Schools In, Parents Win
Travelodge Declares September 4th National ‘Me Time’ Day
- As term starts this week, one in five parents will be sad to see their kids go back to school
- However almost half – 49% – of parents feel like they need time out to recover from the school holidays
- One in five parents admit they will be booking a child-free break this week
2nd September 2024: This week, as children across the country prepare to head back to school, a sense of calm will be restored across the nation for thousands of parents.
Travelodge has found that 32% of parents have set aside money to spend on themselves when the schools open, whilst one in five admit they’ll be booking a child-free break this week after the long six-week school holiday.
Recognising parents’ hard-work and effort to make sure their kids had the best school holiday possible, Travelodge has declared 4th September as National ‘Me Time’ Day to celebrate the heroes of the summer holidays and is offering six free stays to commemorate six weeks of hard work.
Over 30% of parents admitted to finding personal time challenging during the school holidays. And despite almost one in five (19%) admitting to being sad to see their kids go back to school, more (37%) said they felt relieved with 32% revealing that they will be planning a short break to get away after a full-on summer of worrying about how to entertain the kids.
Parenting Influencer Carla Freeman said: “As a parent of course I love my kids but I know just how intense and exhausting the summer holidays can be. National ‘Me Time’ Day is a brilliant idea – it’s a chance for us to take a break, and enjoy some much-needed time for ourselves. If you’re one of the many parents who will be trying to do something you’ve been wanting to do without the kids, see that concert, have a city break or a night out with friends, Travelodge has an awesome range of locations so that you can make the most of your break.”
The research also revealed that 49% of parents feel like they need a break to recover from school holidays. Not only that, 20% admitted to booking a child-free break within three days of the summer holidays ending. 24% said they would book a UK city break, and 14% said they would book a night away to attend a gig.
Head of Better Get a Travelodge said: “Who says that parents can’t get a little bit of ‘me time’ after they’ve spent a long summer looking after the kids? We’ve declared 4th September National ‘Me Time’ Day to celebrate all the effort parents put into the summer holidays. We encourage parents to seize the moment and do something for themselves and for those planning a night away, Better get a Travelodge.”
To celebrate National ‘Me Time’ Day, Travelodge is offering 6 free stays to commemorate 6 weeks of summer holidays – simply check out the Travelodge social channels for a chance to win. Visit www.travelodge.co.uk for terms and conditions.
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If you have any questions or would like more information please contact travelodge@stripecommunications.com
Notes to editors
The research was conducted by One Poll on behalf of Travelodge with a sample group of 1,000 British adults across geographies and demographics, between 16-22 August 2024.
About Travelodge
Founded in 1985, Travelodge is Britain’s very first budget hotel chain and today is one of the largest budget hotel chains in the UK, with a portfolio of over 600 hotels and over 47,000 bedrooms across the UK, Ireland and Spain.
In Spain, Travelodge has an established profitable presence and as of April 2024 its portfolio doubled to 12 hotels, having recently acquired a further six properties. Travelodge has ambitious growth plans within this market and has identified the top 20 key locations where it would like to open a hotel in Spain.
Welcoming over 22 million guests annually, the majority of Travelodge hotels are located in major cities, towns and holiday hotspots as well as by airports and key business hubs. With 90% of its hotels rated 4* or above on TripAdvisor, Travelodge is proud to offer guests across its diverse customer base a good value experience – whether they are travelling for business or leisure. In 2023 approximately 50% of rooms were sold for less than £60.
With a focus on helping people to go and do their thing by Being the Brilliant Base for all of life’s occasions, from celebrating a birthday, and visiting the kids at university, going to a concert or sports event, to taking a business trip or working away from home, Travelodge concentrates on the essentials; a stay that is well-priced, and well-located that you can trust.
Travelodge continues to invest in its ongoing hotel refit programme which is expected to see 50% of the Travelodge room estate upgraded to its new design by the end of 2024. The brand is also continually evolving its quality offering to deliver a better experience for its diverse mix of business and leisure guests such as its new look Bar Cafe design, 85 Bar Café, which has been rolled out to selected UK hotels as part of the refit programme.
Travelodge is focused on its impact on the environment and its social responsibilities, with sustainability integral to its business strategy. Its Better Future Sustainability Plan aims to help build a more sustainable future for its customers, colleagues, and the planet and this is underpinned by 3 core pillars; Inclusive; ensuring we are accessible,inclusive and well-priced to our customers and colleagues. Caring; creating a caring and healthy environment for our colleagues and customers and ensuring their wellbeing. Conscious; Travelodge is actively conscious of its impact on the planet, taking into account the waste it produces, the energy and resources it consumes and carbon emissions.
For further information visit travelodge.co.uk or the Travelodge Hotels Limited LinkedIn page.