Group hotel booking: rooms for larger parties

Who group booking is for

Group bookings cover anything where several rooms are needed at once, such as a family reunion, a wedding party, a sports team, a work trip or a celebration. Hotels set their own rules on what counts as a group, so ask us if you are unsure.

What to tell us

• the destination, and the area you want to be in
• your dates, and how flexible they are
• the number of rooms and guests, and the room types you need, such as doubles, twins and family rooms
• whether any rooms need to be next to each other or connecting
• your budget per person or per room
• meals, parking and meeting space, if you need them
• who is paying, and whether guests pay separately

What groups should ask the hotel

Terms for larger bookings can differ from single bookings. Before you commit, ask about:

• the deposit and when the balance is due
• how many rooms you must pay for, and what happens if some guests drop out
• the deadline for sending the final list of guest names
• whether the group rate applies to extra rooms added later
• cancellation terms for the whole booking and for individual rooms
• accessible rooms, if anyone needs one
• breakfast times and capacity, so a large group is not left waiting
• parking, if guests are driving

How we help

We collect the details, ask hotels for availability and terms, and send you a quote that shows what each option includes. You can compare hotels like for like before you decide. Ask about deposit and instalment options on your booking.

Start early

Hotels have a limited number of rooms, and groups need several at once, so availability can run out quickly on busy dates. Contact us as soon as your dates are fixed. We cannot guarantee availability, and terms vary by hotel.

Different kinds of group trip

• Weddings. Guests often want rooms near the venue. Contact us early, so rooms can be held close to the date.
• Family reunions. A mix of room sizes is usual, and a hotel with a shared space or restaurant helps.
• Sports teams. Early starts and late finishes matter, so ask about breakfast times, parking for a coach and secure storage.
• Work trips. Location near the office or meeting venue matters most, and you may need a single invoice.
• Celebrations. Ask whether the hotel has a private space, and whether there are rules on noise.

What happens after you send your details

An agent reads your request and may phone you with questions, for example about the room mix or the budget. We then ask hotels about availability and terms, and send you a quote that shows the price, what it includes and the conditions. If you want to compare hotels, we can send more than one. You decide whether to go ahead, and no payment is taken on the enquiry form.

Where we can book

We book hotels in the UK and across Europe, and in Turkey and Dubai. Our guides to Dubai, Antalya, Marbella, Crete, and Lisbon and the Algarve cover the areas worth knowing.