Large group holidays for the 18-30 market are all about going out, having fun and experiencing some of the best nightlife on offer in some of the premier beach resorts in the world.

One of the biggest mistakes of booking a large group holiday is overspending on the hotel. If you are going to truly experience (and afford) the delights a destination has to offer, then beds should almost be an optional extra.

Here is our list of the best places to go for awesome nightlife with cheap hotels to boot.

Ibiza

Clubbing and Ibiza are so synonymous that the Oxford English Dictionary is considering rewriting the entry to: “Clubbing: see Ibiza”. Ibiza is clubbing and if you want some of the best atmosphere in the world for dancing and romancing then Ibiza is the place to be.

Pacha, Privilege and Manumission are three of the biggest names on the island, and rightly so, parties don’t get much bigger or louder than the island that never sleeps. Cheap hotels are best in San Antonio, at the heart of the clubbing Mecca and a short stumble home after a massive night.

Magaluf

A second entry for the Balearics, Magaluf on the island of Majorca still has an electric club scene and in many cases is considerably cheaper than a night on the town in Ibiza. BCM is the best of the bunch in the resort attracting some of the big names such as Judge Jules, DJ Sammy and Erick Morillo.

Cheap hotels are available all over the island, but Palma Nova is best avoided as it is more family oriented. Stick to Torrenova for the best deals.

Faliraki

In Greece, they say there are more bars and clubs per capita in Rhodes than there are in New York or London. Whilst this is a nice apocryphal tale, there is plenty to light up your night out on the Greek island.

All Rhodes lead to Faliraki. Not really, but there are two main roads in Faliraki that you want to get acquainted with for the ultimate night out in Greece, simply named Bar Street and Club Street. There are no prizes for guessing which street caters for which entertainment. The cheapest hotels are just outside the centre of town.

Bodrum

Forget the stereotype of belly dancing Turkish girls dressed up like Princess Jasmine, a night out on the tiles in Turkey is one which revolves more around restaurants and bars than dancing and clubs. Bodrum is the best place to get social with the locals. The otherwise quite sleepy town is transformed by night to become a buzzing bazaar of late night bars.

The Fora Bar on the beach is a particular favourite with tourists and the natives. With the Turkish lira being weak against the pound, cheap hotels can be found in Bodrum for as little as £18 a night.

Malta

Malta has opened up in recent years to the European clubbing scene and is fast becoming a hotspot for British tourists. One thing about Malta is that the weather is almost guaranteed to be scorching hot, as is the nightlife.

Tattingers in Rabat is fast growing a reputation for a blinding night out, and becoming a serious rival to some of the top clubs in Ibiza.Cheap hotels are available in St Julians and Paceville, at the heart of club land in Malta.

Timeshare takes off as Hotel occupancy drops

A recent Reuters news article reports that hotel occupancy in the USA is down in some top holiday spots – not for lack of visitors, but because more people are choosing to invest in permanent holiday accommodation like property and timeshares in their favourite destinations.

According to Peter Yesawich, chief executive of travel advertising agency Yatters, it’s easy to see why: ‘The pattern goes like this: visit destination, fall in love, buy the real estate.’

The shift is so significant that the big hotel chains are jumping on the timeshare trend, expanding their vacation ownership accommodation to capitalise on the boom. ‘These hotel guests are natural timeshare buyers,’ commented Scott Berman, head of PriceWaterhouseCoopers’ hospitality and leisure consulting practice.

Sales of timeshare property alone rose to $10 billion in 2006, up 16 per cent from 2005, according to ARDA (the timeshare trade group American Resort Developers Association). Today, over 4.4 million people own timeshare in the States.

A similar trend is emerging in Europe. Sales of holiday homes and timeshare approach record levels this year, as timeshare products are gaining popularity on this side of the pond. Value for money, generous accommodation space, self-catering facilities and a host of on-site leisure amenities are among the reasons why more families are opting for timeshare.

