If you’ve been looking for new digs and can’t find a home or apartment in your budget or the right location, you may feel that you’ve already exhausted all your options. But have you ever wondered if it’s possible to live in a hotel? More Americans are discovering that hotel life solves so many of their problems.
After the real estate bust of 2008, fewer Millennials are willing to commit to buying a home. Apartments have become the standard for most working-age Americans, but the cost has become sky high while quality plummets. This predicament leaves many people considering moving into a hotel.
What’s the Appeal in Hotel Living?
Hotel-style living has a reputation for being expensive, and history’s most famous hotel resident must be Al Capone. But don’t let that deter you if you think hotel life is for you. Other distinguished long-term hotel guests include impressive names like Coco Chanel, Cole Porter, Oscar Wilde, Marilyn Monroe, and Bob Dylan.
Hotel Chelsea — which made a name for itself as the hotel home of the creative world, housed artists like Leonard Cohen, Mark Twain, Frida Kahlo, Arthur Miller, and Allen Ginsberg. With names like these, no wonder more people are wondering how to live in a hotel to enjoy the good life.
The Glamorous Life
However, not all hotel living scenarios are glamorous. In fact, the two biggest demographics that live in hotels are millionaires looking for luxury accommodations on the one hand and the homeless on the other.
A hotel may seem like that last place you’d want to live in the long term, but you may find the benefits surprising.
The Best Things About Hotel Life
Living in a hotel offers unique advantages, especially if you’re a busy professional who wants to maintain a high quality of life.
Save Money
Yes, you’ll save money — at least initially. If you’ve moved to a new city, hotel life can get you on the ground and running with less cash. So, forget the sizable deposits on an apartment, not to mention the cost to hook up utilities.
Hotels won’t require a first and last month’s deposit, and you won’t have to set up accounts with the local utility company, which can be helpful if you don’t have established credit.
You won’t need to invest thousands in furnishings, either. There will be no need to buy furniture, kitchen gear, or even bedding and towels.
Less Paperwork
If you’ve ever purchased or rented a home, you’ve likely been through credit checks, background checks, and all sorts of invasive procedures just to give someone your hard-earned money. Moving into a hotel requires none of this.
Hotel life also offers fewer bills to manage every month. Just one payment covers most of your services, from electricity to internet to water and trash.
Commitment Issues
If you’re not sure you’ve found your “forever home,” you won’t have to find a buyer or break a lease. All you need to do is check out and pay your final bill. No moving heavy furniture, no closing utility accounts, no hassles.
Location, Location, Location
Let’s face it — some neighborhoods are simply more attractive than others. Moving into a hotel means you have more options available. Buying a home or renting an apartment on the right side of the tracks can bust the budget, but hotel living can have you within walking distance of the best your city has to offer.
Take It Easy
Every home requires maintenance and upkeep, and even a small studio apartment means hauling around the Dyson and scrubbing shower walls. Even if you enjoy housework, you may simply be too busy. Hotel living offers release from drudgery, with daily housekeeping staff and fresh sheets and towels.
The Downsides of Downtown
Hotel life can seem effortless, but it also comes with real disadvantages.
No Room to Move
Although many hotels offer large suites with multiple rooms, such expansive accommodations don’t come cheaply. In this case, you may find yourself a bit squashed in a hotel scenario.
Many hotels allow pets, but your furry friend may become a bit cabin-crazy without more room to wander. Dogs, especially, may find hotel life extremely stressful.
Living in a hotel with a child may not be the sophisticated dream those Eloise books would have you believe. Kids also become restless without room to run. However, there are families living in hotels that make it work by choosing hotel rooms with multiple bedrooms and full-size kitchens.
No Fixed Abode
One of the most significant disadvantages of living in a hotel is the problem of not having a fixed address. Receiving your mail may become a challenge unless you rent a post office box. A hotel address may also send red flags when it comes to job or credit applications.
Types of Hotel Accommodations
You may think of a hotel as a single room that’s maybe large enough for a separate sitting area, with an attached bath. But hotels come in a range of configurations, from fully furnished suites to studio size rooms to communal living spaces.
