While most Americans are still willing to roll out the welcome mat when hosting Grandma and Grandpa at home for the holidays, a new hotels.com poll indicates they may not want to extend the same courtesy to other relatives. In fact, according to the second annual hotels.com Hospitality@Home survey, the vast majority of respondents (87 percent) would want at least some of their relatives to stay at a hotel during the holidays rather than in their home, with more distant relatives being the most popular people to put up in a nearby hotel.
"From making up guest rooms to preparing meals, hosting a house full of overnight guests can be exhausting and difficult, particularly if you live in close quarters," said Scott Booker, chief hotel expert for hotels.com. "To make the holidays more enjoyable and a little less stressful for everyone, visiting family and friends may want to consider booking a hotel room for their upcoming trip."
The hotels.com survey revealed the following trends:
• Dealing with Distant Relatives. Relatives outside of the immediate family were among the most popular people to put up in a hotel. In fact, 43 percent of those surveyed said they would want their cousins to stay in a hotel, and 42 percent would prefer their aunts and uncles do the same.
• Making Nice with the In-Laws. Parents with children under the age of 17 were more likely to want their in-laws to stay in a hotel for the holidays. In fact, 46 percent of adults with children under the age of 17 in their household said they would prefer that their in-laws stay in a hotel, compared with 36 percent of adults without children under 17 in the household.
• The Parent Trap. Hosting parents during the holidays is less appealing for younger adults than it is for older adults. Forty percent of 25-to 34-year-olds said they would prefer their parents stay in a hotel, compared with only 21 percent of U.S. adults ages 45 and over.
The Cost of Hospitality at Home
With hotel room rates on the rise across much of the country, the hotels.com survey found that many holiday hosts believe they too could charge a pretty penny for their own guest accommodations at home.
In fact, according to the survey, U.S. adults believe their "hotel-like" guest accommodations at home are worth $149 per night on average -- an increase of $18 over last year.
While adults in most regions of the country feel their hospitality at home is worth more this year than last year, Southerners actually feel their "hotel rooms" at home are worth $22 less than they were in 2006.
The priciest "hotel-like" guest accommodations at home are in the West, where residents believe their accommodations could fetch a premium of $161 per night. This year's survey also found that the best deals could still be had in the Midwest, where residents said their accommodations were worth $125.
FAMILY TIES
According to the hotels.com survey, U.S. adults would prefer the following
relatives stay in a hotel during the holidays instead of with them:
-- Cousins (43 percent)
-- Aunts or Uncles (42 percent)
-- In-Laws (40 percent)
-- Siblings (35 percent)
-- Children (30 percent)
-- Parents (28 percent)
-- Grandparents (23 percent)
-- Other relatives (11 percent)
RISING ROOM RATES AT HOME
According to the hotels.com survey, U.S. adults (by geographic region) believe
a "hotel room" at their home is worth on average:
2006 2007
National Average: $131 $149
Regional Averages:
-- South $177 $155
-- Northwest $109 $152
-- West $107 $161
-- Midwest $98 $125
NOTE: Percentages may not add up to 100 due to weighting factors or multiple responses.
Survey Methodology
This telephone survey was conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of hotels.com among 1,008 U.S. adults (aged 18 and over) within the United States between Sept. 6 and 9, 2007. No estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For full survey methodology, please contact Benjamin Larkin at (214) 303-6047.
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