Ghosts and goblins might not spook grownups on Halloween, but parental guilt sure does! A new survey conducted by Four Points by Sheraton found that 60% of parents feel guilty if they miss trick-or-treating with their kids and three out of four parents say their children would be disappointed if they missed Halloween. And bosses beware: personal priorities mean professional productivity may suffer on Halloween with 66% of moms and dads admitting they sneak out of work early in order to hit the streets for treats with their kids, and 76% even rearrange their business travel to make it home in time for the big day.
Just how important is Halloween to little pumpkins? Hands down Halloween trumps other holidays as kid’s favorite, handily beating Easter and Christmas. 82% of parents surveyed say Halloween is their children’s favorite holiday, with Easter coming in second and Christmas a close third.
Who said Treats are just for Kids?
Kids hide your candy stash from your parents! 73% of adults surveyed have stolen candy from their children’s or another child’s candy stash and only 56% felt guilty about it. And what is their favorite candy to loot? Adults surveyed rank candy corn as their favorite Halloween candy followed by Hershey’s Kisses, M&M’s and lollipops. The survey also revealed that Halloween is not only for the young but also the young at heart. 65% of adults surveyed also say Halloween makes them feel like a kid again, 66% dress up for Halloween and 71% go trick-or-treating with their kids.
Four Points Associates and Guests Donate Costumes and Spread Smiles to Children’s Hospitals this Halloween
To help make sure everyone has fun this Halloween, Four Points by Sheraton hotels around the world will bring joy to local children’s hospitals with their second annual Halloween Costume Drive. Dozens of Four Points' hotels are housing “costume closets” where guests, hotel staff and the community can drop off new costumes to be donated to local children’s hospitals. Last year hundreds of costumes were donated to children’s hospitals across the country. Want to join in on the fun and help make a difference this Halloween season? Visit www.fourpoints.com/halloween08 for a list of all participating Four Points hotels.
About Four Points by Sheraton
Four Points by Sheraton is one of the fastest-growing hotel brands in the business. With more than 18 new hotels opening this year around the world, Four Points by Sheraton hotels are located in easy-to-reach areas – close to major airports, suburban centers, urban hot spots and resort and vacation destinations. Four Points by Sheraton offers the self-sufficient traveler a new kind of style and comfort combined with a spirited "can-do" service -- all at an honest value. Four Points’ Simple Pleasures program offers little indulgences such as tasty pie, a great cup of coffee and premium craft beers from around the world. It’s those little extras that score big points with Four Points by Sheraton customers.
Four Points by Sheraton, with more than 130 properties in 22 countries is owned by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with approximately 900 properties in more than 100 countries and 155,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood Hotels is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, W®, Westin®, Le Méridien®, Sheraton®, Four Points® by Sheraton, and the recently launched AloftSM, and ElementSM. Starwood Hotels also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers and operators of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts. For more information, please visit www.starwoodhotels.com.
Survey Methodology
This study is based on a survey conducted by STUDYLOGIC LLC via telephone of approximately 1500 business travelers that are married with children in their household living in the United States. The respondents were divided into two categories based on gender: 771 males and 732 females. They were also divided into six categories based on age: 173 adults ages 18-24, 266 adults ages 25-34, 359 adults ages 35-44, 346 adults ages 45-54, 239 adults ages 55-64, and 120 adults over the age of 65. The survey consisted of fifteen questions. Interviews were conducted between October 13th and October 19th, 2008. The survey averaged 15 minutes in length and contains a margin of error in the totals of +/-3%.
Contacts:
Nadeen Ayala,
914-640-8259