Figuring out how to live in a hotel means deciding how much space you need. And if you’re on a budget, you’ll need to figure out how much space you can afford.
While doing your research, consider the range of accommodations available.
Conventional Hotel
A traditional hotel is usually a multi-story building in an urban center that offers rooms and suites with attached baths. You may find food and drink in a public dining space or via room service.
Conventional Motels
These facilities are usually located near highways, as they target motorists and vacationers. You may not find dining facilities on the premises, but you won’t have to look far if you’re at any sizable junction.
Extended Stay Hotels/Motels
Extended stay hotels are booming, even though the length of stay in these hotels is becoming shorter. A significant factor is the ability to stay in and relax instead of battling traffic for a meal since extended stay facilities offer kitchens.
Bed and Breakfasts
B&Bs often offer a homier feel or boutique atmosphere. They can be expensive, however, and since the owners live on the property, you may not get the privacy you’d like.
Resorts
Resorts offer many of the same services as hotels, but may also focus on outdoor recreation, like skiing or boating. The advantage is that they often provide the same luxury amenities as high-priced urban hotels at a lower cost.
Serviced Apartments
One popular new trend in hospitality is short-term apartment letting. From Airbnb to vacation rentals, many homeowners leverage an unused living space into a short-term rental for extra income. If you want the freedom of hotel living without the daily interruption of housekeeping, a serviced apartment may be the way to go.
Also, a private owner may be willing to offer a deeper discount to keep the apartment or house fully occupied for the long term. Another advantage is that you can rent a full-size home with all the features and none of the commitment.
Hostels
For the truly adventurous and short of cash, hostels cater to young people. Although you can rent a private room in a hostel, most offer dormitory-type accommodations. In hostels, a group of strangers shares a single room with multiple beds. All occupants communally share bathrooms, kitchenettes, and sitting rooms.
The Cost of Living High on the Hog
When it comes right down to it, figuring out how to live in a hotel means working it into your budget. You’ll need to assess your priorities before you can make the right decision. Spend some time comparing potential savings to make room in your expenses.
How Much Does It Cost to Live in a Hotel?
Depending on the size of the accommodations and services offered, the cost of living in a hotel varies widely. The secret to being able to afford to live in a hotel is finding those that offer extended stay discounts while supplying all the space and features you need for daily life.
Location is nearly always the factor behind price, so it’s worth weighing carefully when making a decision. For example, Manhattan is one of the most expensive cities in the United States. An unfurnished two-bedroom apartment in Midtown may run you up to $4,000 a month. With deposits, furniture, and utilities, you can easily price yourself out of the Big Apple. A serviced apartment rental, however, may run you the same amount but include utilities and furnishings.
In a typical Midwestern city – St. Louis, Missouri —a decent extended stay hotel will run you about $1,400 per month. A comparable apartment is cheaper at around $1,000 per month. In this case, you may be better off in an apartment if the cost is your priority.
Areas with high transient and tourist populations offer a whole new perspective when it comes to hotel living. Florida, for example, charges sales tax on rentals shorter than six months. However, many resorts and extended stay facilities cater to “snowbirds,” visitors from the north. These rental agreements are just long enough to dodge the lodgings tax while the lease remains flexible.
Finding it in the Budget
If you’ve decided that hotel life is the answer to your busy lifestyle, then you can find ways to work it into your budget.
First of all, think about all the things you won’t be paying for and add them up. You can cross off electricity, water, sewer, trash, lawn services, and security services.
Tips for Making it Affordable
Even if the cost of hotel living doesn’t deter you, don’t spend more money than you must. Here are a few tips for learning how to live in a hotel as cheaply as possible.
Manage Your Expectations
Life really is how you look at it and how you stack your priorities. While living in a luxury hotel and eating from the room service menu every night sounds wonderful, it may not be the best way to manage hotel life.
What part of living in a hotel is the most critical factor? If you’re simplifying your life to focus on a career, then convenience and location will count heavily in your decision. So, don’t waste time or money looking for a hotel far from the office.
