Public holidays are perfect opportunities to maximize your annual leave dates. But often these long weekends sneak up on me without sufficient time to plan a longer getaway. And so, when the Easter weekend caught me by surprise and last minute flights to neighbouring destinations proved far too expensive for a short 3 day holiday, a staycation seemed like the perfect solution.
I’d been wanting to stay at the PARKROYAL on Pickering, A PARKROYAL Collection Hotel since falling in love with this eco-friendly hotel when we shot this silly parody video in June 2014.
Unfortunately, the Easter Brunch at the hugely popular Lime Restaurant was fully booked. However, access to the Orchid Club Lounge more than made up for it.
My staycation was in the gorgeous Orchid Club deluxe room on the garden floor of this beautiful nature-inspired hotel. I invited some girlfriends over, enjoyed room service meals and indulged in their award-winning St. Gregory’s Spa. After three days I felt much more rejuvenated, and refreshed than had I gone for a vacation.
Here’s Why…
1.Easy Planning
If you are single, you’ll know how hard it is to find a suitable travel buddy, which means I often end up going on holidays solo. Going on a holiday with a friend requires planning in advance and often I need another vacation to recuperate. A staycation is much less hassle and the focus is entirely on unwinding and taking it easy.
2. No Travel Stress
With a staycation, you get to maximize your days because you aren’t losing any time on travelling. Also because you are on home ground, the familiarity of your surroundings is likely to put you right at ease. While travelling to a foreign land has it’s charm and excitement, language barriers, not knowing your way about, trying to stick to your travel budget and cultural differences can be stressful.
3. Less Expensive
The money you save on airfare can go towards pampering yourself at the spa, upgrading your room to a more luxurious suite, treating yourself to a fancy meal or just back into your own pocket. I highly recommend upgrading to the Orchid Club experience at PARKROYAL on Pickering for the full rockstar treatment. And omg… sleeping on a king-sized bed was just divine. The best sleep ever!
4. More Relaxing
Whenever I travel, especially to somewhere far or exotic, there is a pressing need to soak up the culture and atmosphere of that country. This means early mornings and group tours that run on a schedule. It’s great if you are up for the adventure. But if what you want is to relax, a staycation takes away a lot of the pressure to explore and make the most of each day. Leisurely waking up whenever you want and lounging by the pool with no big agenda to follow is incredibly effective at keeping your cortisol levels at zero.
5. Opportunity to play tourist and discover your city
I’m embarrassed to admit that i have yet to visit the Night Safari. I keep thinking i’ll make the trip when i have friends visiting from out of town and have to play tour guide. But it’s not happened. Often, we take for granted the amazing things our country has to offer because we think it’s always going to be there. With a staycation, you have a chance to see your city with new eyes and play tourist. I can’t say i made the excursion out to the Night Safari during my staycation, but i DID walk over to Boat Quay for a fun boogie with the girls.
So, the next time a long weekend catches you off guard and you’ve missed the opportunity to apply for leave and take a longer holiday, or if you just need a quick getaway to de-stress and rejuvenate, do consider a staycation and better yet, one at the lush surroundings of the hotel-in-a-garden PARKROYAL on Pickering!!
