Hotel Blog

National Plan a Vacation Day! 

January 25th, the cold has been here a few months, the snow days are more frequent, and Family Day is on the horizon, so why not plan some of your summer vacations! 

It is startling to know that in the USA there is an average of 768 million unused vacation days! What’s holding them back? Do they feel we don’t have the time? Do they not have the money? Can’t decide on a place to go? After the two years we’ve had and how we’re starting the third one, let’s change that and use some of these vacation days.  We’ll help you bury those excuses, read on. 

Reason #1: You feel you don’t have the time.  Traditionally we think of vacations being five or more days in a row, but you can have yourself a great holiday in as little as 72hours. Almost every month in Canada there is a holiday that falls on a Monday or Friday, so add an extra off (Vacation Day) after the holiday and there you go, a 4 day weekend to do something fun. 

Reason #2: Don’t have the money.  Yes, travelling by car to a destination hours away can be quite costly. You have the fuel, the food stops along the way, the accommodations, the attractions while you’re there and if there is more than two of you, it can add up pretty quickly. How to fight back: 

1. Have you considered the stay-cation? I use this loosely that you’re not traveling more than an hour or so to get to your destination, so you’re saving on fuel, and those unnecessary food stops. 
2. Book a hotel that has a kitchenette – you can bring things from home you have in the fridge or pantry, pack a few containers, seasoning, butter, favorite frying pan or pot, and you can make dinner for $10-$20 for a family of 4, where as a restaurant would run you close to $100 if you added in some dessert. 
3. Contrary to my first reason, of not having the time, travel when it is not a holiday. Holidays is when demand on accommodations is higher, so that means hotel rooms cost more. If you can manage to have a weekday overnight, you’ll certainly be putting some bills back in your wallet
4. Government is encouraging travel in 2022: We can all say something about our taxes and for 2022, we can keep those accumulative hotel receipts, and for each single person you can claim $200 for $1000 worth of accommodation spend, and $400 for $2000 for a family. Ontario Travel Tax Rebate, look into it. 

Reason #3: Don’t know what to do.  This will depend on your interests and the time of year. Find things to do that are no cost, low cost, or full day experiences. In Welland I immediately think of time by the canal, jumping from the docks and sunbathing. Do you actually need sand? How about biking from one lock to another? Pedaling faster than the ship to make it to the next lock before it arrives. Consider an attraction that has a day pass requirement instead of a one-time 30min experience. 

I hope this has started a stir within you to pull out that agenda, circle some potential dates to give yourself some much needed time to unwind, explore, and enjoy this journey we call life! 

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