Leverage Loyalty Programs
Do your research and find out about using rewards points you may already have from using your credit or debit cards. Look into other discount programs as well. Are you a veteran or senior citizen — find out if any hotels in your target area offer a discount.
Some hotel chains offer loyalty points for repeat stays, so find out if the terms at your preferred hotel will work for you. Beware of programs that require gaps in residence to work. Unless you travel frequently and don’t mind checking in and out all the time, these kinds of programs are often more hassle than they’re worth.
Finally, negotiate a long-term rate with the hotel of your choice. Most hotels only average a 66 percent occupancy rate at any given time. So, smart managers would prefer to have filled rooms at a lower rate.
Tips for Making It Pleasant
While hotel life has its definite advantages, it’s not the best of all worlds for everyone. For some people, there simply is no other alternative. Those who have lost their home to foreclosure or divorce may feel pressed to live in a hotel until they can make better arrangements. If you find hotel life unsettling, here are some for making hotel life more pleasant.
Store What You Must
If circumstances mean moving into a hotel, don’t feel that you’ll lose everything you own. You can usually find a storage facility with reasonable rates to house your collectibles and heirlooms.
Sell What You Can
If you’re like many Americans, you’ve probably been dragging around a ton of material baggage for years While you should hang on to precious heirlooms and things you’ll need in the future, there’s no reason to hang onto the past. Sell your obsolete treasures on FB marketplace, Craigslist, or even eBay.
Better yet, if there really is life left in your belongings, consider donating them to a homeless shelter or reputable charity.
Buy What You Need
Even the best extended stay hotel can’t think of everything. While most come with the basics, you may feel that something is missing. If you’re used to using a French press, for example, by all means, indulge yourself and purchase one instead of making do with the drip model in your new quarters.
If you’re on a budget, then check out your local second hand store for those missing gems of civilized life. After spending time living in hotels for work, I’ve discovered a few extras that make it more convenient:
- Water filter pitcher to ensure drinkable water
- Extra silverware to cut down on dishwashing
- Extra paper plates and paper towels
- A Wi-Fi signal booster
- My favorite pillow from home
- External hard drive with all my favorite movies and music
Make it Your Own
Just because you live in a hotel doesn’t mean you can’t have a home. Make sure to bring a few items that make it feel like you live there. Most hotel rooms are a blank slate, so fill yours with photos, knick-knacks, and other sentimental treasures. No one said you had to use the hotel’s neutral bedspread when Grandma’s hand-knitted afghan makes it feel like home.
Timing is Everything
In a full-service hotel, you’ll soon discover that it has its own circadian rhythm. For example, hotels near convention centers might become hectic as guests return to roost for the night. Those by airports are always hopping. You may want to stay in your room during the more chaotic hours.
On the other hand, if you’re looking to meet new people and make connections in your new city, note when the bar hosts its liveliest happy hour crowd and make a point to drop in.
Get Connected
Most hotels will offer Wi-Fi with your room. Don’t be shy about asking registration to put you in a room close to a router. You can verify the signal strength with your smartphone. A good internet connection can make a significant difference when it comes to landing that new job, so insist they guarantee a good connection — especially if you’re paying extra for it.
Learn to Love the Continental Breakfast
While extended stay hotels offer kitchens, you should take advantage of the free breakfast if there is one. This bonus may not save you a lot of money, but it can make your stay more enjoyable. At the very least, you’ll save time cooking and cleaning up as well as enjoying a variety of new dishes.
A few years ago, my husband was working out of state for six to eight weeks at a time, which meant long stays in company-paid hotels. One of the best hotels on offer provided the standard free breakfast, of course, but the best perk was their happy hour.
Neither of us drinks often, but the appetizers were hardy enough to provide a filling dinner. We not only saved money on meals out (our room had no kitchen), we also saved the hassle of navigating rush hour traffic in a strange town. And since we weren’t leaving the premises, we eventually broke down and decided to enjoy the free cocktails too.
