Vacation Rentals?
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Click here for the full list of my favorite California family and group reunion homes. |
First of all, it would have been cheaper.
I estimated that the nightly total for our
11 rooms was $1,540. Scouting vacation rental booking sites, I found a ranch renting for $1,335.
An entire ranch!
Large occupancy rentals are great family reunion ideas because they come in all shapes and sizes.
From majestic villas to dressed-up frat houses.
Some, like the ranch I found, are a cluster of
private houses or cabins.
Some houses are kid palaces. A pool, basketball court, trampoline, well stocked game room, big
screen TV and sports equipment like kayaks.
But, of course, every opportunity brings its own pitfalls. If your family reunion ideas include diverse
and fussy relatives or hosting a special event such
as a wedding or anniversary celebration, there are
few reunion locations as comfortable and private as a
large vacation rental home.
Great reunion locations in California
If you plan to host a
celebration,
click here for important logistical information and resources.
Basic Scouting Strategies For Your
Family Reunion Ideas
#1. Expand your search.
From "on" to "near" the
beach. A local vacation rental property manager
can help you coordinate renting several homes next door or within walking distance of each other. This arrangement gives your group maximum flexibility.
Couples and grandparents have privacy; families, a place to retreat when kids get fussy. The whole
group can gather at the beach.
#2. Calculate Actual Occupancy.
You’ll notice in some listings for prospective family reunion locations that the ratio of bedrooms to people doesn’t seem to match up.
“Six bedrooms, sleeps 30” is a pretty clear indication you’re looking at a bunkhouse. Which may be your dream weekend if you're a 20-something snowboarder. Anything-but for a gathering of multiple generations.
#3. Figure out configuration.
Your family may be close, but that doesn’t mean they’re anxious to snuggle up together in a queen-sized bed. I’ve talked to sisters who love traveling together, but refuse to share a bathroom.
Sleeping arrangements should guide your family reunions ideas. When it comes to choosing a vacation rental, you can’t always take the total number guests and divide by two.
Once you have a clear understanding of the personal preferences of each member of your group, you may need to do a little simple math.
#4. Automatically round down "maximum occupancy".
Vacation rental owners typically calculate maximum occupancy as every possible sleeping surface occupied -- including fold-out couches, daybeds and dual-purpose futons.
I call it the “slumber party syndrome”.
Many families don’t fit that scenario, so don’t get your heart set on any family reunion locations that clearly won’t work from the get-go. Read the fine print and think logistically.
Analyzing one of the reunion homes I found
The maximum occupancy for a prospective family reunion site I visited in the Russian River town of Guerneville (a short drive from spectacular Sonoma State Beaches) is 11. The master suite has a king-sized bed with its own bathroom–that’s two people.
The second bedroom has a queen-sized bed and separate bathroom –which brings your count to four people.
The living room has a queen sleeper. Aha. And which two people will sleep in the middle of the common living room to bring the main house occupancy to six?
Moving out to the patio, there's a cottage with a queen-sized bed and separate shower (bringing the total to eight people).
The other cottage has two bedrooms—one with twin beds and one with a daybed—that share a bathroom.
One person is each bed brings the total to 11.
Certainly a workable equation for a group of couples with some single friends or kids.
But only you can decide whether the configuration of this vacation home makes it a reasonable option for your group of 11.
#5. Recognize that size DOES matter.
Bed size, that is. I know more than a few couples who refuse to sleep in anything smaller than a king-sized bed. Period.
But it’s safe to assume that the gang on your girls weekend getaways would prefer twin -- or at least separate -- beds.
#6. Resolve the bathroom conundrum.
Some of the most charming prospective large occupancy I’ve visited don’t have a separate bathroom for every bedroom.
To be fair, sometimes it’s just not architecturally feasible to build modern convenience into historic character! However, if separate bathrooms is the bottom line (so to speak) for your group, you will find homes that fit the requirements.
The bathroom-to-bedroom ratio is easy to spot in reviews on our site and owners' listings on booking site.
#7. Fill in the common-area variables.
What makes renting a vacation home one of the all-time great family reunion ideas is that every member of your group can gather in a comfortable, private common area.
But if the maximum occupancy seems stretched to its limit, you may find common area facilities don’t add up either.
Make sure easily bored siblings or bonding cousins have plenty of safe places to let off steam away from adults. Some houses are kid palaces. In addition to the beach, look for amenities like:
- A spacious rec room equipped with billiards, table tennis, pinball machine
- A state-of-the-art entertainment system
- Basketball hoop or court
- Expansive lawn
- Swimming pool
- Equipment, including kayaks
Just the beginning.
The bottom line when you're fleshing out your family reunion ideas is to consider everybody's needs and preferences. If you’re planning a gathering of diverse or particularly fussy people, I recommend listing everyone’s personal preferences on paper. Don’t consider any family reunion locations that don't fit your criteria and don't book a home until every single one of your questions is answered to your (that is, everyone’s) satisfaction.
Our 10-step planning checklist applies when you choose a large occupancy vacation rental, too.
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One of the Great Family Reunion Ideas!
