Tommy

Survey: If you are traveling to family at Thanksgiving, are you staying at a hotel/motel or at the families house and why.

xxx

My family are all renting condos.

ny

Mom's
We have a great time together and it is only for two nights. After that, it is time to head back to work.

No place

Staying at mom's as well. Both of my brothers wil be in so it is kind of nice to catch up with everybody. Besides she has all kinds of space in her large house so it is really not an inconvience to anyone.

billy

Our double-wide only sleeps me, the old lady, and the 4 kids so the cousins have to pitch a tent out back next to the pick-up. It aint that bad.

phil

I don't like to tip, so we stay at the parents house. I wish someone would post a long thread on how to tip.

Bravo

Phil,

Bravo and well done! However, I think I should tell you that your mother does require tips, as it is your "moral obligation" to do so. If not, you are not fully appreciating the time and effort she put into the meal and she will think you are cheap!

CousinEddie

That there Clark is an RV. Don't go gettin to attached to it.

gail

We are doing reverse - putting visiting relatives up in a hotel. With kids, pets, bedding/room switches, "Grandma has been in the bathroom for an hour" issues plus increasingly difficulty elderly relatives have in navigating stairs, we are paying for them to stay in nearby hotel. Surprise - they did not object.

phil

bravo..My mother does'nt think I'm cheap,she knows I'm cheap.

carol jensen

Me and my husband are Driving from Atlanta to Montgomery so our 92 year Grandpa wont be alone. Last year he cooked for us. This year we'll cook for him. Also, my husbands parents will be joining us and driving from LAdy Lakes Florida. We all will stay 2 days and 2 nights in Granpas house. We enjoy being together and staying at a hotel would eliminate the closeness we enjoy staying together. So, it's not out the money. Besides there are no Sheraton Luxury properties where grandp lives.

Hoter

Few people stay in hotels and motels (I know because I am in the business and Thanksgiving and Christmas are dead!) but I suspect most would like to except for family pressures.

Debbie

Husband and I have been married 6 years for the past 4 years we have travelled to NJ to spend Thanksgiving w/his sister and her husband and their 5 horrible kids. I really dislike those kids. The house is huge, creepy, cold and filthy.The first 2 years those kids or kid stole money from my purse. I no longer carry my purse. I just make sure I wear something with a lot of pockets. My sister-n-law is a really nice person so every year when I suggest that we stay at a hotel she sounds so hurt that I just give in. Although this house is large enough to have a guest room, the spare bedrooms are all filled with dirty clothes,yard sale junk(its their hobby) and probably dead bodies. She always makes one of the kids give up their room which they hate and have no problem letting us know. One year the bed we slept on smelled of urine (no, they did not bother to change the sheets). One other time, I caught a bad case of bedbugs. Why my husband didn't is beyond me. I have promised myself that this year is the absolute last time that I go to that horrible house. Next year I will either leave my husband or have someone do him in. Just kidding.

gail

To Debbie - anyone with 5 kids, especially bratty ones, probably has her hands full. Make a reservation in a hotel and TELL her you are staying there to "give them some privacy" or something else insipid and polite. If your husband wants to stay with his sister, let him. For Christmas get them a gift certificate for a house cleaning.

xxx

Debbie this is the most horrible relatives story I have ever read. You need to put your foot down now. Not next year. (or put the foot--you know where!!) I would not subject myself to those accomodations at all. You need to tell hubby, you cannot tolerate this house. You need to get a hotel room. Sometimes you have to hurt other peoples feelings. It would be hurtful if you didn't go at all. You need to compromise with yourself, go and visit but stay in a hotel room. Aren't you afraid of eating there?? If the house is so dirty as you say, I would not even want to eat there.

craig

We are staying at a hotel. My sister is doing Thanksgiving this year and my parents and grandfather will be staying with her. There is no room for us so we get to enjoy the privacy of the hotel

sister

Staying in a hotel..we have 3 small kids . No one has "room at the inn" for us. Plus the hotel has an indoor pool..and my kids can cry and fuss w/o anyone's discomfort!

r-travels

There's a way to stay at a hotel and NOT get the guilt trip. If you can find a hotel with an inside pool, you can invite THEM over for awhile. The kids will love it, Mom will probably be glad to get them out of the house for awhile, and you'll have your privacy. You just have to be firm about what hours they can visit YOU.

I bet a lot of people who INSIST you stay with them are really relieved if you don't. Any experiences out there from people who didn't accept home-lodging??

WHy not?

Hoter/Hotel person: What an opportunity there is here, don't you think? Offer an "extra bedroom for the holidays" special, advertised directly to people either traveling to family or having family travel to them. Remove the guilt, add some incentives ("bring the family over for breakfast?"), and give families a price break and you'll be overflowing.