Benefits of Escaping Over the Festive Season
Monday 20th December, 2021 by hs-admin
In the words of Andy Williams, it’s the most wonderful time of year – but why not make the festive season extra special and sparkly by heading on a staycation to celebrate?
Demand for a Christmas staycation has never been higher, with studies finding that even by September, bookings of holiday cottages were already up an incredible 480 per cent compared to 2020.
If you’re still not convinced, we’ve rounded up the benefits of getting away for the festive season.
Christmas can be anywhere
There’s a common misconception that Christmas isn’t the same if it’s not spent at home – but as long as you’ve got your loved ones, gifts, good food, and plenty of mulled wine to go round, the big day can be enjoyed anywhere.
Many holiday homes are decorated to fit with the festivities, so you don’t need to worry about not being surrounded by trees, tinsel and other Christmassy trinkets, though you could always pop some banners in your bags to go along for the ride.
Properties also have plenty of room to store food and drink, meaning you won’t need to scrimp on turkey or be rationing prosecco for the Christmas night toast – there’ll be lots of space for all the goodies you can eat and drink.
As for presents, there’s room for them too – and if you happen to ‘forget’ one or two, or you tend to leave your shopping until Christmas Eve, our holiday home destinations have a range of shops, supermarkets and independent boutiques right on your doorstep.
And as long as you’ve got your friends, family, dogs (we have a number of pet friendly holiday cottages), we’re sure you’ll have a magical time.
A chance to get together
Those of us who have family spread across all corners of the UK (if not further) will have regularly had the debate of which end of the country you travel to for the festive break.
But a holiday home can provide a neutral, common ground with no room for who-goes-where headaches. Everyone can join together in an agreed destination – and with properties in various places across the country, we have plenty of stunning locations to choose from – and enjoy the celebrations without issues over who drives and where they’ll sleep.
Nobody needs to play ‘host’
Christmas is a time for relaxing and having fun with your loved ones, but it can be hard to do that when you’re trying to be the hostess with the mostest. If present-opening, dinner and the evening celebrations are all held in your own home, you’re under pressure to keep on top of the tidying, drink topping-up, feeding and general enjoyment of the day.
But if you’re staying in one of our luxury holiday homes – where nobody has ownership – it’ll be much easier to unwind and enjoy the festivities, without worrying about the specks of glitter all over the floor or whether uncle John and auntie Sally need another glass of wine pouring. Instead, everyone will chip in on the preparations and the big day itself.
There’s room for everyone
Sometimes, celebrations at home can be limited due to the space available. Our own properties weren’t built to house more than a maximum of four or five people – but holiday homes were.
Whether you want to gather the whole gang in a cottage that sleeps 20, or keep it more low key with an apartment built for eight, you can invite as many loved ones as you like to spend the festive season together, without worrying about littering the living room with camp beds and people having to eat their Christmas dinner on the sofa.
Time to relax
A holiday is designed to give you the opportunity to take a real break from working, cleaning the house, doing the shopping – and Christmas should be no different.
By getting away from home, you can properly unwind and enjoy your time off, without worrying that you should be using the break between Christmas and New Year to do a deep-clean, catch up on DIY, or hopping on your laptop for a quick catch-up on work. Switch off, away from the pressures of real life, and simply relax.
Extend the festivities…
It can be a sharp bump back to earth when you return to work on December 27th after all the fun and festivities of Christmas Eve to Boxing Day. Extend the celebrations by booking a week, or even 10 days if you fancy, away from home to truly soak up that Christmas spirit.
It’ll give you more time to spend with family and friends, see the sights and really enjoy the festive period, rather than feeling like it’s over in a flash.
…Or escape them
Or, if you’re after an excuse to keep your celebrations intimate, without relatives popping by unannounced, a staycation is the perfect place to get away.
Head to the remote countryside of the Lake District to enjoy a calming Christmas day, or ring in the new year on the beaches of Northumberland with as few people as you like.
To view the properties we have on offer, visit https://hostandstay.co.uk/