View Full Version : villa for one family????
We really want a villa for our next holiday, but there are only 4 of us, 2 adults, 2 kids, it seems that everyone who rents villas goes with big groups making it more cost effective. Some of the villa that have caught my eye have 4/5 bedrooms, it seems such a waste on one family, but we would really want a villa with own pool as opposed to a condo or townhouse with shared facilites. I don't mind the cost cos we are saving for 2 years, and we will probably spend quite a bit of time at the villa as well as the parks
Do many small families rent villas of this size, or do you find it's mainly groups
Thanks
Suzanne
Suzanne
We have had villa holidays with 2 adults and 2 children on a number of occassions as we have taken our 2 neices with us twice before, and also our 2 nephews a further two times.
Even with only the 4 of us it is much nicer having the whole villa to spread out in. It meant the children could each have rooms of their own (no arguments about TV etc!) and having 2 bathrooms really speeded us up getting ready in the morning and the kids could be out in the pool anytime they wanted if we were getting other things ready.
Although we spent nearly all our time at the parks and attractions we did have breakfast most days in the villa, and also a couple of evening meals. Again this is easier and cheaper with the children as they can pick exactly what they want to eat. On an evening when we got back it also meant that after the kids had gone to bed we could 'chill out' with a drink and not have to worry about waking them up.
You could get 4 people in a hotel room but you won't have the space, privacy or convenience that comes will a villa holiday. In fact we loved it so much we finally took the plunge and purchased a villa of our own!
julieanne
18-08-2005, 20:26
Suzanne,
We've often been with only 3 of us in a 3 bedroomed villa, sometimes only 2 of us and I've even considered going on my own - remember the price is for the villa not per person :)
eastcoastbranch
18-08-2005, 20:31
Even before we had our own villa we still rented a villa just for the two of us. We have also had a couple stay in our villa recently and most of our bookings have been for either 4 or 6 people. Once you stay in a villa you`ll never book a hotel again. It`s so nice to have your own space and your own pool.
Have a great holiday.
Hannah.
Thanks
TBH cost isn't an issue, for the facilities you get, the prices are cheap compared to staying at a WDW deluxe resort, where you still only get one room. Thi year we have paid nearly £1000 for 16 nights at a moderate, that was with AP discount, and we still only get one room. Saying that I am still looking forward to it, and as it's our first trip we will be spending a lot of time in Disney, but for future hoidatys the idea of 3 weeks in a villa, spending some days at parks and some relaxing at the villa appeals very much
Suzanne
Hiya
Before we bought our own villa, we always rented others, usually 3 beds. we wanted the private pool ect. There were only the two of us but it was great having all that space.
The Collins
18-08-2005, 20:58
We also have rented a 3/4 bedroom villa for just the two of us before we bought our own. We also have gone on a number of occasions with another couple so only 4 of us in total. Its the total luxury of being somewhere that feels like home and have the privacy of your own pool etc. that makes it all worthwhile. Also you can eat and drink outside by the pool knowing your children are safely tucked up in bed.
SunLover
18-08-2005, 21:15
Our home is a 4 bed / 2.5 bath, and our average number of guests is usually just 5.
I think like others have said, if you enjoy the extra space, go for it and book yourself a beautiful villa. :D
You are right of course that two families holidaying together can split the cost of a villa, making it a very attractive price.
Likewise as you appreciate, even for a family of four, it is good value for money when compared to a hotel room.
We have had several guests of only mother, father and 1 child in our 4 bedroomed home!
steph_goodrum
18-08-2005, 21:27
We often have single family units in our 4 bed, which to be perfectly honest is the scenario we envisaged when we set up. We had a 3 bed plan but opted to change the 2nd living area into a 4th bedroom so there would be room for grandparents if they wanted to come along (in house babysitting, what could be better!).
Suzanne,
Our 4 bed is often occupied by single families. A Florida villa is such an outstanding product for such great value (which you already seem to know :)) that there would be no reason to consider doing it any other way!! Best wishes with your plans!
chrizzy100
18-08-2005, 21:33
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by zazu
We really want a villa for our next holiday, but there are only 4 of us, 2 adults, 2 kids, it seems that everyone who rents villas goes with big groups making it more cost effective. Some of the villa that have caught my eye have 4/5 bedrooms, it seems such a waste on one family, but we would really want a villa with own pool as opposed to a condo or townhouse with shared facilites. I don't mind the cost cos we are saving for 2 years, and we will probably spend quite a bit of time at the villa as well as the parks
Do many small families rent villas of this size, or do you find it's mainly groups
Thanks
Suzanne
[/quote]
I have a 4 bedroom villa.....and most of the time its only me and hubby that stay there.....if cost is no problem....then any size home would be OK......
