Just in time for the long weekend, new research conducted by Hilton shows that extra-large holidays are set to boom as UAE residents and citizens invite friends and family away with them.
The majority (89 percent) of adults in the UAE say the events of the past 18 months have made them re-evaluate what is really important. Three-quarters of parents (75 percent) said their children had missed out on seeing grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins during 2020 and 2021, with 83 percent keen to make up for the lost time in the future.
As a result of the extended time apart, the UAE is set to embark on an era of multi-generational holidays, with the vast majority (89 percent) likely to go away next year with extended family members such as siblings, cousins, and grandparents.
Of the respondents who had family abroad, 80 percent confirmed their group holiday would involve visits to family overseas. Almost all (92 percent) of those polled said going on an extended family holiday allowed them to reconnect with family members while enjoying a break, and 8 in 10 (80 percent) said inviting more people along made childcare easier.
Hilton is the only major hotel chain that allows guests to confirm interconnecting rooms at the time of booking, providing a hassle-free solution to a decades-old problem for families and groups.
The most popular reason to have an XL holiday is to catch up with family members, followed by a chance to see relatives you don’t often spend time with, and allow kids to play together while grown-ups relax. One-third (33 percent) of adults said holidays provide an opportunity for grandparents to spend quality time with their grandchildren, while 37 percent said XL holidays are ideal for a special celebration. 74 percent said holidays with lots of kids are more fun and more than three quarters (79 percent) said they were willing to spend more on their next holiday to make up for having been unable to go abroad in 2020 and 2021.
The UAE is the most likely destination for an XL holiday (27 percent), followed by the UK (23 percent) and Turkey (20 percent), and 80 percent say that if they are holidaying with family members like young children, they are more likely to do things they wouldn’t do otherwise such as visit a theme park, ride a jet ski and plan something more adventurous.
Here are six of the best Hilton properties to head to on a multi-generational trip in 2022.
Hilton offers new family experience packages at nearly 200 of its hotels across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Curated by parents from the global hospitality brand, children under 12 can enjoy complimentary touches including beds decorated with a special children’s theme, storybooks, kids’ passports, mocktails, bespoke menus, and dedicated breakfast corners.