Booking accommodation for a large group can feel surprisingly stressful, especially if you’re the person responsible for organising it all.
Over the years, we’ve seen just how much thought guests put into choosing the right place for a family gathering, celebration or weekend away with friends.
Some guests have booked a room at the local pub before confirming their stay, simply to test whether the walks and location would suit their group. Others have asked to visit the Long Barn in advance to check the layout and space would work for everyone.
So, based on our own experiences of travelling with friends, along with years of hosting groups here in the North York Moors, these are the five mistakes we think people most commonly make when booking a large group stay.
1. Not checking the bedroom and bathroom layout properly
It’s not just about the number of bedrooms. The layout matters too.
Some places squeeze large groups into dormitory style rooms, sofa beds or the dreaded camping bed. Others may technically sleep everyone, but involve trekking down corridors or navigating stairs in the middle of the night to find a bathroom.
It’s also worth checking with your group if anyone has particular preferences or needs before booking.
We have a friend called Bob who refuses to stay anywhere with beds that have foot ends because, as a tall man, he spends the entire weekend trying to fold himself into a bed that’s too short.
These small details can make a big difference to how relaxed everyone feels during a stay.
2. Discovering there isn’t enough parking
This is one we’ve experienced ourselves.
We once stayed somewhere as five couples, only to discover there were parking spaces for three cars. The remaining cars had to be left several minutes away in the rain while unloading bags and shopping.
Not ideal.
Parking is easy to overlook when booking large group accommodation, particularly in villages or rural locations.
When we planned the outside space at the Long Barn, we quite literally got the measuring tape out to make sure there was room for at least seven or eight cars comfortably. And if guests arrive with more vehicles, which sometimes happens with retreats or multi-generational groups, we have additional parking nearby.
3. Not having enough space for everyone to properly relax
A place might sleep fourteen people, but does it comfortably live fourteen people?
That’s a very different question.
We’ve stayed in cottages where there weren’t enough comfortable seats for everyone to gather together in the evening, or enough room around the dining table for everyone to eat at once.
No one wants a seating rota on holiday.
Our friend Antonia, who is something of an expert in booking self catering cottages, has a rule that everyone should have their own chair arm in the living room. We think that’s actually quite sensible.
It’s also worth thinking about flexibility of space, especially with multi-generational groups. Some people may want a quieter corner to read or chat, while younger guests might need space to spread out a little more.
That flexibility can completely change the feel of a group stay.
4. Assuming “dog friendly” means genuinely dog friendly
There’s often a big difference between somewhere that welcomes dogs and somewhere that simply tolerates them.
It’s always worth checking the details before booking.
We regularly have guests ask about bringing dogs a few weeks before arrival, sometimes increasing numbers at the last minute once the wider family has confirmed plans. Luckily we happily welcome dogs at the Long Barn, but we do wonder how often other places have to say no.
For many people, dogs are part of the family and leaving them behind can completely change the feel of a trip.
It’s also worth checking practical things like nearby walks, enclosed outdoor space and whether local pubs and cafés welcome dogs too.
5. Underestimating the cooking and logistics
Cooking for a large group is very different from cooking at home.
Before booking, it’s worth checking what’s actually included in the kitchen rather than assuming. Things like fridge space, serving dishes, decent cookware, enough glasses and two dishwashers can make a surprisingly big difference over a long weekend.
And while we said this blog was about five mistakes, we do have one extra.
Bonus mistake: not properly checking the location
A countryside location may look idyllic online, but it’s worth checking exactly what’s nearby and how you get there.
We once stayed somewhere where the “walk to the pub” involved half an hour along a busy road with barely any verge. The same road featured in most of the suggested walks too, which slightly took the shine off the relaxing country escape we had imagined.
Before booking, it’s always worth opening Google Maps and checking:
- walking routes
- nearby pubs
- local footpaths
- parking
- how isolated the property really is
Those practical details can make a huge difference once everyone arrives.
And finally, after booking…
Share the arrival information with everyone in your group.
We’ve lost count of the number of guests who forget to pass on directions properly, leaving friends driving around the village looking confused.
Luckily our lovely village community are very used to gently asking anyone who looks lost:
“Are you looking for the Long Barn?”
We still remember one poor guest who ended up in entirely the wrong village over an hour away.
It’s funny afterwards. Usually.
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