Why Are British Families Swapping Hotels for Large Holiday Cottages?
LONDON, UK – 3 July, 2026 – Nearly half of British families are now taking multi-generational holidays together in a single property, according to new travel data, marking a shift away from hotel-room bookings and towards large self-catered houses holding grandparents, parents and children under one roof.
New research shows that 47% of UK families have taken a trip spanning three or more generations in the past year, with self-catering properties now outperforming hotels for this group specifically because they offer the space, kitchens and separate sleeping areas a hotel room cannot. For many families, “making memories together” remains the single biggest reason for travelling, ahead of relaxation or adventure, a trend that is reshaping demand across the UK’s large holiday cottages market.
The financial data backs up the shift. According to Sykes Holiday Cottages’ Holiday Letting Outlook Report 2026, five-bedroom holiday lets generated an average gross income of £48,200 in 2025, nearly double the market-wide average of £25,600. Large cottages are also booked with real intent: properties sleeping ten or more guests are typically reserved significantly further in advance than smaller homes, reflecting the logistical reality of coordinating dates across three generations of one family.
Large Holiday Cottages, which offers large holiday cottages across the UK for family reunions, stag and hen groups, and gatherings of friends, says demand for multi-generational bookings has grown sharply this year. Popular reunion destinations include the Lake District via its Cumbria collection, the rolling countryside of Gloucestershire, the quiet market towns of Shropshire, and the coastal countryside of Somerset, all of which have seen a rise in bookings for properties sleeping ten guests or more.
A spokesperson for Large Holiday Cottages said: “We’re seeing a real, lasting change in how families holiday together. Rather than booking several separate hotel rooms and hoping everyone crosses paths at breakfast, families are choosing one large house where three generations can cook, eat and relax together. It makes financial sense too. Splitting the cost of one large property between households is often cheaper per person than hotel rooms, with far more space and privacy than a standard room allows.”
The trend sits within a wider staycation boom. Sykes’ Staycation Index 2026 found that 64% of UK adults plan to take a UK break this year, up four percentage points year-on-year, with multi-generational travel specifically flagged as a defining growth driver. Under-16s already account for a third of all domestic travellers, and families with children remain the most consistent group actually taking UK holidays, rather than simply intending to.
For Large Holiday Cottages, the shift confirms what the business has observed directly through its own booking patterns across the country: reunions, anniversaries and multi-generational celebrations are no longer a niche booking category but a core and rapidly growing part of the UK group travel market, one that shows little sign of slowing as more British families continue to prioritise shared time and shared space over separate rooms and separate itineraries.
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Company Name: Large Holiday Cottages
Contact Person: Amy Peters
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Country: United Kingdom
Website: https://www.largeholidaycottages.com/
