US Consumers Going Home for the Holidays May Skip the Relatives and Go Straight to the Rental

New survey by trivago reveals 25% of Americans consider a rental or alternative accommodation their “ideal hotel” for the holiday season

DÜSSELDORF, GERMANY – December 5, 2019 – While the holidays can bring families together, squeezing multiple generations into one home doesn’t always lead to joyous and peaceful celebrations. In some cases, family tensions are unwrapped sooner than the presents under the tree. This may explain why only half of holiday travelers (49%) say they prefer staying with relatives or friends, with more than four in 10 (42%) saying they choose to stay in a local hotel, according to a new survey by trivago N.V. (NASDAQ: TRVG), a leading global accommodation search platform.

The consumer omnibus survey, conducted from Nov. 14-17, polled more than 1,000 Americans on their lodging preferences during the holidays. The results reveal significant differences among households with kids and across generations.

Rentals are Greater Than Relatives
One-quarter of consumers says their “ideal hotel” for the holidays is a rental or alternative accommodation, and nearly one in five (19%) say they’d prefer to drive back to their own apartment/home than stay with relatives or pay for a hotel. This preference is even higher among Baby Boomers, with nearly one-quarter (23%) admitting they’d rather hit the road than crash with relatives.     

“What the data reveals is the significance of apartments for all ages of travelers, even if a stay at their family home is available,” said Axel Hefer, CEO of trivago. “It’s clear that travelers are looking for that home-like feel during the holidays, maybe having a kitchen available or the coziness of living room.  Rental owners and alternative accommodation sites have a great opportunity this holiday season to deliver on consumer expectations and desires for privacy and comfort during the busiest and sometimes most stressful time of the year.” 

Travelers with Kids Find Rentals More Realistic
Traveling with kids is often more demanding than taking a solo trip. In general, the added pressure of entertaining kids while trips tend to take longer because of crowds and inclement weather, can make the idea of traveling for the holidays not exactly jolly. This may explain why a larger percentage of households with kids admit that they prefer to stay on their own versus with relatives, compared to the national average. Nearly one-third (32%) of those with kids say they’d choose a rental as their “ideal hotel” this holiday season, compared to a quarter of overall respondents.