Disabled Accommodation for Groups or Large Families
At Our Bench Accessible Self Catering in the New Forest, we’re often asked if we can accommodate larger families and groups with carers. Over the years, we’ve developed a range of tried and tested ways to make group holidays work well.
Holidays with carers
If you bring your own carers and need them with you on holiday, we usually recommend booking two cottages: one as the family base and one for carers. This has several advantages:
- Families can enjoy quality time together, with familiar carers on call when needed.
- Carers have their own sleeping, cooking and living space for rest and downtime. For 24-hour care, this can be especially helpful for daytime sleep.
- We can share a list of local carers and care agencies you can contact directly. Many are already familiar with Our Bench and have supported past guests.
Holidays with larger families
For larger or extended families, booking early and reserving two cottages together is recommended. Benefits include:
- The disabled guest has a quiet space to rest, take extra time getting ready, or manage care needs without pressure.
- Families can make holiday memories together while still having room for privacy and calm.
- Across the cottages we can offer multiple profiling beds, helping families who need more than one adjustable bed during their stay.
Supported holidays for people living in care or supported accommodation
People living in care homes or supported accommodation may also want to enjoy a holiday with familiar carers. Our cottages can work well for supported breaks because guests can have their own space and routines, while carers can stay in the same cottage or, where suitable, in a nearby cottage.
Ways groups can stay at Our Bench
- Family of up to 5 with 2 carers: book Garden Bench for the family and Little Bench for the carers. Garden Bench sleeps five, with three single beds in its second bedroom, while Little Bench sleeps two. This gives carers their own space while keeping everyone close.
- Family of up to 4 plus two additional family members or carers: book Bench Cottage and Little Bench together. Bench Cottage sleeps four and includes a height adjustable electric profiling beds in the master bedroom, a bedroom ceiling hoist and a Changing Places-style wet room with an H-track hoist and adult drop-down changing stretcher. Little Bench sleeps two and provides a separate living space nearby.
- Group of up to 9 guests: book Bench Cottage and Garden Bench. Across the two cottages there are two height adjustabled profiling beds, bedroom ceiling hoists in both cottages and the additional H-track hoist in Bench Cottage's wet room. Each cottage also has its own kitchen and lounge, so guests can spend time together while still having quieter space when needed.
- Groups of up to 11 guests: book all three cottages. This can work well for larger families, supported holidays or groups travelling with carers, giving everyone more choice over sleeping arrangements, care routines and private space. Three height adjustable profiling beds can be provided - one in each cottage.
View our availability
Our availability calendar below shows availability across all our cottages. You can scroll through the next 18 months and see when the cottages that suit your needs are available at the same time. Please note that while there is plenty of outdoor space for everyone, including outdoor tables and chairs, we do not have one large indoor room that accommodates a full group together.
Last updated: March 2026