Rent a Hostel in the New Forest

Where can 3 families with 10 kids under the age of 9 get together for a weekend in the middle of winter?

It is a challenge we face every year when we want to have a pre-Christmas party with our friends. This year our solution was to rent a hostel from the Youth Hostel Association (YHA) www.yha.org.uk. The YHA offers a wide selection of its hostels for rental during the winter months. The idea is that you have the whole place to yourself which is perfect for a large noisy group wanting to get together.

In our hostel near Burley (http://www.yha.org.uk/hostel/hostelpages/121.html) in the New Forest (http://www.enjoyengland.com/where/destinations/south-east/hampshire/new-forest.aspx) , we had 40 beds in 5 rooms, a huge fitted kitchen, fantastic dining area with a big table we could all sit around and a cosy lounge with an open fire. The kids were free to wander around the huge old building as they pleased and we had a decent sized garden for them to explore as well – all for £650.

Over the weekend we really made the place our own as we imported our own music, kids toys, games and enough food to feed a small country. In an environment like this, every mealtime becomes a social occasion with everyone helping out in the busy kitchen and 20 people all being able to sit down together. The other great bonus of course was that we had the New Forest on our doorstep with lots of great outdoor options. We had a long walk around Burley but could have chosen from a cycle tour or horse riding as well as lots of small towns and villages to explore.

Find a hostel - click on the link to find a list quality assessed hostel's in England http://www.enjoyengland.com/book/accommodation/searchresults.aspx?Sec=accommodation&advsrch=1&Rad=3&PType=host&durat=1&room=1&adult=1&child=0&display=list.

For more inspiration on places to visit in England go to EnjoyEngland.com

Writer: Simon Bradley, General Manager - England Customer Relationships

Comments

[Bed and Breakfast New Forest]

Wow, 3 families with 10 kids - that sounds like a challenge to anyone!

Thanks for sharing the info - we'll bear it in mind as we often have requests to accommodate large parties so now we'll know where to send them!

[David Jobs Bournemouth Agency]

Looks like a gorgeous place to spend you summer. Will definately check it out.