The Ultimate Guide to Large Group Vacation Rentals in the Pocono Mountains

The Pocono Mountains have long been a getaway for New York and Philadelphia. But for a large group (a family of 30, a company team of 50, a reunion of 80), finding the right rental means knowing what to look for and what to ask.

This guide covers the kinds of rental you will find, the amenities that matter most for a big group, how to think about the cost, and how to get the most out of the stay.

The kinds of large rental in the Poconos

Large group rentals in the Poconos fall roughly into three kinds:

• Large vacation homes. The most common: a single house sized for a big family or two.
• Estates and mansions. Bigger buildings, often with a pool and more to do inside.
• Compounds of several buildings. Several buildings on one property, rented together or separately. The rarest kind, and the one that lets a group of 50 or more stay in one place.

Hilltop Castle World is the third kind: four buildings, the Castle, the Mansion, the Farmhouse and the Lodge, on one private 130-acre hill in Beach Lake, with 39 bedrooms between them sleeping 92. Each can be booked on its own or with the others.

What amenities should you prioritize?

For a large group, amenities stop being extras and start being what makes the weekend work:

• Things to do indoors. Pocono weather changes fast. Bowling, a theater and a games room keep a group together when it rains or snows.
• A dining room that seats everyone. Eating together in one sitting, rather than in shifts, changes the feel of the whole trip.
• Enough bathrooms. Ask how many there are and which bedrooms share. Shared bathrooms make for slow mornings.
• Knowing what is yours. Ask what comes with your booking (the building, the pool, the grounds) and what you share with other guests.
• A kitchen that can feed the group. Several refrigerators and more than one oven make cooking for a crowd realistic.

Understanding the cost

Prices for large group rentals vary with the size of the building, what comes with it and the season. A few principles help with budgeting:

• Think per person. A total for a large building looks very different once it is divided by everyone staying and every night. Each Hilltop building page has a pricing calculator that does exactly that from the rate, the size of the group and the number of nights.
• Count only real beds. If a building sleeps more guests than it has beds for, ask what those extra guests cost and where they sleep. At Hilltop the figures count real beds only, and each building has a stated cap on extra guests, who pay a charge per night; no extra bedding is supplied for them.
• Ask what is included. Linens, towels, propane for the grills, housekeeping during the stay: find out which come with the booking and which cost extra.
• Book directly. At Hilltop you book in our own booking calendar, which shows the price and availability for your dates.

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Hilltop Castle World

For groups from 6 to 92, Hilltop Castle World in Beach Lake has four buildings, each a short walk from the next:

• The Castle: 18 bedrooms, sleeps 44. A private bathroom in every bedroom, three outdoor pools, a 72-seat theater, two bowling alleys, a full-size indoor basketball court, a 60-seat conference room and a 48-seat dining room.
• The Mansion: 11 bedrooms, sleeps 26. An outdoor pool, an indoor hot tub room, a sauna, a 38-seat theater, a 36-seat conference room, a hidden library and two kitchens.
• The Farmhouse: 7 bedrooms, sleeps 16. A heated indoor pool open all year, a sauna, a billiard table and a 16-seat dining room.
• The Lodge: 3 bedrooms, sleeps 6. A screened porch over the valley, ping pong and an arcade basketball hoop.

Between them there are five pools, two bowling alleys, two theaters, two conference rooms, pickleball, a yoga room, arcades, indoor mini golf, billiard tables, a selfie stage and a toddler room. At the Castle there is also the Legend of the Lost Kingdom, a treasure hunt through twelve hidden rooms built into the building, which comes with the stay.

Across all four buildings there are five kitchens, 15 refrigerators, six ovens and six grills, so a group that takes the whole hill can cook for itself. If nobody wants to, the caterers, the bartender and the other vendors on our services page come to whichever building you are in, and you book them directly.

Each building you book is yours alone, with the grounds around it. The rest of the hill, with its four miles of walking trails, is shared with the guests in the other buildings, unless your group books all four.

Getting the most out of the stay

• Walk the trails. There are two loops on the hill: an easy one of a mile and a half and a moderate one of two and a half miles, marked with red and yellow tree markers.
• Get off the hill once. Rafting on the Delaware is 5 minutes away, Ski Big Bear 20 minutes and Lake Wallenpaupack 25 minutes. See what there is to do nearby.
• Plan one meal everyone sits down to. It tends to be the part of the weekend people remember.

Hilltop is two hours from New York City and Philadelphia by car. Check your dates in the booking calendar, or call or text (570) 251-1998 or write to hello@stayathilltop.com, and the team will suggest the building or buildings that fit your group. For more, see 20+ bedroom vacation rentals near New York City.