Every day is a vacation if you look at it from the right angle.
So, try out the free breakfast. Take a dip in the hot tub. Try out the media room. Use the fancy shampoo in the cute little bottles. Enjoy the perks of hotel living while you can.
How to Keep it Safe
Whether you’re living in a hotel out of necessity or choice, it pays to remember a few basic security measures. After all, the entire staff has access to your room and your belongings. There may also be other residents who find you and your valuables more intriguing than you’d like. Here are a few tips to ensure your safety when living at a hotel.
Park Away from the Front Entrance
If parking is part of the scenario, find a spot that keeps other guests from dinging your car with their luggage or stumbling into it when leaving the bar. But remember to keep it close enough that you’re not trudging through a dark parking lot at night.
Hotel Staff Are Your Friends
Most hotel staff are honorable, hard working people. They’re also the friendliest folk – after all, they don’t call it the hospitality industry for nothing. Be friendly with the hotel staff because it’s the surest way to get excellent service. Once they get to know you, you can bet they will have your back.
Be Careful What You Say
Or, at least be careful how loudly you say it.
While your hotel staff may be the most delightful human beings, don’t make yourself a target when it comes to other guests. So, mind how much you share about your comings and goings. You never know if another guest is taking an interest in your schedule.
Utilize the Safe
Whether your room comes with a safe or the hotel offers secure storage in their office, take advantage of it by securing your important documents and precious belongings. Don’t leave your good jewelry lying around in your room. And the guy that changes the batteries in the smoke detectors doesn’t need to know your social security number.
Getting Situated
The idea of living in a hotel may feel overwhelming, but there are a few things you can do to make the process less awkward once you find the perfect hotel.
Map Out Essential Businesses Nearby
Make sure you have a list of the nearest shops, stops, and medical facilities. Most well-run hotels will offer a list of nearby hospitals, pizza delivery places, and drug stores. Expand the list to find grocery stores, bars, movie theaters, and public transportation stops to orient yourself to your surroundings.
Check-In with the Front Desk
If you’re living in a hotel, you can have any mail or packages delivered to the front desk. So, introduce yourself to the staff and let them know to expect packages and letters in your name.
Roam the Halls
It seems that many hotels list a plethora of perks on their website but then fail to promote them after you check-in. Take some time to venture out and get a feel for the facilities. After all, you’re going to be there a while. Find out where the pool is, and the hours it’s available to you. See if the gym lives up to the description on the hotel website.
You should expect to find a laundry room for guests, so scope it out and figure out how many quarters (if any) you’ll need. For that matter, find out if the hotel offers laundry or dry cleaning and see if it’s in your budget. If not, locate the nearest laundromat.
Permanent Residence
So, now what? What do you do if you manage to master the art of hotel living and fall in love with the lifestyle? Can you buy a hotel room permanently? The good news is that you certainly can.
These properties are called “condo-hotels,” and they offer all the services and amenities of a full-service hotel. Naturally, they’re more expensive, since you’ll pay a mortgage and a monthly fee for services. You’ll find these arrangements in luxury senior living apartments and resorts too. So, if you want to buy a condo-hotel, you won’t be limited to urban centers and big cities.
Condo-hotels can also be a smart investment too. Should you decide to buy a larger home elsewhere down the line, the management company can rent your unit out regularly, providing you with a tidy income.
Room and Board
If you’re looking for room, board, and a steady job, you may find a management position in an out-of-the-way motel or resort. That can be one way how to live in a hotel and enjoy the perks without spending a fortune.
But for the most part, working for a hotel doesn’t usually mean you’ll get to live there. That perk of the hospitality industry seems to have fallen out of practice, along with starched uniforms.
Make the Move
Whether it sounds like a jail sentence or offers a new lease on life, living in a hotel is truly a unique experience. It may feel a bit odd at first, and you may worry about the expense. But after taking an honest stock of trade-offs, it could be a great financial move. Embrace the situation by making the most of what your hotel has to offer.
It may be the best way to find the freedom you need to launch a new career or even a new life.