Can you accommodate a family of 5?

[guest 4]

I know this won't apply to a lot of us, and I also wasn't sure where to put this post.

This is coming more from a potential renter's point of view. so I thought I would put it in the bookings section.

We are considering going somewhere new for our summer hols next year. I've been looking around all your great properties to get ideas.

It occurred to me that had I been looking five years ago, I would have needed accommodation for 2 adults and three children. No longer a consideration, because our kids are older and I expect to book them as 'seperate adults' in a seperate room/gite

The reason we bought our own place in Cyprus was because it was so hard (and expensive) to find somewhere to house us all without booking two hotel rooms or two apartments.

I notice that a lot of places seem to be geared up for a family of two adults and two children.

Does anyone cater specifically for a family of 5? Do you have a 'family room' that can sleep 5? I think it would be a good selling point if you advertised the fact that you can accommodate such a family.

I used to google 'holiday accommodation for a family of 5' or a variation but came up with very little.

Just a thought.

Ruth

[Guest3]

Good question Kip! When we had our youngest (now 17) we became a family of 5...and we found it expensive to book package holidays. We used to go on S/C apartment holidays, but always had to book accommodation for 6 and pay the unoccupancy supplement on top!

Do you have a 'family room' that can sleep 5?

If I had the room I would! We have a large bedroom at the villa which I describe as a 'family room' which sleeps 4.
However our villa could easily accommodate a family of 5 adults!

[guest 4]

Like me BP, But it does work out expensive to book a 3 room villa for 2 adults and 3 kids, fine if it is two families with one child each, they can share the costs.

I was always frustrated with the penalty, because we had three. Our fault I suppose, because we are not the 'norm'. Families are considered 2+2. didn't think about that before we 'accidentally' had the third. Perhaps I would have taken more 'care' had I considered the cost of holidaying! Only joking of course, I wouldn't be without our youngest, and loudest.

Ruth

[Partridge]

We got a 3 bed to accommodate our 2 kids with partners / sister with hub and Mum & Dad and I did think it would be easier to rent as the split of 2 to 3 bed apts are probably 6 to 1 but I haven't found this to be the case.

About 75% of our bookings have been for 4 people and the rest for 5, in fact I have only ever had 2 bookings for the maximum of 6, which has surprised me. Off peak we charge around the same as the 2 bedders as competition is stiff but I can only assume there aren't many 5/6 people families out there ?

[guest 4]

There are a lot of families of 5 Party,

I have this conversation with lots of friends with 3 kids, it is a big problem for them, I think if they could find somewhere to accommodate them for the same or a bit above a family of 4, bearing in mind that their youngest will not cost much more to accommodate, they would jump at it. I have always had to trawl through hundreds of sites to find a family room for 2 adults and 3 young kids. If it was in my face, perhaps under one site, it would have been a godsend.

Someone should create a site, called 'one room holiday accomodation for a family of 5' They would clean up, along with the properties advertising with them.

Ruth

[Partridge]

There are a lot of families of 5 Party

Yes, there must be Kipz, it's just that it seemed odd to me that I don't get many enquiries for that size. Obviously there are some variations on IC but the average charge in high season for a 2 bed is £550 and mine £675, maybe the families of 5 prefer to squeeze one onto a sofa bed ?

[Big Sis..]

Hi Kip

Interesting post....

Ive been trying to find some accomodation for my Niece in a hotel in Italy..and what has surprised me is that children only go up to 12[what happens to em after that gawd only knows]....so both hers will be'Adults'
Also her Mum and Dad[my brother] are going to be with them and for various reasons they want to be together....
You try getting 2[or 3] hotel rooms together..one that sleeps 4 and one that sleeps 2..
So Im steering her to a Villa but from what youve said that could be difficult as well ..

And it is odd going through the sites looking at villas from the other perspective..some arent very user friendly..and some take an age to download...

In Spain we have had a few bookings this year for 4 or 5 and they said they like more space and the children can be separated to stop arguments
[Im sure weve all been there].

[enid]

This is really why we have the sofa beds - so we have had families of 5.

[la vache!]

I get quite a few families of 5 staying in my 3 bed house which this year was £760 per week in peak.

[Hells Bells]

I have had a couple of families of 5 staying in my 1 bedroom apartment. Not ideal, as I think it is too crowded, and I only advertise for 4 now. I provided a double and a single sofa bed, more for the flexibility it offers for three or four guests than to sleep 5. Only one of the groups of 5 has complained about being squashed, any they wanted to book again. (I refused).

[The Moles Mother]

Our family suite is two adjoining rooms plus en-suite bathroom and will accommodate a family of 5 if we put an extra bed in the main bedroom.

I'm in two minds about advertising this as it is only really relevant to the peak late July/August season when we have lots of families coming and going on their way to the South and we can fill the room quite happily any way without having to wash the extra sheets.

MM

[Margaret]

4 of our 5 apartments have 3 double bedrooms. We get a lot of bookings for families and groups of 5 or 6.
After a lot of discussion and experimentation, we settled for charging every apartment per night for 2 people and then charging Euros 5 per person per night above that. This makes the apartments look good value for larger groups. Our 5 star apartments have all en suite bathrooms and work well for families of 5 as there are 2 double bedrooms and one twin (we don't do sofa beds in the sitting room at all and only add folding beds in exceptional circumstances).
Apart from the fact that a family of 5 will only pay Euros 910 for a week in August (and 6 will pay Euros 945), our pricing method has, we think, the advantage that we also get quite a lot of bookings even for the largest apartments from couples or 3s out of the high season. We are happy because we are getting the rent we want every week and the extra Euros 5 per person per night is reasonable to cover the extra tourist tax, sheets and towels and hot water. Although we will probably try to raise it to Euros 10 per extra person per night in future.
It works for us anyway.
We also benefit hugely from allowing arrivals and departures on any day of the week and stays of any length as not everybody wants to travel on Saturday or is able to.

[LaLuz]

Actually I've noticed that there are alot of 'blended families' these days who have 3, 4 or even 5 children

We've had quite a few bookings from such families for our 3 bedroomed house and I think the fully equipped kitchen is a big draw for the parents because eating out works out so expensive when you're feeding so many children.

Mind you it's the pool slide that clinches it for the kids!!

[Big Sis..]

Actually I've noticed that there are alot of 'blended families' these days who have 3, 4 or even 5 children

Thats such a good point LL..
Theres so many step children to be considered nowadays..and of course if they dont normally live at the 'family' home would still like to have the own space.
One of the families at mine at the moment are in this position with an Older Step child and the Step Mother did check about the bedroom arrangements before she booked so he could have his own bedroom..

[Bohinj Badger]

We have two 'double bedrooms' downstairs and one family room upstairs, which can sleep four as it has four beds. I have noticed that particularly during the peak July-August period most of our bookings have indeed come from families of five, six and even seven. Some of these 'families' are extended with cousins and friends joining for the holiday.

Before we started out here, I had incorrectly thought that large families holidays were on the decline. Initially (to be honest), I was very worried about wear-and-tear on the chalet, but it does not seem to be an issue at all.

One of our guests sent us a photo of their family playing scrabble around the living room table in the chalet. It was quite a touching picture and just how I would like holidays in our chalet to be!


BB (Badge)