MCLEAN, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--While people love spending time with family during the holidays, staying under the same roof might be a little too much family time for some. With more than half of Americans confessing to misbehaving as a guest in someone else’s home, according to a new survey* by Embassy Suites Hotels, the truth is that being a holiday house guest can be inconvenient and stressful. Hilton Worldwide’s all-suites, upper upscale hotel chain is helping to solve this etiquette dilemma by enabling family travelers to be better company this holiday season and empowering them to make the right lodging choice. With a Facebook contest, exclusive package offer and tips from travel expert Samantha Brown to help navigate family travel at this hectic time of year, Embassy Suites Hotels will show that the happiest holiday guests are actually hotel guests.
Embassy Suites invites travelers to share good guest tips and lessons learned from house guest experiences gone awry as part of a contest on the brand’s Facebook page through December 29. Brown will select her three favorite tips each week, and Embassy Suites will ask the public to vote on the best one and the winner will receive a two-night stay at one of the brand’s more than 210 hotels. All entrants will receive access to a special family package, so they can put the number-one tip – be a hotel guest instead of a house guest – into action this holiday season.
“With all the stress related to holiday travel, the last thing parents want to worry about is their families’ behavior and comfort level in someone else’s home,” said John Rogers, global head, Embassy Suites Hotels. “That is why this season, we are inviting families to stay with us at Embassy Suites, where we always strive to make them feel welcome and comfortable through our signature amenities – spacious two-room suites, free cooked-to-order breakfast and complimentary Evening Reception**.”
The Real Story Behind Holiday House Guests
The majority of Americans have experienced the awkwardness of a house guest, whether simply observers (71 percent) or offenders (55 percent) of bad guest behaviors including the following:
- Snooze Patrol: 26 percent admit to sleeping in longer than everyone else
- Earplugs Please: 20 percent confessed to snoring loudly
- Sloppy Joes: 50 percent have seen guests not clean up after themselves
- By Invitation Only: 24 percent have witnessed people bringing uninvited guests
The survey also revealed other interesting insights about the mindset of holiday house guests. Most Americans (65 percent) admit they do not feel fully comfortable as a guest in someone else’s home, perhaps explaining why more than half (59 percent) are willing to tell a white lie to avoid staying with relatives during the holidays. It seems that guests often make this sacrifice for their hosts’ feelings, with seven in ten (70 percent) confessing they would prefer staying at a hotel to family’s house if they knew it wouldn’t offend them. In fact, 64 percent of Americans would rather go on a vacation over the holidays than be house guests somewhere else.
Tips for Stress-Free Holiday Travel
An expert in travel and no stranger to traveling with her own children, Brown offers her tips to make traveling smoother and ensure holidays on the road are festive and fun for all. When the holidays call for travel, she recommends staying at a hotel for the whole family’s comfort and bringing holiday spirit to the room with decorations and keepsakes. “Hosting and being hosted at the holidays can be crazy,” says Brown. “Staying at a hotel isn’t a brush-off – it’s a sanity-keeper. Plus, hotels like Embassy Suites Hotels offer your family the space to relax after a long trip and the opportunity to spend some private family time throughout the holiday.”
Families can stay connected to Embassy Suites – throughout the holiday season and beyond – on Facebook and Twitter. To make reservations, visit embassysuites.com, call 1-800-EMBASSY. Media can view survey results, infographic and more at http://news.embassysuites.com.
*Methodological Notes:
The Embassy Suites Holiday Houseguest Survey was conducted by Wakefield Research (www.wakefieldresearch.com) among 1,000 nationally representative U.S. adults ages 30+, between October 7th and October 11th 2013, using an email invitation and an online survey. Quotas have been set to ensure reliable and accurate representation of the U.S. adult population 30+. Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation. The magnitude of the variation is measurable and is affected by the number of interviews and the level of the percentages expressing the results. For the interviews conducted in this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 3.1 percentage points from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample.
**Service of alcohol subject to state and local laws. Must be of legal drinking age.
Samantha Brown has been commissioned by Embassy Suites Hotels for her endorsement and participation in 2013 public relations campaigns.
About Embassy Suites Hotels
Embassy Suites Hotels, one of Hilton Worldwide’s 10 market-leading brands, gives guests more during every stay. The full-service, upscale brand offers spacious two-room suites, free cooked-to-order breakfast and nightly Complimentary Evening Receptions with appetizers and beverages. Both leisure and business travelers looking for an approachable, upscale experience feel right at home in the brand’s inviting atrium environment. Embassy Suites Hotels has more than 210 properties across the Americas and nearly 35 more in the pipeline. For more information, visit embassysuites.com, and connect with Embassy Suites at embassysuitesmediacenter.com, facebook.com/embassysuiteshotels and twitter.com/EmbassySuites.
About Hilton Worldwide
Hilton Worldwide is a leading global hospitality company, spanning the lodging sector from luxurious full-service hotels and resorts to extended-stay suites and mid-priced hotels. For 93 years, Hilton Worldwide has offered business and leisure travelers the finest in accommodations, service, amenities and value. The company is dedicated to continuing its tradition of providing exceptional guest experiences across its global brands. Its brands are comprised of more than 3,900 hotels and timeshare properties, with 650,000 rooms in 90 countries and territories and include Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Hotels, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2 Suites by Hilton and Hilton Grand Vacations. The company also manages the world-class guest reward program Hilton HHonors®. Visit www.hiltonworldwide.com for more information and connect with Hilton Worldwide at www.facebook.com/hiltonworldwide, www.twitter.com/hiltonworldwide, www.youtube.com/hiltonworldwide, www.flickr.com/hiltonworldwide and www.linkedin.com/company/hilton-worldwide.
