YOUR HOME AWAY 
When Airbnb first came out, it was a way to rent out shared space, and thus, it was much cheaper than getting a hotel room. But nowadays, at least in certain cities, Airbnb rentals can be much more expensive than getting an extended stay hotel room (by 40% in Miami, for example).
This is even more true if you are planning to book a hotel room for a long period, like 3-4 months. If you are worried that an extended stay hotel room won’t feel like home or it will feel too impersonal, there are certain things you can do to make the most of your stay.
Read on to find out more.
If you are going to spend months and months in an extended stay hotel, you will want to build a solid relationship with the staff. Make sure to learn what their names are, and some personal details about them, so you can make small talk. And if allowed, give them gifts occasionally to show them that they matter.
They could make your life a living hell if they don’t like you, so you will want to be in their good books as much as possible. But don’t overdo it or be fake about it.
You don’t want to eat all of your meals in the restaurants around the hotel or in the hotel restaurant. Yes, it’s nice to eat out sometimes, but if you are staying in a hotel for an extended stay, you will want to make it feel as much like home as possible.
And one easy way to do this is to cook some of your meals in your room. Now it would be wonderful if you have a kitchenette in your room. But a lot of rooms don’t have that.
That’s when you need to become creative with your meal-making skills. For example, you could cook your eggs in the microwave, or you could learn how to make a delicious brownie without an oven. Research online and become more comfortable with cooking without a full-on kitchen.
If you do have a kitchenette, then having your own pots and pans to cook in, would be divine. Don’t forget to share some of these meals you prepare with other long stay guests or with the staff.
Too often, hotels have towels that have been used for months or years and are not as fluffy as you would like. Of course, you could ask the staff to give you some fluffier newer towels. Or you could bring your own.
If you have fluffy cotton towels at home or if you have a brand of towel that you love, splurge a bit and buy these towels. You will not regret using these comfy towels in the hotel as they will make you miss home less.
Do not try to bear the noise or to be Zen about it. There’s no need to torture yourself like this. As soon as you realize that you are going to have some noisy neighbors long-term, move immediately.
It might be a pain to repack everything and unpack again, but it will be worth it when you sleep well at night. You are here for the long term, so you don’t want to grin and bear the big or small stuff.
This ties in nicely with the point above. If you have something you need in your room, then start by asking the staff if they could provide it for you.
It could be something as simple as getting an extra chair to hold some work equipment. Or extra hangers to hang up some of your dresses or suits.
Always ask first. They might be happy to oblige.
And if they don’t, and it’s important to you, purchase it yourself, especially if you are going to be staying for a while. If it makes your life easier and makes you feel more at home in the hotel, it’s worth the extra cost.
Too often, if you are comfortable in your hotel room, you might start spending hours and hours cooped up in there. That’s fine for a little while. But it’s important to explore your neighborhood a bit, or to make friends with other guests in the hotel.
This is the fastest and easiest way to make your extended stay feel not like a chore, but a joy.
You could invite some of these folks out for coffee or you could form a book club where you could read some of the latest John Grisham thrillers together. This way you won’t end up spending every night in your room, pining for home, or wishing you were somewhere else.
Also, invite the staff over for some of these meetups or gatherings, so you can build that bond further. You might even be able to cajole them into letting you bring your pet over, if that’s something you are missing.
It’s the digital nomad age, where no one wants to stay in one place forever and ever. If you are the kind of person who likes to move from city to city, staying in each one for a few months at a time, then start using extended stay hotels to have the best experience.
If you are looking for an extended stay hotel that’s affordable yet has everything you might need for a long-term stay, check out our hotel locations and get 10% off your first week.