'that £340 is too expensive for a staycation ?

[Isitameproblem]

My friend decided that she wants to have one night in a nice spa hotel for one night. So far so good. They can leave their kids at home, but we can't, so hers is only £225 whereas ours is £340, no spa treatment, just bed and breakfast.

Isn't that a bit too steep?

To me it would depend on the hotel and surrounding area. My Husband and I would pay that for a lovely hotel with a very good restaurant.

Depends on people's income and choices. For some it would be unaffordable, for others, a drop in the ocean.

Will sleeping one night and eating breakfast in a hotel with your husband and (at least?) two children be enjoyable?

It depends entirely on whether you can comfortably afford that.

But I don't know if you're going to get the full benefit of a nice spa hotel when you're bringing your children along. Maybe let your friend enjoy her staycation alone if it's too tricky and expensive for you to join.

Completely depends on your circumstances.

For me, absolutely wouldn’t pay that. For £300+ I would want a Fri-Mon but we are not a spa/fancy hotel family.

You're unreasonable for calling it a staycation - that's when you stay at home.

If you think it's too much, it's too much. Especially if it doesn't include spa treatment.

It's only one child! Which is why I'm so against paying £120 on top for a 5yo

OP regardless of costs / budget, I’d personally hate
to have to take my kids to a spa hotel. Sort of ruins the whole R&R thing for me 🤣 can you use that to just turn this one down?

Your friend is not bringing her kid, so you bringing yours would change the whole atmosphere for her.

You'd be sitting around with your 5 year old while your friend enjoys relaxing spa treatments, why would you want to go?

That's not a staycation. It's a one night break. A staycation means you stay at home.

I call it a staycation because it's a 20 min drive....

I wouldn’t enjoy taking my child to a spa. So I wouldn’t go. You can’t use any of the facilities as you can’t leave the child unsupervised. Definitely wouldn’t be worth it for me

My husband & I would do it & love it it was a beautiful place, if we could use the spa facilities, get some nice food etc, and have a relaxing child free night away. I wouldn’t do it with our daughter though.

£340 for one night is bonkers!

We did do that once at a gorgeous luxury hotel in Cambridge with breakfast included. Spent £350 for one night (me, DH, ddog and baby) after upgrading to a premium room. We still talk about it, it was an amazing experience for very average working class people like us! But it was a very nice hotel and very much a special treat. It depends on if you want to do it or if you have to do it (which it sounds like you do, less appealing).

Silly money imo, and not suitable at all for a 5 yr old.

That kind of money would pay for a Fri-Mon caravan break/ Butlins/ 2-3 nights in a hotel somewhere nice and the kids would enjoy it a lot more.

I'm going to to a caravan park on the south coast over easter wkend, I think it's about £200 for Fri-Mon.

Nope, still a night away in an hotel. If it's so close, why not turn it into a true staycation....stay at home (staycation) and get a day spa ticket. Way cheaper.

No, personally Wouldn't spend that if I was taking a child with me.

Most children wouldnt exactly enjoy going to a spa hotel, and I would much rather pay for a more family friendly experience.

My 8 year old enjoys going away for his birthday. A pool is a non-negotiable for him. I refuse to spend above £200 per night. We have went to fairly budget hotels and my child has loved it and it didnt break the bank (it wasnt exactly a peaceful experience for me, so I didnt want to spend crazy money or go to a "spa")

Still have the childcare issue!

It would not be worth it for me.

Not for one night
Not with all the extra spa and dinner costs
Not with a 5 yo
Not 20 mins away from home, so not seeing anywhere new
Not within my budget anyway.

It depends how much you earn. People pay double thst for high end hotels. I'd love to but can't afford it.

I would imagine a spa break with a 5 year old in tow won't be much fun for any of you.

Taking a child to a spa hotel completely changes the dynamic of the trip.

Your friend(s) who aren’t bringing children will want to be relaxing, getting treatments and chilling out whilst you’ll be running round after a child. It doesn’t really add up.

That's not a "staycation" - a staycation means staying at home and doing things as if you were away on holiday.

What your friend is planning is a night away in a hotel which is entirely different. "Too expensive" is subjective. What is too expensive for you might not be too expensive for others, some people think a £1000 handbag is a bargain, others would never spend more than a tenner.

I take it you’re not sleeping with her, so why don’t you go for the day/evening and drive home after dinner? She’s not going to miss you in her hotel room.

I'd pass on this one. It's not fair on your friend to bring a child along. I'm the one that's never childfree and I skip a lot of things because it's not fair to take kids along when others have arranged a childfree night.

I wouldn't spend that for one night in a hotel with my child. It's not a break pr relaxing (and I adore taking my kids away) but not to a spa hotel.
It's only worth it if you gain a great experience otherwise it's just sleeping in a different location.