Staycation: the holiday that starts at home
Fancy a holiday with no lost luggage, no airport queues and no Google Maps sending you round in circles? Welcome to the world of the staycation, a fast-growing trend that wins guests over… without them really going anywhere!
In this article, we look at what a staycation actually is, who enjoys them, how they work and why the formula appeals so much to local guests. Spoiler: you may well want to book one before you reach the bottom of this page.
What is a staycation?
The word “staycation” blends stay and vacation. In plain terms, it means taking a holiday close to home, or even at home, while keeping the mindset of someone on their travels.
It can take several forms:
- booking a hotel room in your own city for a change of scene,
- enjoying a local spa or wellness centre,
- exploring restaurants, museums or activities you have never made time for,
- or simply turning your living room into a “private resort”, with a box-set marathon, homemade cocktails and zero guilt.
In short, a staycation is the art of travelling without going very far at all.
Why are staycations so popular?
There are several reasons why local guests are embracing the trend.
No passport needed (and no stress)
No endless queues, no suitcase mysteriously vanishing at the airport, no jet lag. A staycation is simplicity itself.
Kinder on the wallet and the planet
No eye-watering plane tickets, far less spent on transport and a smaller carbon footprint. Your holiday becomes both more affordable and more responsible.
Rediscovering your own patch
We often underestimate what our own city has to offer. Museums, parks, exhibitions, boutique hotels… A staycation lets you play tourist on your doorstep.
Flexibility
A weekend, an evening or even a single day is enough for a staycation break. Perfect for anyone with a packed diary.
Who goes on a staycation?
Contrary to what you might assume, staycations are not just for people who cannot afford to travel. The clientele is remarkably varied:
- Couples: they love booking a hotel night or a local spa for a romantic pause without leaving town.
- Families: a practical way to keep the children busy during the school holidays without flying halfway round the world.
- Overworked professionals: those who long for a rest but lack the time (or the energy) to plan a proper trip.
- The curious: locals who want to see their region in a new light.
In other words, the staycation appeals to a broad audience, from young professionals to retirees, all drawn by the idea of relaxing without the hassle.
These four profiles are not looking for the same thing, and therefore do not book the same kind of stay.
| Profile | What they are after | Type of stay mentioned |
|---|---|---|
| Couples | A romantic break without leaving town | A hotel night or a local spa |
| Families | Keeping the children busy over the school holidays | Local activities, without flying to the other side of the world |
| Overworked professionals | Rest, without the time or energy to plan a real trip | An evening or a single day is enough |
| The curious | Rediscovering their own region differently | A museum, a guided tour, overlooked neighbourhoods |
How to plan a great staycation
The art of the staycation rests on a simple principle: looking at your everyday surroundings with fresh eyes. Here are a few ideas to turn your weekend into a mini-break.
Book a local experience
Plenty of hotels now offer staycation packages including a night's stay, breakfast, spa access and sometimes extras such as cocktails or a massage. It is the perfect chance to enjoy high-end service without leaving the city.
Play the tourist
Visit a museum you have never got round to, join a guided walk or explore neighbourhoods you barely know. You will be surprised by how much your city has to offer.
Treat yourself to a food adventure
A staycation is also a fine excuse to try new restaurants, cocktail bars or food markets. Local guests love it, because it means travelling through your taste buds.
Create your own resort at home
Switch off your phone, put together a “holiday” playlist, bring out the Egyptian cotton sheets and turn your living room into an improvised five-star hotel. Bonus: you are the room service, but at least it always arrives on time!
Staycations and the hotel industry
For hotels and tourism businesses, the staycation has become an essential strategy. Local guests are a valuable opportunity, especially in the quieter months.
- Special packages: a night's stay plus breakfast plus spa, ideal for tempting people who live nearby.
- Seasonal offers: winter brunches, summer rooftops, themed evenings…
- Exclusive experiences: wine tastings, mixology workshops, cultural activities.
The result? Hotels fill their rooms and locals enjoy premium services a stone's throw from home. Everyone wins.
The benefits of a staycation for local guests
To sum up, the staycation offers city dwellers a whole host of advantages:
The equation is simple. A staycation needs no complicated planning, it costs less than a long-haul trip and its carbon footprint stays low. Above all, the rest comes quickly, and it works.
Above all, it lets you get away from it all without going away.
Conclusion: what if your next holiday started… at home?
A staycation is not a compromise, it is a new way of travelling. Simpler, more accessible and often more restorative than a long journey, it turns familiar surroundings into an adventure.
So, ready to be a tourist in your own city? Get your diary out, block off a weekend and give the staycation a go. You will see: sometimes the best trips are the ones that take you… hardly any distance at all.
Frequently asked questions
What exactly is a staycation? The word blends “stay” and “vacation”. It means taking a holiday close to home, sometimes at home, while keeping a traveller's mindset. It can be a night in a hotel in your own city or simply turning your living room into a private resort for the weekend.
Is a staycation really cheaper than a proper trip? Yes, for a simple reason: there is no expensive plane ticket and no long list of travel costs. The carbon footprint drops along the way. The money saved usually goes into what actually makes the break, a spa or a good restaurant.
How long should a staycation last? A weekend, an evening or even a single day is enough. That is exactly what makes it work for people with packed schedules. There is no minimum length to respect: the break starts the moment you decide to look at your own surroundings differently.
Is a staycation only for people who cannot afford to travel? No, and that is the most persistent misconception on the subject. The audience ranges from couples booking a hotel night to families filling the school holidays, plus overworked professionals and locals rediscovering their own region. Budget is only one reason among simplicity, lower impact and flexibility.
Why do hotels market to guests who live in the same city? Because local guests fill rooms during quiet periods, when travellers are scarce. Properties build packages with a night, breakfast and spa access, seasonal offers such as winter brunches or summer rooftops, and exclusive experiences like wine tastings or mixology workshops. Residents get high-end service a few streets from home.
How do you pull off a staycation without leaving home? It all comes down to changing how you look at the place. Switch off the phone, put together a holiday playlist, bring out the good sheets and treat your living room like a hotel room. One catch: you are the room service.
