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 h, 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:
Bedroom (56%)
The living room (27%)
The shop at point of purchase (12%)
A friend’s house (12%)
A hotel room (9%)
The car (7%)
At work (7%)
In the bathroom (6%)
At a cafe (2%)
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.