Men pay the price while we make the decisions

May 7 2010 , Written by thediversetraveller Published on #Couples, #holiday, #hotel, #research, #Survey, #travel, #Travel buying Decision, #Travel News, #travel planning, #women

This rsearch may be a few years old (2007), but the findings are still very much relevant today.

A survey of over 1,000 members of the UK’s most popular online dating site** match.com, found that while the average man is left with a total bill of £351 for a romantic away-break, women almost equal that spend (£322) buying underwear, make-up and new outfits, to ensure they look the part.

Four out of five women (84%) expect their partner to fork out for the full cost of their first mini-break away and still expect to decide when and where they go (73%), according to Hotels.com, the world’s most-visited online accommodation website.*

The fear that plagues most men when planning their first trip away is running out of things to say to their date (32%). Women are most concerned about their partner seeing them first thing in the morning (18%).

Other key findings included:

* Fast movers: Most new couples wait two to three months before going on their first mini- break, but one in ten eager men said they would whisk their date away after just a couple of weeks of dating, if they saw long term potential in the relationship.

* Lucky in love: Lads hoping to get lucky in love should whisk their partners to the Lake District, the favourite first mini-break destination for British women.

* Romantic men: Men are the more romantic of the sexes. Almost two-thirds (60%) thought the most important aspect of planning a mini-break was finding a romantic hotel compared to less than half of women (49%). Women are most concerned with facilities, including the size of the bed and availability of a good spa and restaurant.

Alison Couper, Director of Communications for Hotels.com, said; “It is interesting to see that men are expected to pay for first mini-breaks while women spend the money on looking good.”

Kate Taylor, Relationship Expert at match.com, says: "You could say the first mini-break is the make or break of a new relationship. It's often the first time you'll have spent 48 hours in each other’s company - seeing each other first thing in the morning and compromising on what side of the bed you sleep on at night - so it's not surprising that women want things to be perfect.

Women love to be involved in planning the trip, as it helps them prepare the most stunning outfits and boast about the momentous occasion to all their friends. For women, a lot of the fun is in the anticipation and planning the extra little details.”

Mini-break disasters

When questioned about their most embarrassing moments, snoring and flatulence were the most common problems amongst first mini-breakers.

One very unfortunate respondent admitted to fracturing a rib on a romantic break after slipping in a puddle of Champagne.

Go west for romance

When it comes to romance, people from the South West are the most romantic and the North Irish the least romantic.

62% of people in the South West said that a romantic setting was the most important thing to consider when choosing a hotel for a mini-break compared to 42% from Northern Ireland.

Most romantic UK regions

Location % who think a romantic setting is the most important consideration when choosing a mini-break hotel:

South West         62
West Midlands    59
East Midlands    55
South Coast        55
South East          54
Wales                54
London               54
North East          54
East                   53
North West         52
Scotland             50
Northern Ireland 42