Are you looking for a way to wish someone well after they return from their holiday?
Perhaps you’re looking for a professional email opener. However, you’re worried that “I hope you had a great holiday” is too informal.
Well, this article is here to help you further.
We will teach you how to say “I hope you had a great holiday” professionally.
Is It Professional to Say “I Hope You Had a Great Holiday”?
It is professional to say “I hope you had a great holiday.”
The phrase itself is formal and works well at the start of most business emails. So, you can use it as an email opener at work.
For the most part, it’s a friendly and welcoming way to speak to someone after they’ve been away for a few days.
You can also check out this sample email to learn a bit more about it:
Dear Ms. Addison,
I hope you had a great holiday.
Have you had time to think about the direction you want to take this project?
Yours,
Tyler Jenkins
Pros
- It’s professional and welcoming.
- It works well in any situation (friendly or formal) when someone returns from a holiday.
Cons
- It’s a bit generic and impersonal.
- It brushes off someone’s holiday quickly.
There’s nothing wrong with including “I hope you had a great holiday” in your emails. But there are also plenty of other alternatives out there that will help you to mix things up.
So, keep reading to learn how to say “I hope you had a great holiday” in an email. We’ve gathered a comprehensive list of synonyms to give you a clearer picture of what works.
What to Say Instead of “I Hope You Had a Great Holiday”
- I trust your holiday was fantastic
- I hope you enjoyed your vacation
- How was your vacation?
- I hope you had a great time off
- I hope your holiday brought you happiness
- I’m sure your holiday was restful and full of fun
- I hope your holiday was as joyful as you are
- I trust you had an amazing holiday
- Welcome back from your holiday
1. I Trust Your Holiday Was Fantastic
For another way to say “I hope you had a great holiday,” you can say “I trust your holiday was fantastic.”
For the most part, this is sincere and positive. So, it’s an excellent choice as a professional email opener when you know someone has been away for a while.
For instance, you can use this when you know someone has been on a great vacation.
Let’s assume you’re emailing a client. They’ve been away for a week on vacation, and you want to check in with them to see how it went. This is the synonym to use in this case.
Check out the following email example to learn a bit more about it:
Dear Miss Murphy,
I trust your holiday was fantastic.
Please let me know if you’ve looked into any more details regarding this project.
Yours,
Steven Tyler
2. I Hope You Enjoyed Your Vacation
Next, you may want to use “I hope you enjoyed your vacation.” This can work well when someone takes time off around the holidays and goes away.
For instance, it can work when emailing an employee. Let’s say they went to visit family during the Thanksgiving holiday. This phrase is an excellent way to welcome them back to work.
After all, it’s friendly and positive. Remaining positive with a phrase like this is a great way to improve employee relationships and show them that you’re invested in their personal lives.
Check out this email sample if you still need help with it:
Dear Mathew,
I hope you enjoyed your vacation during Thanksgiving.
I have a few new projects that I’d like you to work through when you’re ready.
Best wishes,
Sam Wallace
3. How Was Your Vacation?
If you want to mix things up a bit more, why not ask “how was your vacation?” After all, formal questions are a great way to open an email.
Using a question like this suggests you’d like to hear someone’s response.
Often, it implies that you’d appreciate someone’s reply to this question before you both get back to a normal working conversation.
Therefore, this can work well when contacting a coworker. If you’re working on a project together, something like this is a good way to be friendly and curious about their life.
Here’s a helpful sample email to show you more about it:
Dear Martha,
How was your vacation?
I’ve worked on a few pieces of the project already, and I’ve attached them for your perusal.
Best,
Sam Kingston
4. I Hope You Had a Great Time Off
Up next, try “I hope you had a great time off.” This works well after a holiday season (when most employees or coworkers get time away from work).
For instance, you can use this when writing to an employee after the Christmas or New Year period. It’s an excellent way to appear friendly and curious about how their time away was.
Even if they didn’t go on vacation, this still works wonders when someone celebrates a holiday. That’s what makes it such a good choice if you’re trying to improve connections with someone.
Check out the following sample email if you still need a bit of guidance:
Dear Jeffrey,
I hope you had a great time off.
Please let me know when you’re available for a meeting to discuss what was missed.
Best wishes,
Sam Kennett
5. I Hope Your Holiday Brought You Happiness
You can also write “I hope your holiday brought you happiness.”
Again, this is a formal choice that works best when someone takes time off work due to the holiday season.
Therefore, you can use it when writing to your boss for the first time after a nice holiday break. For instance, it can work when returning from the Easter holiday.
It’s a good way to be friendly yet respectful. As far as email openers go, this is an excellent way to show your boss you want to improve your relationship with them.
Also, you can review this example to learn more about how it works:
Dear Ms. Keane,
I hope your holiday brought you happiness.
I’ve attached the documents you requested upon your return.
Yours,
Georgia Didder
6. I’m Sure Your Holiday Was Restful and Full of Fun
For a professional way to say “I hope you had a great holiday,” try “I’m sure your holiday was restful and full of fun.”
This works best when welcoming an employee back to work. It shows they’ve taken time off and enjoyed a wonderful holiday season, but they must now return to the reality of their job.
For the most part, this keeps things respectful and direct. It lets you start with the niceties to show you’re happy to see someone enjoying their holiday and then move straight to business talk.
Check out this example if you need more help:
Dear Michael,
I’m sure your holiday was restful and full of fun.
Please find attached a new project that I’d like you to start working on.
All the best,
Sarah Phillips
7. I Hope Your Holiday Was as Joyful as You Are
Another great phrase to include in your emails is “I hope your holiday was as joyful as you are.”
This phrase is more friendly and caring. After all, it suggests that you find someone joyful and want them to get the most out of their time away from work.
So, you might want to use this when improving relationships with an employee.
It shows you want to be more polite with them and treat them as equal.
Also, you can check out this example to learn a bit more:
Dear Hillary,
I hope your holiday was as joyful as you are.
Have you had more time to think about the offer I gave you?
Yours,
Frank Ocean
8. I Trust You Had an Amazing Holiday
Feel free to sound more confident and respectful with “I trust you had an amazing holiday.”
This is a professional way to say “I hope you had a great holiday.” It works well as a formal email opener when you know someone has been away for the holiday period.
For the most part, it’s an excellent way to check in with someone. It shows you’re willing to hear more about their holiday, but you also realize you need to return to business conversations.
Feel free to review this sample email if you still need help with it:
Dear Matilda,
I trust you had an amazing holiday.
I look forward to hearing about it, but I also need you to hand in the project from last month.
Yours,
Tanner Beans
9. Welcome Back From Your Holiday
Finally, you may use “welcome back from your holiday” instead of “I hope you had a great holiday.”
This is a polite and formal email opener. You can use it when welcoming employees back to the workforce.
It often works well when someone has had a lot of time off. It shows you valued them and missed them in their absence. Also, it suggests you might want to hear more about what they got up to.
Here’s a helpful sample email to show you more about how it works:
Dear Adam,
Welcome back from your holiday.
Please let me know if there’s anything you need me to update you on.
Best regards,
Dan Kent