Most listings that say "sleeps 16" mean something closer to "sixteen people could technically lie down here". If you are organising a birthday, a surf trip or three families sharing, the difference between a villa that sleeps a big group and one that hosts a big group is the difference between a great week and a week of queueing for the bathroom.
Here is what we tell people who ask us. Bedrooms and capacity for all four houses are in large villas in Tenerife for 8 to 17 guests. For a fuller comparison of the larger three, see our guide to large villas for 12 to 17 people.
1. Ask for the licence number, and count the licensed guests
Every holiday rental in the Canary Islands needs a vivienda vacacional (VV) licence, and the licence states a maximum number of guests. A serious owner puts the number on the listing. Ours is VV-38-4-0090194 for The Surf Villa, and it is in the footer of every page. The Surf Villa sleeps 17.
If a listing has no licence number, or the owner cannot tell you the licensed capacity, walk away. An unlicensed rental can be closed at short notice and your booking with it.
2. Beds, not bodies
Count real beds, not sofas. A group of adults wants a bed each, or a double per couple. The Surf Villa has seven bedrooms and seven bathrooms for seventeen people, which is what makes it work for three families or a group of friends who are not going to share a bathroom with eight others. Smaller groups have options too: The Surf Villa 3 sleeps fifteen, The Surf Villa 2 twelve, and Villa Black eight.
3. Bathrooms per bedroom
The number that predicts whether a big-group holiday feels relaxed is bathrooms divided by bedrooms. Anything below one bathroom per bedroom means a morning queue. Ask.
4. One big table
Sixteen people eating in shifts is not a holiday. Ask whether there is one dining table that seats the whole group in one go, and whether it is outside. Ours seats sixteen under the pergola on the terrace, next to the pool.
5. Minimum stays and how the price works
Prices on a well-run villa change by date, and so do minimum stays: three nights in a quiet week, seven over Christmas. Look for a live calendar that shows both per date, rather than a "from" price and a phone call. On our site, hover any date on the calendar and it tells you the minimum; pick a check-in and it shows the earliest check-out. If Christmas or New Year is the trip you are planning, our guide to booking over the holidays covers how early to book and what minimum stays look like then.
6. Deposit and damage deposit
Expect a deposit of around half at booking and the balance before you arrive, plus a refundable damage deposit. For a big group, agree who is paying what before you book; splitting one card payment sixteen ways afterwards is nobody's idea of fun.
7. Who meets you
For seventeen people arriving on three flights, a lockbox code is not enough. Ask whether someone meets you, whether bags can be dropped early, and how the check-in works. Spanish law also requires every guest over fourteen to register their ID before check-in; a good host sends a secure link in advance rather than photographing passports at the door. Our guide to getting from Tenerife South airport to the villa covers taxis, transfers and what happens if you land before the villa is ready.
8. Book direct, and know who you are paying
A villa booked direct with the owner has no platform fee, which on a two-week stay for a group is real money. Check that the site names the company you are paying and the licence holder. Ours does, in the footer and in the booking terms.
If you want to see how those eight look in practice, check dates on our live calendar or tell us your group and dates, and a real person answers on WhatsApp.