Hotels trump home stays this Christmas

Hotels trump home stays this Christmas

The Hotels.com Christmas Travel Tracker reveals almost two in five Kiwis travelling these holidays choose to stay at a hotel over bunking in with family or friends

11 December, 2014: New research from Hotels.com of Christmas holiday intentions reveals New Zealanders are facing a Christmas conundrum when it comes to where to stay this festive season, if travelling to see family. While many of us are expected to stay with relatives, almost two in five of us (39%) would rather stay in a hotel, almost a third (27%) hitting the hay with family or friends.

The annual Hotels.com Christmas Travel Tracker also found that of the 39% of Kiwis choosing to stay in a hotel, nearly a quarter (23%) will be taking time out in hotels on home-soil and 14% will be checking-in overseas.

Of the 18% of Kiwi holiday makers planning to spread their Christmas cheer abroad, it was a three way tie between the UK, US and Singapore as the top three most popular overseas destinations.

The top three reasons why we’re packing our suitcases this Christmas is to spend quality time with family (57%), to enjoy a different temperature (11%) and another 11% wanting to experience Christmas elsewhere. Interestingly, more than one in 10 (11%) are channelling their inner-Scrooge and are going away for Christmas to avoid their families.

However, we’re more festive than we may think, with the Hotels.com Christmas Travel Tracker revealing we’re passionate about our Christmas traditions: 14% of those staying in a hotel this Christmas selected their accommodation because a traditional Christmas feast was being offered; 79% prefer a Christmas tree over a palm tree; 51% prefer a Christmas ham or turkey over a Pavlova; and a whopping 83% of Kiwis said they would prefer to soak up the sun over a white Christmas holiday.

Katherine Cole says: “There is a growing trend amongst Kiwis to get out and explore their own backyard and this is highlighted in our findings this year.

“More New Zealanders are finding a wider variety of affordable trips here, rather than necessarily chasing a white Christmas in the northern hemisphere,” she said.

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