Do you like to stay with family when you travel out of town?

[Moliphino]

It depends on the family and the situation. If the trip is specifically to visit that family member, then it might make more sense to stay with them. If I'm on a vacation that just happens to be near them, I'd prefer a hotel since it's much easier to come and go as I please and not bother anyone.

 

[anniemae]

I don't like staying at someones house. I feel like I can't relax. I feel like I have to do what they do when they do it. I feel awkward going in someones kitchen for a drink, yet I feel awkward asking for a drink. I feel like I have to tip toe around the hosts and got to bed/get up when they do. I feel like I can't just flop on the couch and turn on the tv and kick back and relax. I much prefer a hotel.

 

[ronandannette]

I don't like staying at someones house. I feel like I can't relax. I feel like I have to do what they do when they do it. I feel awkward going in someones kitchen for a drink, yet I feel awkward asking for a drink. I feel like I have to tip toe around the hosts and got to bed/get up when they do. I feel like I can't just flop on the couch and turn on the tv and kick back and relax. I much prefer a hotel.

Luckily for me, anyone close enough to be staying with us would feel perfectly comfortable treating my home like their own, and vice versa.

 

[JLTraveling]

It depends. My cousins outside Houston have a big, comfortable house, and they're just very laid-back and easy to live with, so I have no problem staying with them. And their kids have vacationed with us since they were little, as adults the kids now stay with us when they visit. Again, very easy to live with.

My other cousins in FL ask us to stay with them every time, but I can't handle more than a night there. We're really close, I love spending time with them, but their house isn't set up for guests and the whole thing just feels awkward. They're in the town where I grew up, but an hour away from Orlando which is where we mostly focus our visits. So we usually compromise by spending a weekend (one night) with them at some point.

Other family, sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't. My favorite family reunion was in a tiny town in North Carolina where each nuclear family rented a cabin and the main events were hosted at the large cabin my great-aunt and uncle own. We got to spend lots of time together over the course of a week, but we all had our own space.

 

[fivikse]

Hotel.
In your case - I think you said you are traveling for a tournament? Is the rest of the team planning to stay together in one hotel? I would use that as my excuse if your sister will be offended. Just say that you are supposed to stay in the team hotel.

But we always do hotels when visiting family (except for one family member who is now deceased).

 

[HopperFan]

HOTEL or my own home. Hate staying in other people's homes. And I basically hate people staying in mine. There is a lot to be said for private bathrooms, relaxing without visiting, not feeling like you have to get up a certain time or tip toe around or feeling like the food part is an imposition.

I would just say "We're excited to see you, let's make some plans. We will be staying at XX hotel, so what will work the best?" No discussion about it, just THIS IS the plan.

Edit to add: DS has his own suite/apartment in another part of house and often has friends stay who I treat like my own kids. That is fine, they aren't hanging in my space.

 

[anniemae]

Luckily for me, anyone close enough to be staying with us would feel perfectly comfortable treating my home like their own, and vice versa.

Yes, with my family and friends its the same. But I just don't feel comfortable in someone else's space. Even if they say, "feel free to grab whatever from the kitchen, sprawl out on the sofa and sleep till noon!" I still don't feel comfortable staying in someones home. It's like I'm on edge and trying to stay out of the way and if they go to bed early the stress of staying quiet, or feeling guilty if I want to go to bed early and they are just gearing up for the night. In a hotel I can relax and not stress about it. It's not them, it's me LOL!

 

[Mysterian]

Most of my extended family are up North, save for some in Georgia. Nobody in areas I wish to visit.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

No, I don't want to be a bother. I'd rather stay at a hotel than be an inconvenience to family.

 

[Sinder]

It depends, if I'm specifically traveling to see family then I stay with them.
If I am traveling to the area to vacation then I would stay somewhere else most likely and get together with them.

 

[Micca]

We only have one couple in the family with whom we stay, it doesn't come up often though. Otherwise we'd choose a hotel every time.

 

[luvnwdwgal]

I prefer to stay in a hotel regardless of whether it’s friends or family.

 

[rigs32]

Time is money and even more so on vacation. Space and relationships also factor in.

