Living in a Hotel: Costs, Pros, Cons, & Which Hotels Allow It

Living in a hotel is an increasingly popular lifestyle choice. Room service, housekeeping, state-of-the-art workout facilities — all this can be had for less than what you can pay monthly for an apartment. In this article, we uncover why people are choosing to live in hotels, who should consider it, what are the pros and cons are, and, most importantly, how much it costs.

Who Lives in Hotels?

Most of us are accustomed to the security and stability of a permanent address. We live in a home that we have filled with things we love and don’t want to be uprooted from. But, maybe you’re not one of those people or, perhaps, your circumstances are about to change. Your line of work may be contractual, unpredictably taking you to different locations for varying periods of time. Perhaps you’re starting an internship or you want to travel around the country. Maybe your credit is affecting your eligibility to be approved for an apartment or you don’t have enough cash for the first and last months’ deposit. Or you may need a distraction-free environment to finally write the next great American novel. The reasons for living in a hotel are endless.

Age is really not a concern with hotel living. You must be at least 18 if you’re planning to live alone — that’s true of apartments as well. But, keep in mind that hotels have the right to increase the age requirement to 21. Many extended-stay hotels have options for seniors and some are even tailored to government or military employees. And, most extended-stay hotels allow pets. But, living in a hotel is probably not for most families. The majority of cheaper rooms will be studio suites designed for singles.

Introducing the “Aparthotel”

Most hotels aren’t designed to live in for more than a couple of weeks. Hotels pride themselves on four- or five-star service, the best locations, and countless amenities. But, there is an affordable, practical option: the “aparthotel” or “apartel.”

Apartment hotels are often serviced complexes. You generally pay monthly rates and get a choice of rooms — from budget to boutique. The majority have free parking and a concierge, while other amenities like dry cleaning and room service vary by complex. Aparthotels operate like renting, but without the commitment or long-term contract.

The Hotels That Allow Extended Stays

North America is a bit of a pioneer in hotel living. With some of the most expensive cities in the world and some of the most diverse jobs found in them, the need for an alternative to traditional renting is burgeoning. Millennials increasingly are embracing hotel living.

The market leader in hotel living is Extended Stay America. It offers rooms and suites (often purpose-built) in which it actually encourages guests to stay long-term — although you can stay for as little as one night. The company’s motto is “Stay more, save more,” and those staying for longer will receive monthly discounts as an incentive. Extended Stay America (ESA) operates 630 hotels across the U.S. and Canada.

ESA offers suites with fully equipped kitchens, free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs with premium channels, and a free “grab-and-go” breakfast. Unlike a hotel, the cleaning services are usually weekly or bi-weekly, as opposed to daily. And, like an apartment building, laundry facilities can be found on-site. Some locations have gyms, swimming pools, hot tubs, and other accommodations. What’s more, most of the utilities, such as phone and internet, are unlimited.

In addition to ESA, other big-brand extended-stay options include:

• Best Western
• Hyatt
• Choice Hotels
• IHG
• Home Suites by Hilton
• Marriott TownePlace Suites
• element by Westin
• Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham

A Few Alternatives

While purpose-built complexes are easiest to find offering long-term stays, ordinary hotels will let you stay for weeks at a time — at a price. But you may be able to negotiate your fee for a longer stay. Hotels often overbook because guests don’t always show and they don’t want to have empty rooms. If you tell a hotel that you’d like to occupy a room for a while, you may be able to negotiate a discount.

If you aren’t interested in hotel haggling and you still aren’t sold on an aparthotel, there are other options. Airbnb Sublets is designed for longer-term stays. Note: You can get $35 toward your first Airbnb stay by using our referral link (credit amount subject to change).

You can also consider Homeaway if you’d like an entire home to yourself. Or house-sitting. And, if you own a property, you can also try a home exchange where you swap homes with someone for an agreed-upon amount of time.

The Cost

Hotel living does not need to be an incredibly costly endeavor. If you’re on a budget and trying to accommodate your job or lifestyle, we provide the breakdown of what you can expect to pay when living in a hotel in some popular areas around the country at different times of the year.

January Through April

You have a contract in the San Francisco Bay Area. Four months at the Extended Stay America in Oakland, CA, at $3,740 per month would cost a total of $14,960.^[1]

For that, you would get a fully equipped kitchen, a phone, Wi-Fi, a television with premium channels, air conditioning, a living area, a bathroom, complimentary breakfast every day, complimentary parking, weekly housekeeping, and a convenience store on-site.

For comparison, four months in a one-bedroom apartment in the San Francisco Bay Area would cost around $3,300 per month,^[2] plus utilities ($150), internet ($40), premium cable ($70), phone service ($40), insurance ($100), breakfast ($5×30 at $150), laundry ($30), cleaning ($30), totaling around $15,640. Of course, the exact prices will vary.

Potential saving for living in a hotel versus an apartment in this area during the first part of the year: $680.

April Through July

Perhaps you’ve found work in Denver, CO. Four months in an Extended Stay America aparthotel in Denver at $1,476 per month would cost a total of $7,280.^[3]

Four months rent within a 10-mile radius of Denver would cost around $1,449 per month,^[4] plus the same bills listed above will cost $8,236.

Potential saving: $956.

September Through December

Maybe you’re wrapping up the year in Richmond, VA. Four months in an ESA aparthotel at $1,494 per month would cost a total of $6,853.^[5]

Four months’ rent in Richmond at $1,120 per month,^[6] plus the same bills listed above will cost $6,920.

Potential saving: $67.

You can save money living in a hotel. However, this also assumes that you will be paying for all of the same aparthotel services in your own rented apartment. If you want to rent an apartment and save money, you can choose to not have cable, a landline, etc.

Benefits of Hotel Living

While hotels don’t often come to mind as a long-term living option, there are several benefits to hotel living:

• Non-committal
• Services are included with the room rate
• Choose where you want to live
• No security deposit
• Housekeeping
• Front desk services: Have your mail signed for, have any guests directed to your room
• Free luxury services like gyms and swimming pools
• Communal space: Meet people with similar lifestyles and make some friends

Disadvantages of Hotel Living

Despite the number of potential benefits you can enjoy when living in a hotel, there are also a few drawbacks, including:

• Not having a permanent address
• Lack of space
• Close neighbors
• Minimalist lifestyle that accompanies hotel living
• You may pay for non-optional services you don’t need, want or use

In Summary

It can be a big jump to begin a nomadic lifestyle. However, it works well for a growing number of people. When the main alternative is renting an apartment in a set location and spending long periods of time away from it at various jobs, hotel living can be a good option. At best, you can save money and enjoy several free services. At worst, it would end up costing around the same as renting an apartment, but with no lengthy contract chaining you to it, and no security deposit upfront.