Most people don’t think about gathering with friends and family in a hotel room for the holidays, but you should! Staying in a hotel eliminates the stress of playing host to people in your home, and without access to a full kitchen, you don’t have to worry about cooking either!
Although spending time together in a hotel room can eliminate many common holiday stresses, it can create some new ones. If you’re going to use a hotel room as a meeting place for Christmas, you have to make sure you don’t get in trouble with the hotel. Not to mention, you have to make sure it’s comfortable for everyone you have invited to stay.
Book Enough Rooms for Everyone
The first tip is to book enough rooms for everyone. Although you may be tempted to save money by sneaking as many people into a single room as possible, you’re just asking for trouble. Lying to the hotel about how many people are staying in your room is never a good thing. Not to mention, there will be a lot of lost sleep with so many people trying to snooze in the same space.
Instead, make sure there are enough rooms for everyone, which means there’s a bed for everybody.
It also means choosing the right hotel. In large cities, that isn’t too difficult. For example, Pigeon Forge, TN has dozens of hotels to choose from. Just make sure everyone chooses the same hotel, and make sure everyone chooses rooms that are near each other.
Make Sure at Least One Room Is a Suite
Making sure there are enough beds for everyone is important, but multiple beds in the same room can make a room feel cramped. Especially if you have multiple family members who are gathering in the same room.
There are many different types of hotel rooms to choose from, and understanding your choices can make sure you choose the right ones. Most family members can choose standard rooms, but make sure at least one family member books a suite so there’s enough room for everyone to gather. A joint room can work too when the door between the rooms is left open.
If you’re planning on booking multiple rooms and gathering with friends and family in a single room for the holidays, make sure you let the hotel know about your intentions.
First, it’s a way of protecting yourself. You are probably already a little worried about hotel damage fees. You don’t want to worry about fees for partying or overcrowded rooms too.
Second, talking about your intentions with the hotel can help you get a great deal. They can provide you with recommendations on making sure you get together is a success by suggesting different types of rooms. They may be willing to provide you with a conference room for an afternoon, and you may discover there are discounts for multiple rooms that are booked together.
Decorate!
If you’re gathering for the holidays, make sure you decorate! You might bring a few things from home, but if you don’t want to fill your luggage with Christmas decorations, consider a quick stop by the dollar store instead.
There are many great dollar store Christmas decorations that include:
- Turn flameless candles into snowmen
- Hang snowflakes on the door
- Make tabletop Christmas trees out of spoons
- Artfully hang a garland in the shape of a tree on the wall
- Ornaments can be hung from garlands
Don’t Leave the Room a Complete Mess
One of the benefits of staying in a hotel room for Christmas is the fact that you don’t have to clean up in anticipation of guests, but it also means you don’t have to clean up after they leave either. However, that doesn’t mean you should leave a huge mess for the hotel staff to clean up!
Not only could you end up with extra fees charged to your credit card, but it also isn’t kind to the cleaners.
It doesn’t mean you have to leave your room spotless, but you can make things easier for the housekeepers by placing things in the trash, so they don’t accidentally throw something important away. Embody the spirit of giving and leave the cleaners a dollar or two for every guest, every night spent in the room.
Don’t want to host the family this holiday season? Check into a hotel instead! With the tips on this list, you can ensure your new holiday tradition is a success.
