The most common enquiry we receive begins with: "There are 14 of us and we're looking for something for a milestone birthday." What usually follows is the worry that something like this will be complicated.
It won't be — once a few things are clarified beforehand. Here is what we have learned in practice.
How many people are actually possible
Our largest villa, Just Be Happy, has 258 square metres of living space and five bedrooms each with its own bathroom, plus a guest WC on the ground floor.
But the real advantage lies elsewhere: several of our houses are close together, some right next to each other. That means they can be combined:
- Up to about 20 people: no problem, with houses in the immediate neighbourhood
- Up to about 30 people: possible if you're fine with another house being around 1 to 1.5 kilometres away
In our experience the second case works well if the group further away is clearly defined — for example the family with small children who go to bed earlier in the evening anyway. It works less well if people are put up there who actually want to be in the thick of things.
The sleeping question — sort it out beforehand, not on site
The most common point of friction on group trips is not the price but the room allocation. Our advice from many bookings: settle that before arrival and communicate it openly. Someone who only learns at 10 pm on the day of arrival that they're getting the room without its own bathroom starts the week badly.
When you enquire, just tell us the set-up — how many couples, how many single people, how many children. We'll then suggest an allocation we think makes sense.
Catering for many
With 15 people the kitchen question becomes an organisational question. What works for us:
Cooking for yourselves in turns
The kitchens are fully equipped, including large pots and proper knives. With larger groups a cooking rota works well — two people per evening, the rest lay the table and wash up. For the whole group it costs less than a single restaurant visit.
Barbecuing
The BBQ terrace at Villa Just Be Happy has a grill, fridge and sink right outside. For 15 to 20 people it's the most relaxed solution.
Private chef
We arrange this on request. We've done it, for example, for a milestone birthday — the chef comes to the villa, cooks on site and clears up afterwards. If you want an evening when really nobody in the group has to work, this is the way.
Peka — the local classic
Meat or octopus braised under an iron bell. It usually has to be ordered a day in advance and is prepared for larger groups. Ask us for the addresses where it's really good.
Occasions it suits well
Milestone birthdays
The most common case with us. A week in the house instead of one evening in a hall — and the guest of honour doesn't have to organise anything, because everyone is there anyway.
Weddings and celebrations in a small circle
Trogir with its UNESCO old town is 15 minutes away and one of the most beautiful backdrops on the Adriatic. The villa then serves as a base for the group over several days, not as the celebration venue itself — more on that below.
Company retreats and workshops
This is where the equipment plays to its strengths: Starlink on the fastest plan plus a backup line, in practice up to around 400 Mbit/s, Ubiquiti network technology throughout the house. Several parallel video calls are no problem. The big dining table works as a conference table by day, and in the evening the pool is ready.
Split airport is five to ten minutes away — for a group arriving from different cities, that is logistically more relaxed than almost any alternative in Dalmatia.
Groups of friends and family reunions
The classic: three generations under one roof, each with their own place to retreat. This is exactly what villas with en-suite bathrooms are built for.
The honest limit: these are residential areas
So that there are no misunderstandings — our houses stand in quiet, well-kept neighbourhoods, some in cul-de-sac locations. They are not party venues, and we don't rent them out as such.
A lively evening by the pool with music at normal volume is perfectly fine. A party with a sound system until four in the morning is not. That's not harassment but the condition for us being able to work here for the long term — and the neighbours are people our team deals with every day.
If you are looking for a real party venue, tell us openly. We'd rather refer you elsewhere than have it become uncomfortable on site.
Also applicable: smoking is not permitted indoors. The houses have air-quality sensors, and a violation incurs a special cleaning charge of 500 euros. Outdoors, smoking is of course possible, and ashtrays are provided.
Practicalities for large groups
- Parking: at least four private parking spaces per house, right outside the door
- Check-in: via digital keypad with a PIN of your choice — no key passed around the group
- Contact person: we ask that one responsible person be reachable on site
- Deposit: 500 euros per house, by credit card or in cash
- Washing machine in every house — more relevant on longer group stays than you'd think
What it costs
The nightly rate depends on the house, not on the number of people. That is exactly what makes groups economically interesting.
An example: a large villa in high season at around 1,000 euros per night means 500 euros per head for two people — and 125 euros for eight people. With a combined booking of several houses for 20 people, the per-head price is often below that of a mid-range hotel room, with a private pool and kitchen thrown in.
In the off-season the nightly rate drops to around 250 euros. For company retreats that aren't tied to school holidays, that is the obvious period.
All running costs — electricity, water, final cleaning, tourist tax and the pool heating — are included in the price. With a group booking across several houses, that saves you a whole series of individual bills.
How best to enquire
Write to us briefly with these four details, and we can immediately suggest something concrete:
- Group size and rough make-up (couples, single people, children)
- Preferred dates, ideally with an alternative
- The occasion — it helps us with the selection more than you'd think
- Whether everyone absolutely must be under one roof or two houses next to each other are fine
We usually reply within a few minutes and put together a suitable combination for you.
