A winter games weekend can be one of the best group breaks of the year. The nights are long, the fires are lit and a group of friends or family has a reason to stay in one place. It can also go wrong quickly. Rooms are split across the building, the snooker table is booked when you want it, and the best games are played in a corridor because nobody thought about the layout.
This guide is about planning the stay itself, once you have a hotel or inn in mind. For a wider look at how to find games rooms, arcades and pool tables in UK hotels, see our guide to hotels with games rooms.
Start with the group
Before you look at any hotel, write down who is coming. Count the adults and children, and note any guests who need step-free access, a quiet room or a place to rest. Ask whether anyone is likely to want an early night, because that decides whether you need one large room or a couple of rooms close together.
Think about the games too. A group of six who want to play a long card game needs a different space from a group of twelve who want to split into teams for a quiz. A family with young children may want an arcade or a games room that they can use without taking over the bar.
Choose rooms that sit together
A games weekend depends on people being able to move between rooms easily. When you ask a hotel for rooms, request rooms that are close to each other, on the same floor or in the same wing if possible. If the group is large, ask whether the hotel can keep rooms next to each other and whether it has a room the group can use in the evenings.
Ask about quiet hours. Some inns are happy for a group to play into the evening, while others close the bar area or ask for noise to stop by a set time. Knowing this in advance means you can plan the loudest games for the earlier part of the evening.
Book the tables before you arrive
If your weekend is built around a snooker or pool table, reserve it early. Popular tables fill quickly on winter weekends, particularly in seaside and holiday venues. Ask the hotel how many hours you can book, whether there is a charge, and whether the table is available for the whole group rather than one person at a time.
Do the same for any bingo night or quiz that the hotel runs. Ask about the start time, how many players a team can have and whether the group can book a block of tables rather than competing with the public for seats.
Build a simple timetable
A weekend with no plan tends to drift. A simple timetable gives people the choice of when to join in, without forcing anyone to take part. Here is one example for a Friday to Sunday stay:
- Friday evening: arrival, drinks and a short card game in the lounge
- Saturday morning: a walk, a lie-in or a trip out, depending on the group
- Saturday afternoon: a snooker or pool tournament, with a rotating pairing system
- Saturday evening: a team quiz or a bingo night in the hotel
- Sunday morning: a slower start with board games over coffee
- Sunday afternoon: a final game, then packing up before check-out
Leave gaps in the timetable. A group that has nothing to do for two hours will drift towards the phone. A group that has a choice of two activities will usually stay together.
Plan around the winter weather
Winter evenings are dark early, and a cold snap or a wet forecast can change travel plans. Ask the hotel about parking, including whether it has space for the number of cars you expect. If the group is travelling by car, agree a route and a time to leave on the Sunday, and check the weather before you go.
If some guests are travelling by train, plan the timings so that people are not waiting in the cold at a station. A group that arrives together also settles into the weekend more quickly.
Keep the costs visible
Games are often free to play in a pub-hotel, but drinks, food and bingo cards add up. Agree a budget in advance and ask the hotel whether it offers a group rate for rooms, breakfast or a block of tables. Some hotels will combine these into one package, which can be simpler than paying for each item separately.
Share the costs fairly. A simple shared spreadsheet or a group chat with a payment reminder avoids awkward conversations later. Decide in advance whether the snooker table is part of the cost for everyone or only for the people who play.
Practical checks before you book
- Confirm the rooms. Check that the rooms are next to each other and that the group has the right beds.
- Confirm the games. Ask about the snooker table, the arcade, the darts board and any bingo or quiz nights.
- Confirm the quiet hours. Ask when the bar and the games room close, and whether the group can stay later.
- Confirm the parking. Check that there is enough space for every car.
- Confirm the access. Ask about step-free routes, accessible rooms and the nearest toilet to the games room.
- Confirm the cancellation terms. Winter weekends can change, so know what you can change or cancel and by when.
Key points
- Start with the group: numbers, ages, access needs and sleep patterns.
- Book rooms that sit close together and ask about the evening quiet hours.
- Reserve snooker and pool tables early, and check the hours and charges.
- Build a timetable with gaps, so people can join in without being pressured.
- Plan parking and travel around the weather, especially on the drive home.
- Agree a budget and a simple way of sharing costs before you arrive.
A games weekend works best when the planning is done before the first card is dealt. Take the time to confirm the details with the hotel, and the games will take care of themselves.