A survey of 5,000 adults, commissioned by Travelodge, found 27% of Britons admit to being "economical with the truth" when telling friends or colleagues what they do with their days off.
33% of people fibbed about going out on a Saturday night. 25% said they visited friends, 17% went to dinner parties, 12% pretended to go out for a romantic meal, and 10% claimed to take a mini-break.
Corinne Sweet, a psychologist, said: "The Travelodge weekend study has exposed a new psychological condition we Brits are suffering from – 'Weekendvy'.
"We don't want to admit that most of our weekend time is spent trying to catch up with housework, paperwork and lost sleep. It's the horrible feeling that everyone else is having a better time than us, going away, partying or having fun."
Shakila Ahmed, a spokeswoman for Travelodge, said: "You can cure 'Weekendvy', with a few tweaks to your routine, a little originality and ingenuity and you can make the world of difference to your lifestyle.
"To help Britons reclaim their weekend, Travelodge is offering thousands of £19 rooms across the UK for a quick getaway. It’s amazing what’s on your doorstep. Within hours, you could be at the seaside or exploring one of the UK’s great 66 cities."
The study also found that 29% of adults spend their weekends catching up on sleep, and only 23% of people have a regular lie-in on Sundays.
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