We go mostly on our own in our 3 bed villa , the advantages of a villa over a hotel room far outweigh any cost and having your own private pool where you can watch the children more closely is indeed invaluable.
KarenScott
18-08-2005, 22:07
Hi Suzanne
Just curious what is AP discount? Did you go to Florida this year?
We are a family of 5 and since discovering the joy of staying in villas have never looked back. Suzanne, you will just love it - the space, the freedom of your own pool. I think it is so strange that when a family go on holiday that they will stay in a one room hotel but would you do this at home? I just don't understand why families put them self through it on a holiday they they have probably saved for and really want to enjoy.
huckleberry house
18-08-2005, 22:13
Hi Suzanne
I have a 5 bed but find most of my guests are smaller groups,many times even just two people and my average group size is 5. I find most people consider the villa cost a small proportion of the holiday cost overall and prefer to spend just that little bit more to find a home they love rather than going on the amount of rooms in the home.
Good luck,
Lesley
andrewmckay5
18-08-2005, 23:34
Suzanne,
when you make your enquiries I would ask for the air conditioned square footage of the villa not just the number of bedrooms which can be deceiving and give the impression of the villa being bigger than it actually is. I know of 4 bedroom villas that are larger then some 5 or 6 bedromms and thus give youu more "living space."
andrew
Hi Suzanne,
We have been staying in villas since 1983 and our family size has changed over the years but we always stay in a villa, once went with 2 adults and one baby and we all slept in the master bedroom as the baby was in his cot and we never even used the other bedrooms or bathrooms!!!
We are looking for a large villa next year but there maybe only 2 adults and 2 children, then again the whole family my decide they want to come in that case there will be me and hubby plus 21 y/o, 20 y/o, 16 y/o, 8 y/o and 3 y/o but I still look at villas of all sizes[msnwink]
Hi Suzanne,
Go on, spoil yourselves. You know you will expand to fit whatever size villa you choose because of all the huge meals you get in the US ;)
When we went over last year to buy our villa we stayed in a 4 bed villa and there were only two of us. We did not feel as if we rattled about in it, but then, we have the same at home. We ended up buying a 5 bed and envisage just the two of us there most of the time. We have already had many people in small groups making enquiries about it so I think there are lots of pople who like space and the comfort of a villa without being cramped into a hotel room.
Good luck with the saving and if you need any motivation to keep saving, just go onto the three sites at the top of this page and start searching for your perfect holiday home. You will soon get hooked.
steph_goodrum
19-08-2005, 03:15
"Suzanne,
when you make your enquiries I would ask for the air conditioned square footage of the villa not just the number of bedrooms which can be deceiving and give the impression of the villa being bigger than it actually is. I know of 4 bedroom villas that are larger then some 5 or 6 bedromms and thus give youu more "living space."
andrew"
That in itself can be deceptive, Andrew the square footage of my home may seem small compared to other 4 beds but it is single storey and almost every guest has commented on how big it is and they can't believe the space.
dolphinv
19-08-2005, 03:46
We have had from 2 persons to 12 renting our home, Its great to have your own space and kids can get lost in the house:D
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by dolphinv
. . .kids can get lost in the house:D
[/quote]
EXACTLY!!! I love my kids, but being cooped up with them for 24 hours a day is NOT my idea of a true holiday! It's wonderful to send them off to their own bedrooms and have some time to unwind and recharge my batteries. I get to do this at home - why would I want anything less on vacation!!
resorthomerentals
19-08-2005, 04:35
We are pretty evenly split with single families and multiple families staying in our villa. With small kids we love the fact that we can put the kids to bed like they are used to at home, and then either watch tv or relax in the spa with a drink while they sleep. This way we feel like we're on vacation - not chained to a room because the kids are asleep.
In the morning it is nice to be able to sleep in while the kids watch TV or eat some cereal!!:D
The beauty of a villa regardless of size is that you have much more freedom. Before we bought our villa, whenever we booked a villa in Florida, we always opted for more bedrooms than we needed. Regarding costs, if you book with the owner it doesnt matter how many are in the party the price is for the villa. If you book a villa through a travel agent the initial costing looks pretty good but they usually charge per person and then sting you with massive under occupancy surcharges. Also with booking through the owner you know exactly which villa you are staying in and can ask specific questions about the actual villa before your holiday.
