To ask how much you would spend on a hen weekend?

[rose88xx]

Hi everyone,

Posting here for traffic I hope that's ok!

I am organising my sisters hen weekend. It will probably be early next year but want to get an idea of prices before booking anything. I haven't been to a lot of hen weekends as I lived out of the country for a few years and missed a lot of my friends hens.

Wondering how much you would expect to pay for a weekend? Thinking of a shared house somewhere, good quality/fairly luxury style accommodation (hopefully each guest with their own room, a group of 4/5 girls) in a nice town/city. Guests would stay for 2/3 nights depending on their schedules and travel times. I would be happy to cover a bit more of the accommodation costs for people staying for only 1/2 nights.

The itinerary i'm planning is:

Arrive Friday, drinks, takeaway, games in the accommodation
Saturday fun activity (crazy golf, art class etc) and a nice meal out
Sunday spa treatments

It would be great to hear what you would expect to pay for accommodation, and whether you prefer a fixed price for everything (including food and activities) or to pay for things as you go?

If it helps we are a group of professionals in our mid thirties, so OK for disposable income.

Any other tips or love/hates about your hens would be great!

Thanks!!

I wouldn't want to stay over, certainly not somewhere close to where I live. My favourite is the drop in and out ones, I'm happy to do whatever activities are offered and the evening dinner/show/drinks whatever. I just don't want to spend money on accommodation that invariably isn't as nice as my house or ends up costing a fortune because someone drops out or whatever. Happy to celebrate however the bride chooses but let me go home and be hungover in peace the next day

If three nights and luxury accommodation AND you are all ok for spends then I would say quite a bit more than £250 for accommodation. Can’t see how that would be city luxury accommodation.
I’d prefer to pay for everything else separately. Id want it to be only two nights and not to have to take workday off (lawyer here so week day means losing weeks trial often).

£50 for drinks and dinner. Weekend? No way.

Also agree with others that it isn’t something I’d look forward too for sure. For me far far better to go for lovely meal out somewhere possibly preceded by spa (!) and probably with club afterwards and taxis HOME. nightmare to spend nights away with people you don’t really know having ‘fun’. Maybe I’m just a curmudgeon.

Depends how many have kids as well IMO. 2-3 nights away takes a lot of diary juggling before you even think about the cost
I would prefer day with optional activity, dinner/ drinks out as the main event, reasonably priced hotel nearby so those at a distance can stay if they want
Preferably a Saturday night because of leave
Before kids I would have been more flexible but even then 3 days is a lot of time with people I didn’t know before

We spent £100 each for a hen in Bristol last year, but there was nothing luxury about it. That included accommodation with breakfast, (Travelodge type place, can't remember exactly, two to a room), Escape Rooms, cocktail making class, and dinner. Even keeping it that low, some people were priced out, so we were glad we didn't go any higher.

@HeronLanyon

Also agree with others that it isn’t something I’d look forward too for sure. For me far far better to go for lovely meal out somewhere possibly preceded by spa (!) and probably with club afterwards and taxis HOME. nightmare to spend nights away with people you don’t really know having ‘fun’. Maybe I’m just a curmudgeon.

This is a good idea, thanks!

Just to clarify though, everyone knows each other. It is one small group who have been best friends for over 10 years. I totally agree weekends away with people you don't know can be a nightmare!!

Oh that does change things sorry if I didn’t read properly op. In that case you’ve probably got a good handle on what they would want to do and pay. Have fun !

Interested to know this too. A close friend wants to go abroad for their hen. Currently being proposed is 3 days/ 4 nights. Flights and hotel £600.....

I also have 2 young children, I'm correct in thinking this is too much aren't I ?

My hen do limit is £150 all in, but it's normally the women from the the bride's life from lots of areas rather than one close group of friends so whereas I do enjoy them, it's not necessarily something I want to spend a whole weekend and loads of money on. If it was just good friends, which it sounds like this is, of mine too i'd be happy to spend double that.

To ask how much you would spend on a hen weekend

Nothing - you would have to pay me to go on one!

@memberofthewedding

To ask how much you would spend on a hen weekend

Nothing - you would have to pay me to go on one!

a decent spa treatment is £100 and a solo activity unless part of a spa day

I know someone who is having a Hen do in Dubai.

All the guests have had to pay for the accommodation, flights and activities upfront. A day trip to the dessert, cocktail class, spa treatments etc, etc.

They have also been issued with a list of the dress code colour for each day and the style of dress expected.

I have no idea how much it is costing but it must be a fortune.

Crazy.

You’ll get loads of opinions on here, but none as relevant as the opinions of the group - all of whom you say know each other well and are best friends. The “value for money” element of £200 on a weekend is different when it’s something you really want to do, versus something that will be fun, but you’re only doing it because it’s a hen.

Honestly, it’s a small group - I’d phone each person individually and ask about theirs ideas and preferences. Not even budget at that point, as some may not want to say that outright - but their suggestions will give you a big hint!

@ohwhattodowithmylife

My idea of hell. I would rather spend on a meal and go home rather than spend a weekend with some people I hardly know playing games. Maybe I'm just old and miserable but I have little spare money to spend in myself so couldn't comprehend spending that on myself for someone's hen do x

How do you know keep getting invited to hen-Do’s where you don’t know the other people? Most of mine are close friends…

@HeronLanyon if they’re all BFF’s then this thread is redunsdant. Unless one of them kicks up a fuss 😂😂😂

Probably £2-300

As others have said, I wouldn’t go to far away, maybe 2 hours travel away max for as much people as possible. Also don’t see why you are so keen on the luxury element of accommodation. A hostel would be a good laugh? Or you could say me and sis are sharing a room at luxury hotel it costs this much… or there’s a travel lodge/premier inn nearby.

Also think it’s a good idea having elements people can choose to attend.

I'd, honestly, only be happy staying over somewhere if it was a necessity because we mostly lived in different parts of the country.

But that's just me [now middle aged, have been to a gazillion weddings & 'last nights of freedom', stayed in a hundred hotels, have kids, etc, have generally seen it all before]. It's right that you take a poll & ask others' opinion.

I don’t do weekend ones, don’t mind a day or night as long as localish and I like the venue.
I also dislike putting costs from the wedding onto others so I paid the hen costs for guests.

Objectively, no matter how young, or rich, or commitment free you are, 3 or 4 nights for a hen/stag is a total nonsense unless the people you're going with are, without exception, people who you see totally eye with on nearly all matters that are relavant to the shindig [i.e. budget, activities, level of drinking, etc].

2 nights is OTT for many, desirable for others.

1 night's overight stay might not be to everyone's liking but would rarely be seen as excessive.