How many times have you booked an Airbnb or holiday home that looked incredible online, only to feel completely disappointed when you arrived? 🤷🏽♀️
When you’re booking hen party accommodation, the stakes are even higher. You’re often collecting thousands of pounds from a large group of people and, most importantly, you’re organising a once-in-a-lifetime weekend for the bride.
The beautiful photographs are important — but they don’t always tell you the whole story.
Having welcomed hundreds of hen parties to Norfolk House over the years, I also speak to a LOT of brides and bridesmaids about other hen weekends they’ve been on.
And I’ve heard some horror stories.
Tired properties that looked nothing like the photographs. Facilities that were advertised but weren’t actually available. Hot tubs out of action. Unwanted compulsory hen packages. Poor communication before the weekend — and nobody available when something went wrong during the stay.
So, how do you avoid booking a hen party house that looks fabulous online but disappoints when you arrive?
Here are the things I’d check before you pay your deposit.
1. Look for recent, real guest photographs
Don’t rely entirely on the photographs on the property’s website.
Look at Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Google and see whether you can find recent photographs and videos posted by actual hen parties.
Can you see the bedrooms in daylight? The bathrooms? The kitchen? The hot tub? The outside areas?
If a house regularly welcomes large groups, there should usually be plenty of recent evidence of people actually staying there and enjoying it.
2. Read the reviews — including the bad ones
Don’t just look at the star rating.
Read recent reviews and pay particular attention to comments about cleanliness, communication, maintenance, beds, bathrooms and facilities.
And look at how the owner responds when somebody does leave a negative review.
No holiday property will please absolutely everybody. A thoughtful response to criticism can actually tell you a lot about the people behind the business.
3. Google the property AND the company
Don’t just rely on reviews displayed on the company’s own website.
Search the property name separately. Search the company name. Look at Google reviews and independent booking platforms.
You’re spending a considerable amount of money, so a little detective work before booking is well worth it.
4. Check exactly what you’re paying for
Ask what’s actually included in your accommodation price.
Is the hot tub included? Are towels and bedding provided? Are there additional cleaning charges? Is there a damage deposit?
And if you’re being offered a hen party package, check whether it’s optional.
You shouldn’t feel pressured into paying for activities or extras your group doesn’t actually want.
5. Check the bed configuration
This one is easily overlooked.
A house that “sleeps 20” doesn’t necessarily have 20 conventional beds.
Ask exactly who will be sleeping where and whether the advertised capacity includes sofa beds, bunk beds or temporary beds.
Nobody wants to discover on arrival that four of the hens have unexpectedly drawn the short straw!
6. Check that your activities can actually take place at the house
Planning a private chef, life drawing, cocktail making, yoga, spa treatments or another activity at your accommodation?
Check before booking that outside suppliers and organised activities are permitted.
Even better, ask whether the venue has trusted suppliers who already know the property.
7. Look at how current their website and social media are
An active social-media account isn’t essential, but it can be incredibly useful.
Are you seeing the property as it looks now, or photographs taken years ago?
Recent guest videos, tagged photographs, reviews and regular updates can give you a much better idea of what you’ll actually find when you arrive.
8. Pick up the phone
This is probably my biggest tip.
Speak to the person you’re booking with.
Ask questions. Tell them what you’re planning. Ask about activities, bedrooms, check-in, parking and anything else you’re unsure about.
You’ll gain so much insight from a ten-minute conversation.
Are they friendly? Helpful? Knowledgeable about the property? Do they actually sound as though they care about your weekend?
And ask one particularly important question:
“If we have a problem while we’re staying, who do we contact?”
You don’t want to discover the answer to that one at 10pm on Saturday night.
9. Ask for recommendations
Ask friends who’ve recently organised hen weekends where they stayed and whether they’d go back.
People working in the wedding industry can be brilliant sources too. Hairdressers, make-up artists, wedding photographers and other suppliers talk to brides and bridesmaids every week.
Personal recommendations are still incredibly valuable.
The bottom line?
Don’t choose your hen party accommodation on beautiful photographs alone.
Look for recent reviews, genuine guest photographs, clear pricing, good communication and a real person you can speak to before you book.
Your bride only gets one hen weekend. The house doesn’t need to be perfect — but it does need to deliver what it promised.
Looking for hen party accommodation in Yorkshire?
At Norfolk House in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, we’ve welcomed more than 500 hen parties and thousands of guests.
We specialise in large-group hen weekends, with accommodation for up to 25 guests and the option to add activities including private chefs, spa treatments, cocktail making, life drawing, yoga and creative workshops.
And there’s a real person at the end of the phone.
That’s me — Charlotte. 👋
If you’re considering Norfolk House for your hen weekend and want to ask me absolutely anything before booking, send me a WhatsApp and I’ll happily have a chat. Read my reviews here
