Banish The Holiday Stress: 7 Amazing Reasons To Book A Staycation This 2021

If you’re looking for a sign to banish the holiday stress and simply book an end-of-year staycation this 2021, this is it! 

We can all agree that our Christmas celebration last year wasn’t the best one. If you’re like us, you couldn’t go out because of the surge of the COVID-19 cases in your area and you had no choice but to make the holiday worthwhile while stuck at home. Looking back, we’re in a much better state today compared to the previous year — and that’s a perfect excuse to go all out this 2021 holiday season. 

Aside from the chance to go out and finally book travels again, there are plenty of reasons why having a Christmas staycation is a better choice than spending your Christmas traditionally at home. In this article, we’ll list down 7 of them. 

1. It’s the perfect time to break traditions

It’s December 20 and you’re worried about your annual Christmas feast and gifts you’re yet to wrap. Then come December 24 and you spend the entire day cooking and preparing for guests who will be coming over. You and your family have dinner, gift-giving, and stay up until 12 AM to welcome Christmas day. A few drinks later and you find yourself on the couch, sleeping due to a mix of exhaustion and booze. 

Does this scenario ring a bell? Well, if you’ve been celebrating Christmas the same way for years, why not shake things up this time? 

Booking a Christmas staycation allows you to celebrate the annual holiday in a whole new light. It’s like a breath of fresh air. You’ll welcome December 25 in a different place, like a nice hotel or resort with a view, savor different food and drinks you didn’t prepare, and visit attractions you haven’t seen before. 

2. No stress — only good vibes!

Ever wondered why Christmas gets more stressful (and even boring) as you grow older? It’s because, unlike kids, we’re assigned to do errands and spend money. We see Christmas celebrations in their dreaded complexities, from decorating your home to cooking elaborate buffet dinners. It’s easy to miss out on the fun when we get overwhelmed with a long list of tedious tasks. 

Bring back the longing for Christmas day by taking a break. If you book a Christmas staycation, you can simply relax in a hotel and enjoy food delivered from a nice restaurant. Instead of wrapping physical gifts for your family, you can give them gifts of memorable experiences by planning a holiday-themed day out. Lastly, you can head to bed after a long day instead of spending time cleaning. 

No need to sweat about Christmas decorations too — you can visit a holiday attraction brimming with vivid lights, ornaments, and Christmas figures. You can also book a hotel that takes Christmas to the next level, like this hotel in Kilkenny that’s complete with decorations, festive menus, holiday vouchers, and a lot of Christmas activities. 

3. Hotels are close to attractions

Planning to book a hotel for your Christmas staycation? Hotels, unlike your home that’s secluded in a residential area, are usually close to attractions, parks, shopping centres, and dining spots. You and your family will enjoy experiences that are beyond dining and gift-giving — like meeting “Santa”, visiting lively Christmas markets, ice skating, riding theme park rides, and listening to Christmas carols. 

4. Everything you need at your fingertips 

Christmas isn’t just for kids. It’s for adults to enjoy too. And nothing kills fun better than having to brave the traffic just to get the Christmas essentials, right? 

As an adult who’ll do the grocery shopping and late-night beer runs, you want to stay in a destination that has everything at your fingertips. Aside from being close to attractions, hotels are also conveniently close to important establishments you might need to visit during Christmas: restaurants, supermarkets, malls, and even bars.

5. You’ll save money

Think you can save more money by spending Christmas at home? Think again. 

Sure, you won’t pay for accommodation but other holiday costs add up if you reflect on it. Just think about the price of the presents, costs of food and drinks for all of your relatives, electricity bills from the 24/7 Christmas lights, and more. You can head out and have your kids visit Santa instead of pretending to be Santa for Christmas. 

If you choose to have an intimate celebration with your family in a hotel over hosting a grand reunion at home, the festivities can actually be cheaper. 

6. More quality time with family

You can go out and eat your Christmas feast in a restaurant with festive menus instead of getting busy in the kitchen. You can treat the kids to a snow play area or winter-themed attraction, instead of telling them to just watch the snow from the window. Lastly, you can sleep together comfortably on Christmas day instead of letting the kids rest first as you clean up the post-celebration mess. 

With less time spent on preparation and more time spent on having fun itself, Christmas staycations will give you more quality time with your loved ones. 

7. Vacations give you unforgettable memories

Getting away for Christmas rewards you with unforgettable memories. You’ll have a change of scenery. Wake up in a nice accommodation with a captivating winter wonderland landscape for a view. Or visit IG-worthy attractions and even give your kids the chance to meet Santa and his elves. 

Traditions are great, but that doesn’t mean it’s an oath to keep repeating the same Christmas day scenes every year. There’ll be more Christmases to come, which means you’ll have more chances to stick with the tradition. But this time, you have the freedom to make memorable experiences and come home with a fun story to tell everyone, like how your kid stumbled in the skating rink or how amazing the light installations were.  

Author Bio:  Carmina Natividad is a travel and lifestyle writer. Aside from taking vibrant street photos, you can find her writing articles about travel, food, and lifestyle. To know more about hotels and travel blogs, you may visit Pembroke Hotel Kilkenny.