Holiday place to rent for DD and her friends?

[BonnesVacances]

I'm looking for a house to rent for DD's 18th for a couple of nights. I've looked on Airbnb but the problem is the sleeping arrangements. For one reason or another the girls aren't really up for sharing doubles, so I need as many twin rooms as possible. I'd started off looking at Center Parcs but you need someone aged 21 in the party. Also I'm also paying for it myself so I'm trying to keep the costs down.

They're not looking for a party house or any nightlife nearby. They don't drink and are all geeks so will likely just play board games all weekend. Open plan layout downstairs would be better.

I'm looking at Hampshire, Dorset, Wiltshire border area really, though West Sussex is an option too. Does anyone know of anywhere please?

Can't they stay in a hotel at the location? I can't imagine anyone wanting to rent their house for 2 nights to a bunch of 18 year olds.

Have you tried YHA?

Second the YHA. How many 18 year olds? Why can't your DD sort this out if she's nearly 18 and over exams? esp if you give her a budget - so she knows what she's costing you and can push some friends into sharing a double.

How many people?

A European destination would solve your problem... we spent last summer touring around various air b&b type places in several countries and didn't see a single double bed! At best they were two single divan beds pushed together to make a double! I have seen similar in holiday cottages here on occasion but not sure how you'd actively go about searching one out.

Entitled, much? When we were 18 we'd have been researching it ourselves (even easier now as I bet they all have smart phones) and would bunk in.
Stick em in YHA if they don't want doubles.

DD has ME and I'm organising this as a low-key weekend for her and her friends so her 18th doesn't go by without some form of celebration. A hotel wouldn't be suitable or a YHA, as it needs to be quiet.

Not that I need to explain  but these are all friends of DD's who since she became ill 3.5 years ago have all gone their separate ways at college and are no longer really friends with each other. Hence why I don't want to ask them to share a bed. Also because DD is ill, she can't share either.

She isn't capable of researching this and she is to all intents and purposes a 14 year old as she's not grown or developed much since she got ill. She's barely capable of taking a GCSE!

We'll be staying down the road in case we're needed, just in case anyone feels they would like to comment on whether it's a good idea for her to go away at all! We are just trying to organise an age-appropriate activity for her whilst keeping it manageable in view of her illness.

I think it sounds like a lovely idea.

It sounds like a lovely idea OP.

I think you're going to struggle on the twin rooms though.

So as an outside the box suggestion what about glamping?

I'm thinking things like Featherdown Farms.

They are in quiet rural locations and have different types of accommodation.

You might be able to book a couple of tents/cabins (including one for yourself).

I appreciate camping isn't the obvious choice with your DD's condition but "glamping" is very different.

Sorry just to add many of the tents sleep up to 10 people in "box beds" see picture.

So depending on how may you needed to invite no-one needs to share a bed.

Many have a bathroom/toilet (just thinking of your DD).

Facilities vary from site to site, but there's loads in the locations you mentioned.

Sorry wrong picture (but still one of a FD large tent).

Here is a box bed..

OP tries to organise a treat for her kids 18th and that makes her entitled? Really? I am so sorry if your parents did not do things for you at that age but most parents do still get involved with their teenage children

Exactly, entitled to what? I think the op is trying to do something really good for her daughter and someone comes along burning with resentment because she didn't have it so good when she was a teenager.

@palavah Australian saying "I only open my mouth to put my other foot in"

With some of the smaller YHA hostels you can make a booking for the whole hostel - might be decent value for what you are looking for.

How many beds do you actually need?

Check cholderton (stonehenge) hostel or Tom and Kate's- large house rentals for big partoes/ groups.

If it's out of term time what about uni accommodation?

www.lavenderhillholidays.co.uk

Thanks. I'll have a look at those suggestions.

It'll probably be for 5 girls, possibly 6. Not enough to hire out a whole hostel. It's a shame as we've stayed in them as a family in the past and it would have been good in other circumstances.

It'll also be in October, so not sure about the glamping because of the temperature. Unfortunately her birthday is in the half term which doesn't help with the cost either.

I'm losing faith with the idea. It's frustrating that holiday companies charge 16+ as adults, but then say that 17/18 isn't old enough to stay on their own.

Thanks for the nice comments from pp who've made them.

Can you look for somewhere with private cottages on a complex - then you can book 2 houses, one fur you & DH, and one to sleep the girls , but the whole booking in your name? A lot of holiday places will have link beds that can be split as twins or zipped as doubles.

Hi OP,

Glamping is great at that time of year in my experience.

Better than the summer tbh.

The tent we had was really warm and cosy with a log burner and better than being hot and sweaty in the summer.

You need camping/glampng sites and a couple of tents if they aren't provided.
They can have a blast. Get a Coleman event shelter with walls for board games.

Can you not hire 2 lodges at Center Parcs one for them and one for you and another adult so it looks like you have an adult in each IYSWIM , would anyone actually check who is sleeping where ? I can empathise OP as our dd has had ME / CFS since she was 11 and she is 20 now and still pretty badly affected .

I think this is a lovely idea OP.

I know you said Wilts/Dorset/Hampshire but I wonder if going a little further afield is an option? Appreciate that may not be realistic given your DD’s condition but if it is this is in Somerset, looks awesome, absolutely huge for quite reasonable money, and has a total of 7 beds in 4 rooms so while some girls would need to share a room there would be no need at all to share a bed.

www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/26734077?location=Somerset&children=0&adults=6&check_in=2019-10-21&check_out=2019-10-23&source_impression_id=p3_1561678794_QGFDHojhVNcUkn6N