Exploring Embassy Suites: What’s Your Vacation Style?

It’s time for a vacation…..yes!!!  I love vacation time, whether it’s traveling to a far-away destination or taking a staycation in my home town or a town nearby.  If I am bringing my boys with me, it’s usually a vacation that is closer to home.  However, if it’s a vacation with just Frank and I, it could be almost anywhere!  All in all, we tend to take lots of shorter trips, at least a few times a year.

Embassy Suites Hotels, a Hilton Worldwide brand and one of Parents magazine’s “10 Best Hotel Chains for Families of 2012,” gives guests more during every stay.  The full service, upscale chain offers two-room suites, free cooked-to-order breakfast a nightly Manager’s Reception with complimentary appetizers and beverages.  Family travelers looking for an approachable vacation experience feel right at home in the spacious and comfortable environment.  For more information, visit embassysuites.com.

Embassy Suites Hotels Vacation More-imization Program Overview

This year, Embassy Suites has pledged to give guests 36 solid days of more – and that includes getting more out of family vacations with the Get More Vacation Contest on Facebook.  Every second of vacation counts for getting more fun, more relaxation, more time to unwind, more family togetherness, more indulgence.  Vacation bliss can also be extended beyond the actual trip by celebrating the thrill of anticipating an upcoming vacation and the memories and stories after you return.

Between now and July 20, fans can upload a picture of their family’s vacation face – that look of excitement and joy when that much-needed vacation is finally booked – and a caption explaining how their family plans to get the most out of their summer vacation – before, during and after – for a chance to win one of five week-long vacations at any of the 200+ Embassy Suites Hotels across the Americas plus $10,000 in spending cash.

Between busy family schedules, work demands and other family commitments, families have increasingly become Vacation Dabblers.  According to a new Embassy Suites survey of Parents magazine readers:

Busy Families Mean Less Vacation “Maximizing” and More Vacation “Dabbling”

– A majority of families (56 percent) classify themselves as “vacation dabblers,” who take vacation days here and there throughout the year.
– More than one-quarter (27 percent) consider themselves to be “vacation extenders,” tacking vacation days onto holidays when they already get time off from work or school.
– Families who take big, extended trips are in the minority; just 13 percent are “vacation maximizers” who bank up vacation days for one long trip.
– When it comes to vacation, families don’t wait until the last minute.  Only four percent classify themselves as “vacation accumulators,” holding onto vacation days until the very end of the year, when they have to use ’em or lose ’em.

With Vacation Dabbling On The Rise, Families Are Taking Shorter Vacations

– Nearly one-half (48 percent) of families haven’t taken a medium length trip (3-4 nights) over the past year.
– More than one-half (51 percent) of families haven’t taken a longer trip (5+ nights) over the past year.

Vacations May Be Shorter, But Families Still Make Time To Get Away

– More than three-quarters of families make sure that not one vacation day is lost or given up.
– On average, just 1.3 vacation days are left on the table.

Making The Time Is One of the Hurdles for Taking Vacation: While there are a variety of obstacles preventing families from taking more vacation, “time” is the common thread among them all.

– Approximately one-quarter (22 percent) say they are too busy at work to take time off.
– Nearly one-quarter (22 percent) cite children’s time obligation to school or other extra-curricular activities.
– Approximately one-quarter (22 percent) say difficulty coordinating time-off schedules with their spouses/partners.

7 Ways to More-imize Your Vacation

Embassy Suites has partnered with Dr. Susan Biali, a health and happiness expert and the author of Live a Life You Love: 7 Steps to a Healthier, Happier, More Passionate You, to help families more-imize their vacations this summer, to get more of the happiness, fun and relaxation and that comes before, during and after a great family trip.  Dr. Biali says that the general rule of thumb is that people need at least three days to reap the full restorative effects of time off, but the reality is that families are taking shorter trips so it’s important to get as much as you can out of each and every vacation day.

1.  Vacation isn’t just about the time you are away.  Looking forward to an impending vacation improves your mood and makes it easier to get through work.  It can actually make you more productive.  As possible, plan trips in advance so you can look forward to them and enjoy the benefits of vacation anticipation.

2.  There are ways to more-imize your vacation no matter how your family chooses to use their days off.

– If you’re a vacation dabbler and take short vacations here and there throughout the year, actually use the days to relax and do something fun – not to run around and do errands all day.  Vacation is about relaxation and recharging, so the way to actually reap those benefits is to relax and keep normal, everyday activities to a minimum.

– If you’re a “vacation maximizer” – meaning you take big, long trips – schedule a transition day between when you get back home and when you need to be back at work to allow a day for catching up on the work and errands that await you when you return from a trip.

3.  Turn a family obligation into a vacation opportunity.  If your family can’t get away for a long vacation, but are traveling for family obligations, turn that trip into a mini getaway.  Look for local family-friendly sightseeing opportunities and treat yourself to a special family dinner while you’re on the road.

4.  Travel the night before to your vacation destination.  There is nothing better than waking up and already being on vacation rather than spending a whole morning traveling to get there.  It’s an easy way to maximize the first day away.

5.  Make your vacation budget go further by staying at a hotel like Embassy Suites that gives you more with every stay, including two-room suites for your family to spread out, free cooked-to-order breakfast each morning and an evening reception with complimentary drinks and snacks.

6.  Find the perfect balance of activities and relaxation for your family.  Every family likes to spend their vacation time differently, so schedule nap time and down time according to your family’s needs.  Perhaps that means letter your family sleep in while on vacation, so you can get the most out of each day, without the usual afternoon nap.

7.  Hold onto that post-vacation rejuvenation feeling.  Create a scrap book or photo album of your vacation memories and remember to look at it often.  Recalling fun, relaxing family times can help rejuvenate you when you’re stressed and need a burst of energy.

8.  Make your vacation pay for itself by signing up for special travel rewards programs, including hotel and airline programs.  The points you rack up can translate into special perks, including preferred reservations, complimentary services and even free stays!

MY THOUGHTS

I have good memories of taking vacations as a kid and now try to make good memories with my own family. After reading through the interesting facts from Embassy Suites, I started to think about what Vacation Personality I have. When describing my Vacation Personality, I would say that I am a “Vacation Extender,” tacking vacation days onto holidays when there is already time off from work or school. What type of vacation personality do you have?

When we take vacations as a family, we tend to go to places such as Santa Barbara, Bakersfield, and Los Angeles. We like to camp and visit theme parks. With a budget, we try to find the best price for our family’s accommodations and activities. We try to keep the boys busy with activities they enjoy, such as hiking, coloring, playing games, and enjoying the local attractions. While on our vacations, I assure that there are plenty of snacks, lots of pictures taken, and recognition of the fun activities and things we accomplished during our day. For example, at the end of an activity, I like to ask the boys what their favorite activity of the day or part of the trip was their favorite.

I wrote this review while participating in an Ambassador Program by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Embassy Suites Hotels and received a one-night complimentary stay at an Embassy Suites Hotel to facilitate my reviews and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.