Choosing a Hotel for a Football Team on Camp: What to Check

A hotel that suits a family holiday is not always right for a football team. A squad has its own rhythm: two sessions a day, fixed meal times, recovery in the afternoon and an early night. The hotel has to fit around that rhythm, not the other way round. These are the points we check before suggesting a hotel to a club.

Distance to the pitch

We look at the distance to the pitch before the star rating. A hotel ten minutes from the training ground saves the squad close to an hour on the bus every day compared with one half an hour away. Over a ten-day camp, that time is better spent resting.

The room plan

A squad of 25 players usually travels with ten or more staff. We plan rooms in groups:

• Suites for the head of delegation, head coach and club president
• Single rooms for officials and technical staff
• Single or double rooms for players
• All players on the same floor where the hotel can offer it

Players on one floor makes it easier for staff to keep an eye on rest times, and keeps the squad away from other guests in the evening.

Meals

In the hotels we work with, full board means three buffet meals a day, with water, fresh juice, soft drinks, tea and coffee included, and all meat halal. For a team, the more important detail is where they eat. A restaurant or section set aside for the squad lets the nutritionist control the menu and the team eat at fixed times without queues. An afternoon snack of sandwiches or cake bridges the gap between the second session and dinner.

Laundry and kit

Training kit needs washing twice a day on a two-session camp. Confirm that the hotel laundry can handle that volume and return kit in time for the next session. A separate storage room for equipment keeps balls, cones and medical cases out of the bedrooms.

Recovery and meeting space

A gym, pool and sauna help with recovery between sessions, and in the hotels we use they are free for the team. The physiotherapists need a massage room, and video analysis needs a meeting room with a screen. A prayer room matters for many squads, and we confirm it in advance.

Quiet and connection

Ask about the hotel's evening programme. A resort with live music under the players' windows until midnight is the wrong choice before a friendly. Reliable Wi-Fi in the rooms is also expected, for analysis and for calling home.

Our Accommodation page lists what we arrange as standard. Tell us the size of your group and the region you prefer, and we suggest hotels that fit a team's day.