4 reasons to check into a hotel for the holidays instead of hosting at home
There are a few things you should know about me: I love spending time with my friends and family and I love to cook. But I do not love hosting at home during the holidays.
I know that some people absolutely love preparing a big, festive dinner with all the fixings and inviting loved ones into their homes for a big celebration. I am just not one of them. I don't like the amount of cooking, cleaning and hovering about it takes to make sure everyone is having a good time.
But I've found a great alternative for hosting during the festive season: Skip it entirely and instead, check into a hotel. Last year, for example, I spent Thanksgiving at a hotel in Orlando — and it was the perfect way to kick off the holiday season.
Here's why I think you should forgo hosting duties and spend the holidays in a hotel.
Related: 10 luxury hotels that go all-out for the holidays
You don't have to cook, clean up or play host(ess)
My husband and I have three kids — all boys — and as hard as we try to make it otherwise, our home's cleanliness level is questionable at best. The amount of work we have to do to make it presentable is more than we can manage on top of keeping those boys fed, clean and clothed.
So last year, we flew to Orlando, where a pristine room was waiting for us at the Gaylord Palms Resort near Walt Disney World.
Related: Something for everyone: 6 things to know before you visit a Gaylord resort
We returned to our room each afternoon to find the beds made, the garbage emptied and the room tidied. I still did my best to keep the kids' mess under control in between cleanings, but this alone alleviated a lot of my holiday stress.
I am a huge advocate for tipping hotel staff and restaurant servers, and I recommend tipping even more around the holidays if you have the means. Tipping a little extra is an easy way to say "thank you." Plus, it was well worth the peace of mind knowing I could soak up extra family time rather than spend the holiday cleaning nonstop.
Though we tried to save money by stocking up on breakfast essentials and snacks for our hotel room, we also dined out during our visit. Most hotels I've visited around the holidays serve celebratory meals on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
I enjoyed lunch poolside at the Gaylord Palms Cypress Springs Water Park. And while I'm not sure that a tuna poke bowl is a historically accurate holiday meal, it certainly made me feel grateful that I was sitting by the pool in sunny Florida instead of in chilly southern Indiana cooking for a lot of people.
Most hotels plan special meals and activities
In many cases, you don't even have to leave your hotel for a traditional holiday meal. Down the road at Universal Orlando, several on-site hotels serve holiday meals. Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel, Loews Royal Pacific Resort and Loews Sapphire Falls Resort all serve a festive buffet on both Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Outside of Florida, there are several other hotels that serve special meals on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Big Cypress Lodge in Memphis serves a Southern-inspired meal of Thanksgiving classics, while the Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman, serves a traditional turkey dinner (or a "Thanksgiving-to-Go" for guests who want to dine in the privacy of their suite). Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts in Riviera Maya and Punta Cana serve a special Christmas brunch, so you can fill up before you hit the beach or water park.
In addition to delicious meals, hotels around the globe mark the festive season with special events and activities. In past years, we sang along with carolers and met Santa in the lobby of Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando. Every hotel at Universal gets into the holiday spirit.
This year, Universal's Cabana Bay Beach Resort at Universal Orlando held a tree-lighting ceremony the day after Thanksgiving. It was complete with complimentary hot cocoa, cookies and surprise character meet-and-greets.
In addition to specialty meals, Santa stops by at both Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts locations on Christmas, and kids can participate in special holiday-themed activities like cookie decorating.
Or, if you are someone who loves a holiday turkey trot race, Big Cedar Lodge near Branson, Missouri, holds an annual "Gobble Wobble 5K" the day after Thanksgiving.
You'll create new holiday traditions and memories
The above activities are just a handful of examples offered at festive fun hotels you can visit during the holiday season. You can find similar offerings in destinations all over the world. No matter where you travel for the holidays, the unique experiences that you can't have at home help create cherished holiday memories.
My family has made a tradition of visiting a Gaylord Hotel during the holidays to experience the annual holiday event called Ice!
Doing something like this — and getting out of our usual routine while filling the day with fun activities — meant I wasn't wrestling the iPads away from my kids or thinking up ways to keep us busy.
You can earn last-minute status nights or use up expiring certificates
I don't know about you, but this year I am thankful for all the ways points and miles have improved my travels. I've earned perks like room upgrades, late checkout and free hotel nights thanks to my Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card (see rates and fees) and American Express Platinum Card®.
The Amex Platinum grants me automatic Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status (enrollment required), which comes with perks like room upgrades, late checkout and bonus points earnings on stays. My Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card comes with an annual free night certificate (up to 35,000 points; certain hotels may have resort fees) on my cardmember anniversary.
I almost forgot to use it a couple years ago, which led to another fun story — but this isn't about the time we took our dog for a staycation in order to avoid losing a free hotel night. This is to remind you that the holiday season is the perfect time to check for any free night certificates or other money-saving credit card benefits that may be on the verge of expiring.
For example, my Amex Platinum comes with up to $600 in annual hotel statement credits each calendar year (up to $300 biannually) on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel® (THC requires a minimum two-night stay). And as the old saying goes, if you don't use it, you lose it.
Related: Last-minute tips for locking in hotel elite status before the end of year
You can also justify throwing holiday traditions out the window and creating your own if you need to squeeze in a few last-minute nights to move up to a new elite status tier. You'll get to enjoy a special holiday with your family and lock in elevated hotel benefits for the coming year. Now that's something to be thankful for.
Bottom line
Don't get me wrong — I love throwing a party. But I am more of an appetizers, drinks and board games kind of hostess.
Rather than drive myself up the wall trying to plan the perfect holiday event, I've found a festive alternative. It allows my family to celebrate all the things we love about the holidays without any of the stress.
However you choose to celebrate, I hope you have a very merry holiday season.
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