Enjoy your group vacation

By Kathy Coffta Sims, Special to The Sunday

Sunday, Nov. 8, 2015 | 2 a.m.

In addition to hotels, motels, and bed and breakfasts, many vacation destinations offer rentable houses that sleep 10, 20, even 30 people, with large kitchens, lots of bathrooms and plenty of bedrooms. As someone who has vacationed with the same 14 people for close to 20 years, I can tell you that traveling with a large group can be lots of fun.

We have shared houses on the small side and spent the week living in million-dollar mansions. At each stop, we learned about ourselves, about our friendships, and most important, about how to make the most of precious time with those you love.

Some tips we learned along the way:

• Research: Once you decide where you are headed and when, have lots of people research places to stay. Be sure everyone works within the same parameters for number of bedrooms and bathrooms. Use group email or social media to share listings, so everyone has the opportunity to weigh in.

• The more bathrooms, the better: Find houses that have at least one bathroom for each family.

• Elect a point man: Once you agree on a house, nominate one person to handle the rental transaction. Have that person distribute a copy of the rental contract to each family so there are no surprises. You can divide the cost either by person or by number of bedrooms. We tried it both ways and found number of bedrooms worked best. Just be sure everyone is comfortable with the arrangement up front. If possible, have your point person pay the security deposit, rather than divide it up. It makes it easier when the money is returned.

• Delegate: Pick people to supply essentials that won’t be provided at the rental. For example, one family can bring laundry supplies; another, paper products — toilet paper, paper towels, napkins, paper plates; and a third, cleaning and picnic products, such as sandwich bags, aluminum foil, plastic wrap and garbage bags.

Rental agreements vary, and you may have to provide your own sheets and towels. If that’s the case, each family should bring their own. Even if linens are provided, it’s often beneficial to bring extra towels. You can never have enough, especially on beach vacations. Other suggested items to bring include a well-stocked first-aid kit, coolers, folding chairs and board games. Many houses have stocked game rooms, but extra activities never hurt.

• Meal planning: Assign each family the responsibility of making dinner one night; that spreads the work around so nobody feels overburdened. Just be sure everyone knows, upfront, what you plan to cook. No one wants to eat hamburgers and hot dogs four nights in a row. If there are folks in your group who aren’t comfortable in the kitchen, no worries — that family can order in and pay for the meal.

Some people may choose to grocery shop at home and bring food; others may wait until they arrive before buying what they need. We tend to head out to a local restaurant on the first night of our vacations. It makes it easier on everyone and is a great way to kick off the trip.

• Keep track of the keys: Once everyone has arrived, set up a bowl in a central location in which to store the house keys. Owners usually provide at least two sets. Be sure everyone knows where the keys are, because getting locked out of the house is never fun. Underneath the bowl, keep instructions from the rental company or owner about the property, the rules and whom to contact in an emergency. We also like to keep a running grocery list near the bowl, so any family can grab the needed supplies if they make a trip to the grocery store.

• The first night: Spend your first night as a group talking about plans for the week. The idea is to relax and spend time with each other, but don’t expect everyone to do every activity together. It not only is difficult from a logistics standpoint, but it also can make for too much togetherness — which can be bad. Encourage each family to plan an outing separate from the group. Lunches work well, since dinners usually are planned. Also, remember that everyone vacations differently. You may have a brother-in-law who is always on the move and is eager to explore every nook and cranny of the places you visit. Your spouse may like to hang out by the pool or on the beach with a book.

• The last day: Plan for the morning of your departure. Most large rentals have a cleaning service that comes in about an hour after checkout, but that doesn’t mean you can leave the house in disarray. Strip the beds and put linens and towels in the laundry room. Restock toilet tissue and leave a full roll of paper towels in the kitchen. If anything was damaged during your stay, inform the owner or property manager, then follow up with an email so there are no surprises when the next group checks in.

Once you are back home, discuss what worked and what didn’t, and incorporate that information into your future plans.