For the sake of family harmony,

With Christmas fast approaching, many families have mixed feelings about seeing relatives again, in some cases the only time they get together each year. With that apprehension, comes the dread of having to accommodate family or friends over this period – a night, a week or a perhaps a month, when it comes your turn to play host to the Christmas festivities.

A recent survey* conducted in the US confirms that Australians are not alone in dreading having relatives come to stay, particularly when both parents are working and have their own hectic work and social schedule leading up to Christmas.

The hotel.com survey found that 8 out of 10 Americans would prefer visiting relatives to stay in a hotel during the holiday season. While most Americans are willing to roll out the welcome mat when hosting the Grandparents at home for the holidays, the poll indicates they don’t always want to extend the same hospitality to other relatives.

In fact, according to the survey, 87 percent of respondents wanted some relatives to stay at a hotel during the holidays rather than in their home, more distant relatives being the obvious choice.

In Australia, according to the latest Roy Morgan Research Single Source Report, 26 per cent of Australians chose to stay at a motel or hotel during their last domestic holiday rather than at the home of a friend or relative.

George Bedwani, COO of Australian hotel chain, Metro Hotels, said that he expected this trend to continue with more people opting for the comfort and privacy of a motel or hotel rather than staying with relatives or friends.

“People are increasing time-poor,” he said. “Hosting a house full of guests during the holiday period can be exhausting, inconvenient and expensive.

Having to rearrange your home to accommodate a number of guests, sharing bathrooms, making up bedrooms and preparing meals – these all add to the pressure of having guests stay.”

The survey also revealed that 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.

Mr Bedwani said that visiting family and friends may want to consider booking some hotel accommodation close by. “This would make the visit more enjoyable and less stressful for everyone.”

According to the US survey, adults believe their ‘hotel-like’ guest accommodation at home is, if you were to charge, worth on between $149 and $161 per night.

Mr Bedwani said that hotel room rates are on the rise in Australia, and hotel accommodation is at a premium over the Christmas and New Year period, with hotels in major cities charging anywhere from $250 to $450 per night.

“The benefits of maintaining family harmony and friendships far outweigh the costs involved,” he said.

Report by The Mole