Travelodge Launches Wrapping Rooms To Keep Festive Surprises Secret

  • Two-fifths (40%) of parents worry about their children finding out what their Christmas presents are ahead of the big day
  • Research* finds over one in three (36%) of Brits have accidentally spoiled the surprise of a Christmas present by walking in whilst it was being wrapped  
  • 41% have come up with innovative ways of hiding gifts and 12% resort to wrapping presents at a friend’s house  
  • The budget hotel chain is offering free 75-minute bookable ‘wrapping rooms’ stocked with paper and tape in London, Edinburgh and Manchester on Wednesday 10th December     

Parents concerned about their children walking in on them wrapping their presents will have the opportunity to wrap in secret this Christmas, thanks to a new limited-edition service being rolled out by Travelodge. 

New research has found that over half of adults (52%) wish that they had more privacy when wrapping gifts for their loved ones. Two-fifths (40%) of parents worry about their children finding out what their Christmas presents are ahead of the big day. 

A further 36% of Brits have spoiled the surprise of their own Christmas presents by walking in at the wrong time and one in five (20%) feel there is no point in wrapping presents after the surprise is ruined.

On Wednesday, 10th December, Travelodge will open special ‘wrapping rooms’ in its London Chiswick High Road, Manchester Piccadilly and Edinburgh Central hotels, to ease anxiety for parents, guardians and anyone who wants to avoid being discovered mid-wrap.  

The rooms are free to book for a 75-minute slot and come festively decked with all the wrapping paper, tape and finishing touches necessary for a happy unwrapping on the big day. Rooms will also be festively decorated and guests will be offered refreshments and a mince pie for a full Christmas experience.

The service comes after a viral social media post showed a mum renting a hotel room just to wrap gifts in peace, which clearly resonated with busy mums and dads everywhere, with the post prompting comments including “Mum goals”, “Book me in!” and “This right here is how it should be done!!!”    

According to the research, over a quarter (26%) of Brits would consider booking a night in a hotel for additional privacy when wrapping Christmas presents. Others would also opt for shop counters (12%), friends’ houses (12%) and even the car (7%) to ensure a private wrapping experience.  

The top 10 best Christmas present wrapping spots to avoid being seen, ranked:  

  1. Bedroom (56%)  
  2. The living room (27%)   
  3. The shop at point of purchase (12%)  
  4. A friend’s house (12%)  
  5. A hotel room (9%)  
  6. The car (7%)  
  7. At work (7%)  
  8. In the bathroom (6%)  
  9. At a cafe (2%)  
  10. On public transport (1%)  

December 20th was found to be the most popular day for wrapping presents in the lead-up to the big day, with over one in ten (11%) leaving it until Christmas Eve. 

For almost a third of Brits (33%), the worst part about people, particularly children, finding their presents before the big day is that it ruins the magic of Christmas. More than half (57%) believe that it spoils the surprise. 

Parents are having to get savvy, with just under half (41%) finding new spots to hide presents every year, and one in six (16%) admitting their child has discovered Santa isn’t real after walking in on their presents being wrapped.  

A Travelodge spokesperson said: “We want to preserve the magic of Christmas and ensure that the festive build-up is as stress-free as possible. When our research found that many Brits already consider a hotel room the ideal wrapping spot, we realised we had to step in.

“Wrapping gifts should be a relaxing experience, free from the fear of others walking in. This Christmas, if you need to keep your present prep under wraps, you better get a Travelodge – either one of our free wrapping rooms or an overnight stay.”

The free ‘wrapping rooms’ are available to book from today by emailing PR.events@travelodge.co.uk

Customers can book 75-minute slots on Wednesday, 10th December from 09:00-17:15 at Travelodge’s London Chiswick High Road, Manchester Piccadilly and Edinburgh Central hotels.  

All three hotels showcase our new look hotel rooms, delivered through our multi-million-pound redesign. Customers staying in Travelodge’s redesigned hotels can enjoy next-generation rooms featuring king-sized Dreamer beds, blackout curtains, USB charging ports, and a comfy armchair, perfect for winding down after a busy day.  

The hotel chain has already upgraded approximately two-thirds of rooms across its hotels with its next-generation look and feel. These hotels also feature updated reception areas and in selected hotels, a new 85 Bar Café offers a stylish and contemporary space for guests to relax, drink and dine in.  

-ENDS-

For more information, please contact:

The Travelodge Press Office

T: 01844 358 703

E: pressoffice@travelodge.co.uk 

Notes to Editors

*Research was conducted by 3Gem from the 17th – 19th November. The sample size was 2000 adult aged 18+.

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 625 hotels and approximately 49,000 bedrooms across the UK, Ireland and Spain.

In Spain, Travelodge has an established profitable presence and has ambitious growth plans within this market and has identified the top key locations where it would like to open additional hotels in Spain.

Welcoming over 22 million guests annually across the UK, Ireland and Spain, the majority of Travelodge hotels are located in major cities, towns and holiday hotspots as well as by airports and key business hubs. With over 96% of its hotels rated 4 dots 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.

Whether out celebrating a birthday, going to a concert or sporting event, visiting friends and family, taking a business trip, working away from home, or taking a short break, we help people to go and do their thing by Being the Brilliant Base.

Travelodge continues to invest in its ongoing hotel refit programme and has already upgraded approximately two-thirds of the Travelodge room estate to its new design. 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 Café design, 85 Bar Café, which has been rolled out to selected UK hotels as part of the refit programme.

Travelodge is focusing on its environmental and social impact, with sustainability integral to its business strategy. Its Better Future sustainability plan aims to build a more sustainable future for its customers, colleagues and the planet, underpinned by three 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; and Conscious – Travelodge is conscious of its impact on the planet, taking into account the waste it produces, the energy and other resources it consumes and the carbon emissions it generates.

For further information visit travelodge.co.uk or the Travelodge Hotels Limited LinkedIn page.