Many people ask me how I manage to do so much without getting burnt out. First of all, I’d say, love what you do, and it won’t feel like a burden, ever. Secondly, taking mini-breaks or in other words, going on staycations keep me sane. Knowing that we will have a few days of pure R&R on the horizon keeps me going.

The word ‘staycation’ alone is calming, don’t you think? Stay-cay-tion. A vacation without having to travel and entertaining little humans in a sky-locked vessel is bliss.

And I’m certainly not alone. According to Brand Expedia’s 2018 Singapore Staycation Study, Singaporeans are avid staycationers – 6 in 10 Singaporeans have gone on at least one staycation in the past 12 months, with Singaporeans averaging 2.4 staycations over the past year.

And guess who are the top staycationers in Singapore? Parents with kids! 

Why do I go on staycations with my family

As entrepreneurs, both my husband and I work all the time. After we put the kids to bed, we turn to our computers and work. Having staycations force us, in a way, to take a break, and spend some quality bonding time with our children and with each other.

I feel more relaxed and closer to my kids when we are on staycations. Perhaps it’s because I’m away from my daily chores and huge “to-do-list”. We talk for hours and I don’t rush them from one activity to another like I would when we’re at home.

Amazingly, a mini break from work also helps me as a business owner. Taking time out of work refreshes my mind and reminds me of why I work so hard. Because when we work in the business day in and day out, we sometimes get lost and it’s hard to see the big picture. Staycations allow me to pause, take time to enjoy life and spend it with the people I work so hard for, without sacrificing too much.

The great thing about staycations is that it can be done at any time of the year – weekend or week day. Just pack a small luggage, and in less than 30 minutes, we are “on a holiday”.

My idea of a perfect staycation

For me, a good hotel makes all the difference! After all, there are 6 of us (helper included, sometimes) spending the next 24 to 48 hours together. I love the fact that I don’t have to do anything except to play with the kids. No work, no kids activity or meal planning and no cleaning up. Most hotels are designed to take care of one’s every need.

Shangri-La Hotel Singapore sets the bar high for us. It’s the first hotel we booked for a staycation as a family. Set on 15 hectares of impeccably maintained gardens, it felt like we were in a resort despite the close proximity to Orchard Road.

We thoroughly enjoyed the thoughtful service and facilities the hotel provides for parents and their families. From little touches like providing organic kids toiletries to the family floor concierge and Buds (the indoor and outdoor entertainment facilities for kids) as well as themed family suites, the short staycation really exceeded my expectation. My daughter, Lauren wants to move there and quite frankly, so do I!

According to Brand Expedia’s 2018 Singapore Staycation Study, 33% of Singaporeans indicated free breakfast as their top consideration as a factor in selecting their choice of accommodation and I agree with them. Kids tend to wake up very early and the last thing I need is to worry about what to feed them.

If I’m looking for a couple’s retreat, I would book a luxury hotel, preferably with complimentary upgrades, a good spa and a restaurant (either in-house or within walking distance) to have our romantic, non-interrupted by kids, dinner.

When I usually go for staycations

Talking about booking staycation, I always wondered when are the busiest periods for hotels and if I should avoid booking during these periods.

Recently at the Brand Expedia’s 2018 Singapore Staycation Study media event, I learnt that the months of June and December are the most popular staycation periods, with 41% of the staycation bookings made in December, 32% in June.

Moreover, 70% of staycationers who are married with kids typically go on a staycation in the school holiday months of June, November and December. Well, those are the school holidays so that’s not unexpected.

What’s surprising though, is that you can still score good deals during these months because hotels are having promotions to attract families like us. I usually will run a search on Expedia.com.sg based on the dates I want and see which hotels are having the best deals before booking a staycation. And this has worked well for me thus far.

All this writing about staycations is making me want to book my next staycation already. After all, the kids’ school holidays are coming up soon.

Remember to book your next staycation on Expedia.com.sg for great deals anytime!

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