between the group as some providers charge for more than one device
- You may have guests arriving from different parts of the country, at different times. It’s worth checking that your host/provider can be flexible with the check-in times and that you have all the essentials like bread, milk, coffee and tea for the group.
- Are there any four-legged members of the group? Dog friendly cottages are widely available so your canine friends don’t need to be left behind. Take a look at our dog-friendly page for more about our holiday cottages which welcome dogs. Book now
- Ideally, all the bedrooms should be en suite and have a good hot water system. If you are a big group, the chances are, you will all be getting ready at the same time! Also for corporate groups, it’s nice to have the privacy of your own bathroom.
- Check that each cottage/room has the same facilities to avoid arguments! No one wants to feel like they have missed out.
- Find out whether there is an outdoor area that is accessible for your whole party to hang out in, especially in the summer months. Steps are not good for older guests and young children. A big patio area with plenty of outdoor seating and cooking facilities like BBQs are great for get togethers. Safely fenced areas contain young children or dogs so you can relax. Wide-open spaces/meadows/woods are great for older children to play in and explore. At the Woodland Collection Holiday Cottages, we have specially adapted bifold fencing in between each pair of cottages that can be folded back to open up the patio area for outdoor dining, if a party has booked two side by side cottages or more.
- It’s worth messaging the host/provider to see if they have any recommendations for entertaining your group as they will know what’s on in their area and where the best restaurants are. Here at The Woodland Collection Holiday Cottages, we can help you arrange all sorts of things like Coasteering, Surf lessons, Wild Foraging, Cookery School demos and Artist Workshops, as well as places to go for walking, cycling, golf, fishing, riding and bird watching as well as eating and drinking.
- Book well in advance if you can, especially in peak periods!
We love helping groups organise their special holidays and celebrations so check availability below or get in touch here. Book now
