With 14 people on the Belgian coast: how a double-house works

You know the feeling. The group chat is full of excitement: this year we’re going on holiday together, all the families, the whole family, really together by the sea. Then the search begins. One big house for fourteen people? It barely exists, and if it does, it’s either a castle with a price tag no one wants to say out loud, or an apartment complex where everyone ends up sitting separately anyway. You book two separate houses at two different addresses, and in the end you only see each other for one planned dinner.

There’s a better way. Two holiday homes side by side, with a shared garden and a connecting door you can leave open or closed as you like. Together when you want, apart when you need. That is exactly what we offer with Westende 52 and Westende 53 in Marinapark Westende. Below we explain how it works in practice, who it’s perfect for, and what you can expect.

What exactly is a double-house?

A double-house is two holiday homes that physically sit next to each other, each with its own entrance but with a shared outdoor space. You book them both at once, so the entire group is the only set of guests. No outsiders sharing the garden, no neighbours you don’t know.

At ello those are Westende 52 and Westende 53, two chalet-bungalows in Marinapark Westende. Each house has its own front door and its own gate. At the front there’s a hedge between the two plots, so both houses can also be rented separately with full privacy. But at the back of the garden that hedge isn’t there. The gardens simply flow into each other. You step from one to the other without opening any gate. For families with small children, that’s exactly how you want it: the little ones can move freely back and forth without doors or steps in between, and you always have them in sight.

Practically: one half of the group sleeps and has breakfast in number 52, the other in number 53. During the day, the terraces, garden, and living spaces of both houses are free to use. In the evening you cook in one of the two kitchens and gather everyone around the table, or you choose two separate dinners if the children need to go to bed earlier. You decide.

Who is this perfect for?

We see three kinds of groups coming back, and they all have one thing in common: they want to really be together, but without everyone tripping over each other.

Large multi-generational families. Grandparents, children, grandchildren. The older folks want to go to bed early without spoiling the fun. The little ones need an afternoon nap. In a double-house everyone has their own rhythm, but you see each other when it counts: breakfast, the beach, the shared meal.

Two families or couples together. Good friends who have been talking for years about a shared holiday but always get stuck on the logistics. With two houses next to each other you have your own space and routines, but you only need to open the door to be with the others.

Groups of friends. Twenty- thirty- forty-somethings who want to get away with a larger group but don’t want a hotel. With us you get a full kitchen, a garden to sit in, and enough beds without anyone ending up on an air mattress.

Westende 52 and Westende 53: what do you get?

Both houses are set up identically: each up to 8 people, 3 bedrooms, and 2 bathrooms. Together you can host 16 people, although we notice that groups of 10 to 14 are most comfortable.

Westende 52 has three bedrooms and two bathrooms. The living room is spacious, the kitchen fully equipped. Ideal for the family with children, or for the half of the group that goes to bed a little earlier.

Westende 53 also has three bedrooms, but here the master bedroom has its own ensuite bathroom. Lovely for a couple who wants a bit more privacy, or for the grandparents who deserve some extra comfort after a long holiday day.

What is ready for you on arrival in both houses: beds made, towels per person laid out, beach towels provided, toys for the children, and Moro toiletries in the bathroom. You step inside and you’re immediately on holiday. No digging through suitcases for sheets, no children waiting while you’re still organising.

We are Elise and Michael, and we know how it feels to arrive at a holiday home that isn’t quite ready for you after a long drive. We wanted to do it differently at ello. More on why we do it this way in our story.

The advantages of Marinapark Westende for larger groups

Not every park is suited to a larger group. Marinapark Westende is, and that has everything to do with how the park is set up.

The park is car-free. You park at the entrance and after that no cars come in. For families with young children, that’s gold: children can roam, cycle, scoot in the street. There’s no traffic. You don’t have to keep shouting for them to stay off the road. Suddenly the smallest ones have a lot more freedom, and the parents a lot less stress.

Inside the park, everything is on foot or by bike. A bakery, a restaurant, an ice cream parlour, a playground. For larger trips to the beach: 10 minutes by bike and you’re at Westende’s wide beach. With fourteen people that’s also far more practical than by car: no parking issues, no shuttling back and forth, just hopping on a bike.

Westende itself is a quiet seaside town, not a busy tourist hub. That is exactly what larger groups need: space, calm, and the sea within easy reach. No traffic jams, no full parking lots on the promenade.

Practical tips for a holiday with 10, 12, or 14 people

Organising a larger group takes a bit more preparation than a family weekend, but it doesn’t need to be complicated. A few things we see guests do that work well:

Divide the bedrooms in advance. Decide before departure who sleeps in which house and who gets which room. That avoids discussions on arrival and gives everyone a clear home base. The master bedroom in Westende 53 with the ensuite bathroom logically goes to the couple or person who benefits most from it.

Plan one or two big shared meals, not every day. The tempting thing about a double-house is to think: we’ll eat together every evening. That works the first day, but after that the children’s schedules start clashing. Better to choose one or two big meals, with a barbecue in the garden or a big pot on the fire, and leave the other evenings flexible.

Make a shared shopping list for the basics. Coffee, milk, breakfast bits, sauces, oil: the things everyone uses but no one brings. That way you don’t need to run to the supermarket on day one for half the group.

Give the children a fixed bedtime and a fixed place. When several families are together it’s tempting to keep things flexible, but children sleep better in a fixed routine. Then plan the adult evening activities on the other terrace, so the sleeping children aren’t disturbed.

Plan at least half a day with no agenda. Larger groups tend to fill every slot. But the best holiday days are the empty ones: everyone goes their own way, children play outside, and in the evening you come together with stories. The park gives you all the room for that.

Ready to set off together?

Finding a large holiday home for 14 people on the Belgian coast isn’t easy. Booking two houses next to each other, where everyone has their own space but no one is far away, is the solution we offer. Whether you’re there with the whole family, two friend families, or a larger group of friends, everyone is comfortable at ello.

See the details of Westende 52 and Westende 53, and get in touch if you have questions or want to book both houses at once. We’re happy to help and to think along about the best layout for your group.