Great Reunion SitesI wish I'd know that vacation rentals make best reunion sites when I got married. Right after our wedding, my husband and I joined our families and close friends for a weekend near Carmel on the coast of northern California. Everybody stayed at a 22-room bed & breakfast inn. If I had a do-over, I’d definitely opt for a vacation rental.
First of all, it would have been cheaper. I estimated that the nightly total for our An entire ranch! Large occupancy rentals make great reunion sites because they come in all shapes and sizes. From majestic villas to dressed-up frat houses. Some houses are kid palaces. A pool, basketball court, trampoline, well stocked game room, big But, of course, every opportunity brings its own pitfalls. If you're planning a reunion of your diverse Great reunion sites in California
From "on" to "near" the Couples and grandparents have privacy; families, a place to retreat when kids get fussy. The whole #2. Calculate Actual Occupancy. You’ll notice in some listings for prospective reunion sites 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 guests may be friendly -- even close family. 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. So 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". 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 groups don’t fit that scenario, so don’t get your heart set on any reunion sites that clearly won’t work from the get-go. Read the fine print and think logistically. 
Analyzing one of the reunion sites I found The maximum occupancy for a prospective 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 reunion site 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. The beauty of making a vacation home your reunion site 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 scouting reunion sites: if you’re planning a gathering of diverse or particularly fussy people, I recommend listing everyone’s personal preferences on paper. And then, don’t reserve a home until every single one of your questions is answered to your (that is, everyone’s) satisfaction.
Back to the top of Vacation Rentals Make Great Family Reunion Sites
|
