Hi everyone, thank you for brilliant constructive feedback. Much appreciated. Sorry for the late response. I’ll try to answer here:
Before embarking on this, I did a lot of research, both online (Pricelabs, AirDNA, forums) and local research, including talking to two local very successful businesses that are absolutely packed every winter with groups. The area is very popular with bikers, hikers, climbers and other groups, and having a property that can host five adults in separate bedrooms will be an advantage and is sought after. We are situated in the prime area for these customers for all the winter. So for these groups in the winter, five adults will be the normal maximum capacity, every guest in their own bedroom. For 5 adults, 2.5 bathrooms should suffice. I hope. Someone will always complain, but that’s a different thing.
For the summer, the area is flooded with North European families looking for summer, warmth and sun. They desire separate bedrooms for the kids, at least for kids older that 11-12. So we can easily accomodate a family with up to four or five kids. Or two smaller families staying together (although I am a little more reluctant about that… but that’s a separate discussion)
The floor layout has already been decided, unfortunately, so changing a bedroom into a lounge is not going to happen at this point. Based on previously mentioned market research. We can change it in the future, if the need for a lounge surpasses the need for the extra bedroom. But we think that for the winter groups, the number of bedrooms is more important. These folks are out all day, come back in the evening for a shower and a siesta, and go out at 8-9PM for dinner, and comes back 11PM to sleep, and are out again early the next morning. In the summer, our guests will stay outdoors all day, sun or shade, garden or beach, and all meals taken at home will be eaten outside on the terracce. Most likely dinner at a restaurant.
Lounge furniture in the kitchen - as has been pointed out in the thread, is a bad idea, and that has been one of my main arguments against this. Also, having a lounge with comfortable chairs for up to six people needs a lot of space, as has been pointed out. For the summer I think a lounge indoors will not be used at all, since everyone will be outside. In the winter, our customers must be able to have their breakfast indoors in a comfortable temperature, as the nights and mornings can feel cold. Well, relatively speaking. But still too cold and humid to sit outside until the sun starts to take at 10-11 AM, IMO. Even in April.
We have a number of cafés and restaurants within a few hundred metres. Many take most large meals out, and have breakfast and light snacks at home.
About the hot water: We are having two large heat pump driven water heaters (580 liters) installed, so hot water should not be a problem. And as soon as we can, the heaters will be fed by preheated water from solar, cutting the electricity bill even further and increasing the capacity by an additional 30% at least.
Even though I haven’t addressed everything in this reply, we have taken everything into consideration and had a long and good talk. The decision is ultimately mine, and we will go for a kitchen with a proper dining table and chairs, and make it really comfortable and inviting. Should the need for a lounge prove to be necessary, perhaps for the summer season, we can accomodate that in the future, based on guest feedback. Thank you all for very valuable input.
(A little background information: I am from Northern Europe, where the living room has been dying for the last 15 years. Whenever we gather friends for dinner or just drinks, we always sit in the kitchen around the dining table all night, never the lounge. Hardly any families watch TV together anymore, everyone has their own device. If guests are having game night or quizes, which I doubt they will TBH, the dining table will be perfect. Also for the groups. IMO.
My partner is from Latin America, where families are different than Northern Europe, and the TV and the living room is what brings everyone together. So I think this was in a few ways a cultural discussion on our part.)
. If it’s 8 adults, 2 and a half bathrooms might be pushing it, but as you say, the modern American expectations for number of bathrooms per persons is not generally what people in other countries, even developed nations, expect. Even couples in the US and Canada now seem to think they each need their own bathroom sink in their shared bathroom.