Back when value resorts were cheap in the off season, parking was free for on site guests, and we had the dining plan, we stayed on property for a WDW trip. My SO's mom was snowbirding in Kissimmee and was..... upset we didn't stay with her. She was at least 45 min away from WDW with I4 traffic plus we would have had to pay for parking and meals. I did the math and we would have saved $20/nt staying with her but lost all that travel time plus the cost of gas. We did stay with her a night or two (I don't remember which) before heading home.

My mom lives about an hour (without traffic) from a music festival we attend each year. She gets upset that we don't stay with her, but there is no public transit that could get us from the festival site to her house, so we would have to drive 2 hours each day and fight for expensive parking spots as the festival is in an urban area. We do make sure to see her while in town, but there would be no benefit to schlepping that far and parking ~$50 to park to avoid a hotel room. Not to mention the lost sleep due to travel time and minimal amount of face time each morning before we had to get back in the car.

On the flip side, I gladly sleep on the couch at my brother's house as we are all comfortable staying in close quarters and there are no specific expectations regarding the amount and type of time spent together during my trip. If I want to see a concert they aren't interested in? They give me a key and tell me to have fun.

 

[disney212]

Family rule is we don't stay with family or friends.

 

[georgina]

I'm kind of surprised so many people don't stay with family. Two of my sisters bought 2nd houses in Florida on the same street. Both houses are 2 BR, 2 BA, and have pools. It is a great place for family get-togethers. Very relaxed and comfortable, I frequently visit them for a few days when I am in Orlando (they are 2 hours from there). Same sisters have good sized homes in WV and PA and I stay with them there also when visiting. They are all empty-nesters like us. Now during holiday times when all their kids/grandkids are visiting I would not stay.
Sister-in-law inherited the family vacation cottage in Wisconsin and rebuilt it into a larger home. We didn't stay with them when we went with our kids and son-in-law (got an airbnb cottage nearby) but may if DH and I just go up there.

 

[Pumbaa_]

I love my mom, she is fantastic. I don’t stay w her when I visit her in Florida. Because I love her . Heading down next month for 10 days and I have Condo rented for that time.

 

[tasha99]

We always get a hotel--gotta have our space, and I get grumpy if I can't have some down time.

 

[sasywtch]

I agree with a pp. As a prior traveling softball mom, tell them the team is staying at the hotel. If your sister still questions, tell her they are having team meetings/practice, fun things for all the kids on the team?? I think to stay with others, you either need to be extremely close or an extrovert. If any of my kids moved, I could see myself staying with them but not with my cousins. I have had a favorite cousin offer me his house in Oregon for over 40 years. If I went, I would stay at a hotel. My sister/brother however, have stayed with them, stayed with cousins in England. They are not shy like I am. I just need my own place to feel comfortable but would enjoy coming over for a bbq.

 

[DisneyOma]

We always stay with family when we go visit them. My mom has an extra bedroom we stay in, my older daughter does too. Family in Mexico has a casita in the back yard for us to use. Family in Norway is making a room over the garage for us. They all stay here when they come to visit as well, if there's room

Wondering what's going on in the bathrooms (and the homes) that people don't feel comfortable sharing them?

 

[lifesavacation]

We always stay with family when we go visit them. My mom has an extra bedroom we stay in, my older daughter does too. Family in Mexico has a casita in the back yard for us to use. Family in Norway is making a room over the garage for us. They all stay here when they come to visit as well, if there's room

Wondering what's going on in the bathrooms (and the homes) that people don't feel comfortable sharing them?

I mentioned my sister’s bathroom so I’ll respond. She has a 3 bedroom 1 bath home. The door doesn’t have a lock. So you can be in the shower or using the toilet and the kids will barge in. Also, because so many people are sharing the bathroom, you feel like you have to hurry while getting ready or schedule your bathroom time. I’m always asking the kids if they need to brush their teeth or use the bathroom in general in the evenings before I step in to get ready for bed. And because the counters are already cluttered with everyone’s stuff, I feel like I have to pack up all my stuff and keep it in the bedroom. It’s just not a comfortable experience.