When people head to luxury hotels in London on holiday, they generally want to leave the stresses of work behind them and enjoy some well-earned rest and relaxation. However, it seems as though many individuals struggle to get thoughts of the office out of their minds.
According to research conducted by BA Holidays, during a fortnight’s holiday, people only tend to relax for four days. The firm found that it takes the average person three days to forget about work and by day seven, they are already worrying about what is happening in their absence.
The firm polled a total of 2,000 workers and found that one in five daydreamed about the office while they were lounging by the pool. Meanwhile, 15 per cent said a holiday can bring more stress than relaxation because they worry so much about their work. In addition, more than one in ten holidaymakers noted they take their laptops with them on vacation and a quarter of respondents admitted to texting or calling colleagues while they are away from home. One in 20 revealed they spend their evenings hard at work.
Furthermore, over a fifth of respondents said they visited an internet cafe near their hotels in order to look at emails, while nearly one in five workers stated their bosses expect them to be contactable while they are away. Another 13 per cent revealed they are required to at least keep an eye on their emails during their vacations.
BA Holidays also discovered that almost a fifth of workers would worry about returning to work at the end of a two-week break if they did not check in with work a few times while they were away.
Responding to the findings, BA Holidays’ Claire Bentley said: “Many believe that getting away from things for two weeks means you can really switch off – more so than if you just went for a long weekend away. But it seems for some the opposite is actually true.”
According to the expert, short city breaks can be ideal as they enable people to get “maximum relaxation and minimum time worrying about work”.
BA destination manager Susan Gellately added:”For people who have highly demanding jobs, short breaks are the perfect way to relax, without the worry of work.” She suggested that within hours of leaving their offices, holidaymakers can be enjoying the atmosphere of their chosen destinations and they can still be back in time for work on Monday morning.
London can make a superb located for a short city break. The capital offers an impressive range of activities and there is plenty to keep visitors entertained during their stays. In turn, this could help ensure holidaymakers are distracted from thoughts of the office. Also, the city is easy to reach by car, train and plane, making it ideal for those on short vacations.
For the ultimate in indulgence, people can book into 5 star hotels in London, where they will be pampered and looked after in style.