Galentine's Weekend: A February Girls' Getaway in a Group House

Galentine’s Day — 13 February, the day before Valentine’s, named by the sitcom Parks and Recreation in 2010 — has become one of the more popular excuses for a group of women to book a big house together in the quietest month of the year. In 2027 it falls on a Saturday, which makes a Friday-to-Sunday girls’ weekend almost too neat to pass up. Here is how to plan a Galentine’s weekend that feels like an occasion rather than another night in.

Picking the weekend: the 13th, or the one before?

With Galentine’s on Saturday 13 February 2027 and Valentine’s Day on the Sunday, the obvious weekend has one catch: anyone with a partner may want to be home by Sunday evening. Most groups handle it one of two ways. Either book Friday to Sunday with a slow brunch and an early-afternoon departure, or move the whole thing to the weekend before, 5 to 7 February, which is usually quieter. Check the half-term calendar too: many schools in England break for February half-term around the middle of the month, which pushes up prices and pulls mums with school-age children in two directions. Dates vary by area, so check locally before you commit.

Why February is a good month to book a big house

February sits in the quietest stretch of the year for most large holiday houses — after the Christmas and New Year peak, before Easter. Owners who are full all summer often have open weekends, and midweek dates are cheaper again; our midweek group stays guide explains where the savings usually are. It is also the month when a house earns its keep: log fires, a big kitchen and a hot tub under a cold, clear sky are worth more in February than in July.

What makes a house right for Galentine’s

Three features do most of the work on a winter girls’ weekend. A hot tub is the obvious one — the Saturday-night soak is usually the photo everyone keeps. A kitchen island or a big table matters more than you’d think, because Galentine’s weekends revolve around food and long conversations rather than nights out. And bathrooms: ten women getting ready at the same time is a queue the listing photos won’t warn you about, so compare the bathroom count, not just the bedrooms. Our girls’ weekend getaways collection is a good starting point, and the girls’ weekend houses guide goes deeper on choosing between them.

Galentine’s weekend ideas beyond a cocktail and a face mask

• A cocktail masterclass on the Friday. A cocktail masterclass in the kitchen breaks the ice when not everyone knows each other, and a good host will build in alcohol-free recipes.
• A flower workshop. Mid-February is the one week of the year when flowers are everywhere. A flower crown workshop suits the date perfectly.
• Sip and paint. A sip and paint session is gentle, sociable and leaves everyone with something to take home.
• A pamper afternoon. Spa treatments or a mobile beauty bar in the house, rather than a spa day out, keeps everyone together and saves a drive.
• A proper Galentine’s dinner. A private chef on the Saturday means nobody spends the best evening of the weekend at the hob.
• Something cheekier. For groups who want a laugh, life drawing or Butlers in the Buff serving the drinks work as well for Galentine’s as for a hen party.
• Letters and a film. The free option: everyone writes a short note to each of the others, read out on the Saturday night, followed by a film the whole group can quote.

Singles, couples, mums and the not-drinking

Galentine’s groups are rarely all in the same place. Some will be single and delighted to ignore Valentine’s altogether; some will have left a partner at home with the children; some will be pregnant, training for something or simply drinking less. Build the weekend around things that don’t depend on alcohol — the food, the hot tub, a workshop, a long walk on Sunday — and nobody feels they are missing out. Our piece on sober-curious group weekends has more on planning for a mixed group.

Keeping the cost fair

Agree the budget before anyone looks at houses, and be honest about it. A February weekend is often the one trip a year a friend with young children can justify, and a budget set by the highest earner can quietly price her out. Collect deposits before you book, split the house by room if the rooms are very different, and keep shared food and activities in a separate kitty. Our guide to splitting group holiday costs sets out the common methods.

My honest tip

Book the Friday night as well, even if half the group can only arrive late. A one-night Galentine’s trip is mostly travel and tidying up; two nights gives you a whole Saturday with nothing to rush for, which is the point. And plan one thing per day, not four — the moments people remember from these weekends are the unplanned ones round the kitchen table at midnight.