COMMUNAL holidays involving several generations of the same family are up by a third. 

Families are increasingly taking the grandparents – and even great-grandparents – away with them.

So-called multi-generational breaks have risen by 30 per cent in the past year, according to a leading hotel group.

The increase is partly a result of 'baby boomer' grandparents downsizing from large family homes but still wanting to host their children and all their grandchildren[1].

It may also be a result of families wanting to maximise time together given many now live in completely different parts of the UK plus the fact that a lot of grandparents prefer to holiday in the UK given rising travel insurance costs and health matters.

Luxury Family Hotels, one of the UK's leading family holiday specialists, said it expected the trend to continue into 2015 as more and more families enjoyed the benefits of holidaying en-masse.  The hotel group – which was founded in 1989 and created the concept/was the pioneer of luxury family escapes - said more families were coming together in holiday locations to celebrate landmark occasions like anniversaries, birthdays and over traditional holiday periods likes Easter, Christmas and New Year.

But they were also seeing a rise in larger groups containing several generations of the same family taking regular breaks together.

According to independent research, almost one in five Brits has been on a '3G' trip (one involving at least three generations) last year[2] – sometimes to save on costs, but often simply because it is a great way for grandparents and grandchildren to spend more time with one another, and for parents to get a bit of time off.

Luxury Family Hotels tailors its accommodation to suit different family sizes – from a small double to a large family room that comfortably sleeps five.  It also offers an exclusive lodge that can be hired out by larger family groups or groups of friends.  Each of its hotels provides a multitude of private dining facilities to make the most of a celebration break.  And, unlike many other hotels, the group offers free children's accommodation when they share a room with their parents. 

Adrian Burley of Luxury Family Hotels said: “Given people these days are so busy, getting everyone together in one place can be a logistical challenge and, when it does happen, the destination and accommodation needs to tick the boxes for all members of the family – whatever their age. 

“Families are increasingly wanting to spend quality time together and make up for lost time, given many now live far apart from each other. It's not only for special occasions, like anniversaries or birthdays, but also for general get togethers as family sizes increase.  This is partly down to grandparents who have downsized from their large family homes but still want to be able to host their children and grandchildren in a hotel that caters for all ages.  It's also down to distance given many families are more geographically spread out.  As our hotels are all in the UK they are easy for everyone to get to, without the extra hassle and cost of airports, flying and transfers.  They tick all the boxes.”

Lawyer and mum-of-three Rachel Beale from South West London has just returned from a '3G' break to celebrate her father's 80th birthday.  Ten adults and 11 children spent the weekend at Woolley Grange Hotel in Wiltshire.  She said:  “Dad wanted his four children and our partners to have a weekend away to mark his special birthday.  With 11 children between us, we were a group of 21 and it would have been too much for any one of us to host it in our own house. 

“We needed to find a hotel that we could all easily get to given we all live in different parts of the England and one which had facilities to suit us all.  We chose Woolley Grange as it was in a good spot and we knew that if the children were happy, we would all be able to relax.  It was the perfect spot to celebrate his birthday in style.  We enjoyed it so much, we've already discussed making it an annual thing.”

Luxury Family Hotels is also reporting an increase in groups of friends and their growing numbers of children coming together. 

Adrian Burley added, “As most of us haven't got a house that comfortably sleeps 12 plus, we are finding groups of people like old university friends are booking our hotels given they want a house party feel in some of England's finest country houses without all the hassle of tidying up and mass catering. It appeals to today's time poor generation who want to relax when they are off work and the school run treadmill.”

The Luxury Family Hotel group offers the perfect recipe for the whole, extended family.  Each of its eight country house hotels features:

• A wide variety of accommodation – from large family suites and interconnecting rooms to smaller doubles that are ideal for grandparents (children go free when staying in parents' room)
  A range of indoor and outdoor facilities for children of all ages – including complimentary OFSTED
• Registered supervised crèches for children from three months to eight years and babysitting on request
• A Mary Poppins  service[3] which collects children on Sunday morning, leaving parents to lie-in, catch up on sleep, read the papers and enjoy a cup of tea in peace
• Flexible dining options including private dining rooms which are very popular for multi-generational groups and perfect for a celebration lunch or dinner
• A relaxed ambience with a very warm welcome for all the family (including dogs!) where you can truly unwind
• Amazing countryside settings, from the splendour of the 1,800 acre Ickworth estate, to the dramatic cliff top setting of the Polurrian Bay hotel with its own private beach and direct access to the SW Coast path

More information is available at www.luxuryfamilyhotels.co.uk  or by telephoning its Central Reservations team on 0844 482 2152.  Follow Luxury Family Hotels on Twitter @LFHotels, Facebook  www.facebook.com/luxuryfamilyhotels.

