The budget hotel chain is opening some of its rooms for free to use for over an hour of privacy
Andrew Nuttall U35 Lifestyle Writer
00:01, 03 Dec 2025
Research revealed that more than half of people in the UK wish they had more privacy when wrapping presents(Image: Nathan Stirk, Getty Images)
For parents, the magic of Christmas can be spoiled in an instant if children stumble upon something they’re not meant to see. To help maintain some of the festive magic, Travelodge has unveiled plans for a limited-edition service designed to provide that much-needed privacy.
Recent research reveals that more than half of adults (52%) wish they didn’t have to worry about being caught mid-gift wrapping for their loved ones. Besides friends and family, two-fifths (40%) of parents are likely to feel anxious about their children discovering what’s going to be under the tree before the big day.
To keep their festive surprises intact for just a few more weeks, some people resort to extraordinary measures, confessing to wrapping their presents in the most unusual of places to ensure some privacy. Travelodge discovered that some Brits have even admitted to wrapping Christmas gifts at work, on public transport or even in the bathroom.
One private location that came out in the top five places from the survey as a safe haven for secret gift wrapping was a hotel room. In response, Travelodge has announced plans to launch ‘wrapping rooms’ in three UK cities for one day this month.
These free rooms, available for 75-minute slots on Wednesday, December 10, can be booked by anyone. The locations include London Chiswick High Road, Manchester Piccadilly and Edinburgh Central, reports the Mirror.
Each of Travelodge’s free rooms will be ‘fully stocked’ with ‘wrapping paper, tape and finishing touches'(Image: David Parry/PA Media Assignments)
Travelodge management has announced the rooms will be “festively decked with all the wrapping paper, tape and finishing touches necessary”. Visitors will receive refreshments and a mince pie to complete the festive experience.
The offering follows a viral social media post featuring a mum who hired a hotel room purely to wrap presents undisturbed, which clearly struck a chord with parents up and down the country. The post sparked responses including “Mum goals”, “Book me in!” and “This right here is how it should be done!”
The research reveals that more than a quarter (26%) of Brits would contemplate reserving a hotel room for extra privacy whilst wrapping Christmas gifts. Meanwhile, others would choose shop counters (12%), friends’ homes (12%) and even their vehicles (7%) to guarantee an undisturbed wrapping session.
The top 10 best Christmas present wrapping spots to avoid being seen, include:
Bedroom (56%)The living room (27%)The shop at point of purchase (12%)A friend’s house (12%)A hotel room (9%)The car (7%)At work (7%)In the bathroom (6%)At a cafe (2%)On public transport (1%)Travelodge will have free spaces in London, Manchester and Edinburgh to help keep festive surprises a secret(Image: Doug Peters/PinPep)
A Travelodge spokesperson said: “We want to preserve the magic of Christmas and ensure that the festive build-up is as stress-free as possible. When our research found that many Brits already consider a hotel room the ideal wrapping spot, we realised we had to step in.
“Wrapping gifts should be a relaxing experience, free from the fear of others walking in. This Christmas, if you need to keep your present prep under wraps, you better get a Travelodge – either one of our free wrapping rooms or an overnight stay.”
How to reserve a slot in a Travelodge wrapping room
The free ‘wrapping rooms’ can be reserved from today by sending an email to PR.events@travelodge.co. uk. Customers can secure their 75-minute slots on Wednesday, December 10, between 9am and 5.15pm.
Gift wrappers can choose from Travelodge’s London Chiswick High Road, Manchester Piccadilly and Edinburgh Central locations. It was not made clear how many ‘wrapping rooms’ are available at each chain, so any interested people should reach out to the hotels as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
