Two in five (42%) U.S. grandparents have had a grandchild born since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new research from Motel 6. The economy lodging brand released a new survey revealing that as it becomes safe to travel again, 56% of grandparents said the first trip they're planning to take is to see their grandchildren — with almost half (48%) already in planning their visit.

"As more and more Americans feel ready to travel again, we are thrilled to be able to take part in some of these much-needed family reunions," said Rob Palleschi, CEO of G6 Hospitality. "We will continue to leave the light on for all guests, whether that be grandparents staying with Motel 6 on the way to visit family or as a way to socially distance and remain safe for upcoming family visits."

The survey, which polled 2,000 U.S. grandparents, found that it has been over seven and a half months since the average grandparent has last seen their grandchildren in person. Additionally, three in five (59%) grandparents spent less time with their grandchildren because of the pandemic — and, of those, 82% said that was the hardest part of the past year.

Ready to reunite
This separation over the past year has been especially difficult for grandparents, and of those who have not yet met their new grandchild, nearly 70% say it's what they're looking forward to most after the pandemic.

Future Trips
One-fifth (21%) of grandparents said at least one grandchild lives out of driving distance, although three in five (59%) said they plan to spend more time with their grandchildren in the coming year than ever before. The top three places that grandparents are most looking forward to traveling with their grandkids are mountains, beaches and campgrounds.

Motel 6 remains committed to following CDC guidelines doing its part in maintaining safe and clean hotels for its valued guests. Learn more about the brand's Clean@6program here.

About the Survey 
The survey was commissioned by Motel 6 through SWNS Media Group, who conducted an online survey among n = 2,000 U.S. grandparents aged 41+ (nationally representative sample). The survey was conducted on April 20-23, 2021 and has a margin of error of +/- 3 percentage at a 95 percent confidence level.