Karen
andrewmckay5
19-08-2005, 12:13
Thats a good point Steph; a single storey can feel much roomier than a larger house spread over 2 levels. I was just trying to emphasise that the number of bedrooms wasn't always the best indicator of the actual house size.I shouldhave said square footage and number of storeys could be a better way of judging a house size and the living area.
andrew
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by steph_goodrum
"Suzanne,
when you make your enquiries I would ask for the air conditioned square footage of the villa not just the number of bedrooms which can be deceiving and give the impression of the villa being bigger than it actually is. I know of 4 bedroom villas that are larger then some 5 or 6 bedromms and thus give youu more "living space."
andrew"
That in itself can be deceptive, Andrew the square footage of my home may seem small compared to other 4 beds but it is single storey and almost every guest has commented on how big it is and they can't believe the space.
[/quote]
sundowner
19-08-2005, 13:15
Me and hubby had a 4 bed villa on our last visit, and it really did not feel too big. We were out there to buy our own villa and the company put us into one of the models we were interested in to give us a feel of the place. Having done that, we realised that, as a couple of people here have mentioned, it's the sq ft area you need to look at.
The way the villa was laid out did not make us feel as though we were rattling around the place. In fact in the lounge area, you could never have had 10 people sitting watching t.v. (the villa said it sleeps 10). We looked at some condos that had much more floor space and we would have been rattling around and the downside would be no pool, which is where we spent all of our time at the villa apart from going to bed.
We also spent a couple of days in a hotel on I Drive, never again, it was cramped with just the two of us.
"Suzanne befor we bought our villa we stayed in hotel rooms (just the two of us) and also a 3 bed villa there was no contest, the villa won hands down and when we worked out price there was no differance. since we bought our villa we have only had single familys in sometimes just 2people so as as been said befor check out size rather than how many bedrooms
Mo Green
20-08-2005, 15:29
We often have only 2 people staying in our 3 bed on the Gulf Coast. They just enjoy the space and privacy of their own pool or the freedom to sit by the pool enjoying a take away or barbecue as the sun sets if they don't want to go to a restaurant.
when we have rented before we have always stayed in a 4 or 5 bedroom with 2 living areas, this means the kids can watch the television and the adults can have a quiet drink and chat. there has only ever been 2 adult 2 children, but lots of space to have a few minutes to yourself, even if it is locked in the large master bathroom.
Villas are such good value for money it is better than staying couped up in a hotel room. At least with a villa you have the freedom of space.
Even going as a single family villas offer great VFM
DisneyDreamer
21-08-2005, 20:09
I doubt we will stay in a hotel again, we now tend to book 3 bedroom villas (2 adults and 2 kids) and find that the additional space means if our two kids want to get on with their own thing they can. The biggest plus is that me and Hubby are able to have some privacy when its lights out for the kids....I can clearly remember some nights the kids wanting to sleep at 9 after a long day and we had no choice, in a hotel room, but to put the lights out and go to sleep aswell!
We are a family of three, 2 adults and one child and often we have 4/3, I tend to make sure it is what I want and ifs its bigger then so be it!! sometimes there isen't much difference in a 3 and 4 price.
Paula D-S
27-08-2005, 21:58
Our first guests this summer staying in our 5 bedroom villa were a party of 2. I couldn't believe it at first but they came home and have booked again with us for next year. [msnsmile2][msnsmile2]
Paula
Our villa has been rented from 2 - 9 people - its sleeps 10. No complaints from any size group. We have stayed in a villa just the four of us and with another family of 4 and once with my parents. All combinations are fab.
Debbie
abbeyvillas
27-08-2005, 22:22
Hi Suzanne,
I must agree with what people have already said, there is no comparison between sharing a hotel room and staying in a villa. We have just spent a month travelling around Florida with 2 teenagers and must say the only times we were all totally relaxed was when in a condo in Naples and the 20 days we spent in our own villa in Orlando.
We had several stops of 2/3 nights in hotels but that would be about the limit of all sharing 1 or 2 rooms.
TIP!! When choosing a villa to stay in be careful to book directly with an owner as travel agents tend to charge under-occupancy fees which can really hike up your overall cost. Dealing directly with an owner also means that right from the time you book you know exactly which property you are staying in - don't get into 'allocation on arrival'.
Good Luck with your search & have an enjoyable holiday.
orlandodaze
28-08-2005, 05:59
We have 5 kids , and at this point we have no idea how many of them plan to travel with us next summer p. g. , but regardless we shall go back to the 5 bed we had this summer plenty of space and there is always someone from home in Florida at the same time to invite to dinner some evening and then stay the nght . This happened us thice last year , yes we notified the M. C. , but its great to have the extra room for guests. I love plenty of space its part of my holiday why else would we rent a villa , if we wanted to be all cramped all together we would go for a motel.