Planning a Group Villa Trip Around a Big Match

Last summer, a group of eight friends booked a villa with us for a long weekend timed around a cup final. They wanted sun, a pool, good food and, most importantly, a proper place to watch the match together. On the first night they discovered the villa's television was a 32 inch set with a patchy satellite signal. They ended up watching the final on a laptop balanced on a chair.

A villa can be a brilliant place to watch a big match with friends. You have space, privacy and no bar closing time. But it takes a little more planning than simply booking somewhere with a pool.

Why a villa works for match weekends

Watching a big match in a bar abroad can be fun, but it has drawbacks: crowded screens, foreign commentary, expensive drinks and a long walk home afterward. A villa solves most of these.

• Your own screen and your own commentary.
• Space for everyone to sit rather than stand at the back of a bar.
• Food and drink at supermarket prices.
• No need to travel home after extra time and penalties.
• Room to spread out, whether people want to watch every second or float in the pool until kick off.

The group last summer had a mix. Some were serious fans, a couple barely followed football and one friend spent most of the build up checking team news and his pool picks on ankertoto. A villa let each of them enjoy the day their own way.

What to check before you book

Most villa listings mention a television. Few give the details that matter on a match day. Ask the owner or agent directly:

Get the answers in writing. A photograph of the living room with the TV in it tells you more than a line in the amenities list. Villa nights when the sun goes down covers evening amenities more generally.

Bringing your own backup

Even with a good television and fast internet, things fail. A small backup kit is cheap insurance:

• A streaming stick that you have already logged into your own accounts at home.
• An HDMI cable long enough to connect a laptop.
• A mobile data plan with enough allowance to hotspot the match if the Wi-Fi drops.
• A portable Bluetooth speaker if the TV sound is weak.

Check whether your streaming service works in the country you are visiting. Some restrict content by region, and it is much better to know before the match than during it.

The advice I disagree with: book the biggest villa you can afford

Groups often assume that more space is always better. Book the biggest villa, with the most bedrooms and the largest pool, and everyone will be comfortable.

For a match weekend, I think the layout matters far more than the size. A large villa with a small, closed living room is worse for watching sport than a smaller villa with a big open plan space that connects to a terrace. What you want is one room where everyone can see the screen and still reach the kitchen and outdoor area easily. Several of our most successful match weekend bookings have been in mid sized villas with exactly that layout.

Planning the day itself

1. Do a test stream the day you arrive, at the same time of day as kick off if possible.
2. Shop for food and drink the day before. Local shops may close early or on match days.
3. Plan a simple meal that can be eaten at half time without anyone missing the build up.
4. Agree the noise rules with the group, especially for late finishes.
5. Plan something for the non fans, such as a restaurant booking or a day trip earlier in the day.

Group dynamics are covered in a villa that works as a workation, which deals with shared spaces for different needs.

The group from last summer booked again this year, this time a villa with a 65 inch smart TV, fiber internet and a covered terrace. The final went to penalties, and they tell me it was the best match they have ever watched. More advice for traveling together is in our Groups section.