For more information:

Maria Boyle, MB Communications Ltd, T: 0208 876 8444 maria@mbcomms.co.uk Twitter: @mbcommsltd

Notes to Editors

Pictures available on request.  Interviews available on request. 

Luxury Family Hotels: tips for making the most of your extended-family break.

1. Where to stay: You don't want to be cooped up together 24/7, so choose somewhere with plenty of space and facilities for everyone to do their own thing, whatever that is – a garden, a pool, a spa, and activities for kids ranging from supervised childcare to board games and bikes are some of the things you might like to look out for.

Bear in mind that self-catering isn't always the best choice because you'll invariably need to devise a shopping, cooking and cleaning rota that will impinge on quality family time. If it's special occasion, it's nice to be looked after by someone else for a change!

1. Planning ahead: Think ahead in terms of who does what, so that everybody's expectations are met and nobody feels short-changed. Mum and Dad want a romantic meal together? - make sure Grandma and Granddad are happy to babysit one night, and set a date, or book a babysitter via your hotel. Similarly, make sure grandparents feel that they can go off and do their own thing if they want to.
2. Days out: If you all go out together, don't try to pack too much into one day – don't forget that older people may not be used to the hectic pace of life with young children and might get tired more easily.
3. Setting boundaries: While it's good to relax and let in some slack while away, make sure older relatives know if you need to get the kids fed early and to bed by a certain time – keeping little ones up for the sake of social gatherings can result in cranky kids and a break that's memorable for all the wrong reasons. Hotels with baby listening mean you can go back and join in with relatives after putting the children to bed.

Similarly, make sure early-waking kids know not to go banging on Grandma and Granddad's door at the crack of dawn!

4.  Finances: Save any misunderstandings by being clear in advance who is paying for the accommodation, the meals, the drinks and any activities.

About Luxury Family Hotels

Luxury Family Hotels is a group of eight luxurious country house style hotels across the UK. The properties in the group are:

• The Elms, Worcestershire: an elegant Queen Anne mansion with 23 rooms, set in beautiful gardens and overlooking the Teme Valley
• Fowey Hall, Fowey, Cornwall: an impressive Queen Anne mansion thought to be Toad's original 'Toad Hall', with 36 rooms, rambling gardens and spectacular views of the estuary and coastline
• The Ickworth, Suffolk: a magnificent 18th century estate owned by the National Trust, surrounded by 1,800 acres of parkland with 27 bedrooms, 11 apartments in The Lodge and a three bedroom apartment in its Butler's Lodge
• Moonfleet Manor, Dorset: a handsome Georgian manor overlooking Chesil Beach and the Fleet Lagoon with 36 bedrooms, extensive gardens and a magical setting
• New Park Manor, The New Forest: a 17th century hunting lodge in the heart of the New Forest reputed to be King Charles II's favourite, with 21 bedrooms, an outstanding spa and wonderful views out over the surrounding wildlife and forest landscape
• Polurrian Bay Hotel, Mullion, Cornwall: the ultimate family seaside hotel, with 41 rooms, outstanding views over Mounts Bay and beautiful gardens leading down to the sandy beach at Polurrian Cove below
• Woolley Grange, Bradford-on-Avon: the original Luxury Family Hotel, a Jacobean Manor House which has 25 individually style bedrooms, a great spa and pool and 14 acres of gardens to enjoy, complete with tennis, an outdoor pool and lawns just perfect for cricket or football
• In addition, Thornbury Castle is part of the group, but is recommended for couples and families with children aged nine and upward. Thornbury Castle, near Bristol; the only Tudor castle to be open as a hotel complete with turrets, winding staircases and Tudor Hall. Its 27 bedchambers include rooms slept in by Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn and the largest four poster bed in the country