What is an extended-stay hotel? Let’s start with a traditional motel or hotel, which caters to short-term guests. This can be overnight business trips or a family looking for a place to crash for the night while on vacation. Conversely, an extended-stay hotel is usually for those staying a week or more, and features amenities like fully-equipped kitchens and often offers separate living spaces from sleeping rooms.
Here is why you should consider an extended-stay hotel for your next trip, whether it is a business venture or relaxing getaway.
Long Term Business Travel, Project-Based Travel
As mentioned earlier, traveling frequently for business means your hotel on the road is your second home. As such, it would be nice if it felt like more of a home and not just a place to lay your head at night.
Extended-stay hotels provide apartment-like accommodations and amenities, especially nice for long-term stays such as for travel nurses. Those amenities often include high-speed Internet, a necessary tool when traveling for business. They also usually offer a dedicated workspace, or office, with a desk, ergonomic chair, and good lighting so you can work at your convenience.
Hotels with a Kitchen
Although it may sound glamorous to eat out when traveling, trying new places and getting your favorite takeout, the truth is that it can become old quickly. One of the key features of extended-stay hotels is that they offer a larger kitchen space so that you can prepare your own meals, warm up leftovers, and keep food, snacks, and beverages cold in a refrigerator. These kitchens often include an oven or range top, cooking utensils, and plates and silverware. And if you don’t get a per diem or reimbursed for meals, then being able to cook your own meals in a kitchen can help save you money, as well.
If you are traveling with family, eating out can become quite costly. Having an in-room kitchenette can make a dramatic difference in your budget, allowing you some extra cash to do more exploring.
Families Need More Space
Staying in a small, single room with a couple beds as a family may be fine for a night or two, but anything more than that and you feel the walls closing in. Extra space is necessary for those long family getaways. Extended-stay hotels often offer suites with separate bedrooms and living space to give everyone that extra comfort they desire.
You Can Customize Your Experience
All the extra amenities that come with an extended-stay hotel are fantastic, but you can go another step further in ensuring you have a comfortable and home-like experience. Since you will be staying for a while, it makes sense to bring items that you enjoy and will help make you the most comfortable you can be. These include bringing your own pillow. Hotel pillows may not suit your needs – too soft, too firm. Having your pillow helps ensure you get a great night’s rest.
Don’t forget to pack your favorite comfortable clothes to ensure maximum relaxation in your downtime. A Bluetooth speaker is another great addition; choosing some mellow tunes to listen to while you browse social media and travel apps can help calm your mind and ensure a restful night’s sleep.
Most of the time when we spend a night at a hotel, we simply leave our clothes in the suitcase and live out of that. However, when staying at an extended-stay hotel, you should take a few minutes to unpack your luggage and put clothes and items away in the dresser or hang them in the closet. Set up your toiletries in the bathroom so they are nice, neat, and organized. Put away shoes and other items so that all your items have a designated place.
The Big Move
Sometimes a new job opportunity presents itself unexpectedly. You may find yourself calling a new city and state home. But you’re unfamiliar with the lay of the land and your new surroundings, and not sure where you want to live permanently in your new town. Although not ideal, staying for a while at an extended-stay hotel affords you the opportunity to become acquainted with your new area and allows you to explore and discover where you want to settle down for the long-term.
Save Money in the Long Run
Booking an extended-stay hotel is an effective way to save money. Many don’t charge a daily housekeeping fee like traditional hotels. The inclusion of a fully-equipped kitchen allows you to save money by preparing meals in your room instead of spending money to eat out.
Extended Stay Corporate Housing and Apartments
Thinking more outside-the-box, have you ever considered temporary corporate housing or apartments as an extended-stay alternative? For stays over 30 nights, corporate housing offers convenient options that are ideal for longer-term stays. These rentals often come with fully-equipped kitchens, workspaces, washer/dryers, and other convenient amenities that will help make you feel right at home.
Ready to let us help you simplify lodging management, control lodging costs, consolidate billing, and so much more? Join CLC Lodging today to see how we can help you streamline your long-term and project-based travel management process with extended stay hotels and corporate housing and make your life easier.