As thousands of people return from holiday having found their dream place in the sun, the number of Britons buying second homes and timeshare property abroad is set to soar this autumn, fuelled by an unusually wet British summer this year. New research just out from Moneycorp, the UK’s leading foreign exchange specialist, reveals that the number of people buying abroad rises by as much as 26 per cent in the autumn months.

European resort developers Club La Costa Resorts & Hotels recently reported a record summer season for their timeshare division, with occupancy rates at their Spanish resorts outperforming average hotel occupancy on the Costa del Sol. And their new Club La Costa Yacht Club, about to complete its first season in Mallorca, has been an unprecedented success.

Club La Costa Chairman Roy Peires commented, ‘The Yacht Club has been exceptionally popular with our members, I’m absolutely delighted. We’ve just announced our new winter sailing season in the Red Sea and will be back in Palma again next year. With ‘lifestyle’ holidays becoming more and more popular, our philosophy remains clear and simple: Club La Costa is dedicated to providing wonderful holiday experiences for our members.’

While Europe’s top three timeshare destinations continue to be mainland Spain, the Canary Islands and France, Turkey and Morocco are two new rising stars on the tourist map. Americans on the other hand (when they’re not holidaying in Hawaii, Florida or California) love Britain. A quarter of all Americans come to our shores for a change of scenery; those put off by the British weather head for Italy.

If you are looking for an apartment hotel or luxury vacation condo type hotel in a top spot in Antigua check out the Antigua Village

When is an Apartment Hotel actually a luxury vacation Condo Hotel is a moot point, and perhaps both are the same. On the other hand one is surely apartments and the other villas and studios, but whatever, sitting on the beautiful Dickenson Bay in Antigua is the Owners Club Antigua Village, which is a privately owned development of some 98 villas sitting in lush tropical gardens.

There are Studio Apartments, 1 or 2 Bedroom Apartments, and 2,3, and 4 Bedroom Villas. They are reasonably priced allowing families and couples to make reservations for what will be a very affordable vacation. All prices incidentally include beach towels, laundry, kitchen and dining utensils and maid service.

What makes the Antigua Village different from other apartment hotels/ luxury condo hotels is the Owners Club concept. What this means is that taking a vacation at Antigua Village also automatically makes you a member. The Owners Club was set up to provide all the facilities of a luxury resort but without the restrictions that being in a hotel brings. By this is meant, that you are free to eat when you want, do what you want without timetable, which surely makes for a perfect holiday.

The Owners Club have ‘partners’ on Antigua featuring a couple of great restaurants where members get special privileges. Owners Club members, which means you enjoy golf, tennis, water sports, sailboat charter, your own desert island getaway, and even membership of your own wine club.

The restaurants featured are Hemmingways which is in St John’s about ten minutes by car. It opens for breakfast lunch and dinner, and a table is guaranteed if booked through guest services the previous day, and there is complimentary champagne and special members only meal plans. Le Bistro in Hodges Bay is a legendary fine dining establishment again with guaranteed reservations for members.

For golf you have member ship of the Cedar Valley Golf Club, again 10 minutes drive away where no green fees are charged, and there is membership of the Halycon Cove Tennis Club, and again no fees are charged if courts are booked through the Antigua Village Guest Services. At Tony’s on Dickenson Bay members get special discounted rates for water sports, and there are other activity options that have similar pricing arrangements.

On the other hand you could just sit by the pool, or relax on the beach with glass in one hand, and a good book in the other. A short walk along the beach finds seven restaurants, even a casino, so you will not be short of things to do and places to eat, and with your fully equipped kitchen and nearby grocery outlets staying home and cooking is a breeze.

All in all the Antigua Village is a good choice for families, and you will find the accommodation more than adequate although some guests felt it was a bit dated. This seems to be a common feature throughout Antigua and is probably just a quirk in the Caribbean. There is a mosquito problem, again not uncommon, and the management staff will come and spray but it makes sense to come well armed with bug repellent. As apartment hotels go, or luxury vacation condo hotels if you prefer, Antigua Village will give you an affordable holiday in a very beautiful plac as Dickenson Bay remains most attractive.