A hill I will die on: There are few types of trips as stressful to organize as group travel. But we are all just walking contradictions, and while I hate organizing big group trips, being around all of my friends is one of my favorite ways to vacation. So, when my best friend asked me to be her maid of honor, I happily accepted, knowing that I would undoubtedly need to shepherd multiple people to one place at the same time to plan the bachelorette party of her dreams.
I’m based in London, which (usually) makes traveling through Europe a simple experience—and means a 72-hour trip to another country isn’t a complete logistical nightmare. Given that I was planning a trip in mid-March, I knew we’d have a more joyful time in the sunshine, so when looking for an Airbnb for 20 people, I set my sights on Spain. The guidelines were relatively simple; I wanted somewhere big enough for us all, relaxing (not in a city center) but close enough to an airport that we wouldn’t have to travel for hours to reach the place. When I found Ana’s stunning home an hour outside Barcelona, I knew I’d struck gold.
What appealed to me most about the property was the sheer size; I looked at a lot of places, and it was rare to find somewhere with enough bedrooms to comfortably sleep 20 (multiple bunk beds in one room was not an option we’d entertain). I also loved the remote location—overlooking the area’s greenery and out to sea—and the private pool (cold spring temperatures will never be a deterrent to us Brits). But I have to admit, I was anxious about it not living up to the images, or that some of the guests wouldn’t feel comfortable.
I needn’t have worried. Everything about this property matched the images and description online, from the stunning view to the large and comfortable rooms. And even organizing the (admittedly quite simple) itinerary was made easy thanks to Ana’s recommendations; she shared a contact who planned a nearby boat trip, and passed on details for a local food delivery service to ensure everything came to the door without us having to lift a finger. This level of assistance made the trip feel almost like a hotel stay, and took away much of the stress of a task that had felt mountainous when I first started planning.
Since the property was so beautiful, it meant that we were very happy to just spend time at the villa hanging out, instead of feeling the need to create a jam-packed schedule of activities. We had group dinners in the large dining room, made breakfast together in the kitchen, sat by the pool with cold glasses of cava, and spent the evenings dancing under the trees as the sun set over the sea. The fact that the whole group felt so comfortable in the villa made the bachelorette feel more personal, more intimate, and more fun than any other I’d been on. And when being around 19 other people got a little bit overwhelming, there were plenty of areas (like the dining room, or the games room) to escape and have 10 minutes alone.
Ana has clearly designed this property to cater to groups. While some rooms had queen beds, many had singles, which made sharing a space more comfortable. There was an impressive amount of bathrooms (7.5 total) and—crucially—multiple people could shower at once without the water going out.
The place went down so well that some of the guests asked for the Airbnb link when we returned, and are looking to plan a return visit with family in future. My only regret about our stay is that we only booked two nights instead of three. I would go through the stress of planning a bachelorette party all over again if it meant another weekend in the Spanish sunshine.
