Last Updated on December 6, 2021 by
Hotel rooms used to only be available to the rich and eccentric at the top side of the spectrum as well as those who were poor and eccentric at the lower end. On one hand, was Howard Hughes and Marilyn Monroe while on the other were transients living in the most deprived areas of town.
As travel is becoming more accessible and affordable and accessible, a new category has emerged: the traveler who has an able work schedule or contractor who would like to be able to live a simple life and explore the world.
This article isn’t meant suitable for anyone who would like to work full-time within the Beverly Hills Hotel. This article isn’t meant for a family of four or anyone who has to be at work all week, 9-5. It’s more designed for anyone (or a couple) who would like to travel as many places as they can and live in as many locations as is possible on a budget-friendly spending budget.
I’m targeting people who are like me as a part of the growing number of contractors who prefer to live in the city where they work instead of commuting between their homes to a costly apartment that they don’t often get to experience.
It’s cheaper to stay within hotels as well as travel than to reside at home in San Francisco, New York, or any other desirable, but extravagantly costly cities (see the costs estimates below).
Full disclosure: I do not live 100 % of the time in a hotel. I own a vacation rental in Tahoe I lease through the Airbnb platform (Link to my alternative Tahoe rentals). However, I do tend to spend around 75 percent of my time traveling.
How to Live in a Hotel
1. Get Rid of Everything You Have Not Used in a Year
This is a good option even if your goal isn’t to stay in the hotel. If you’re not utilized it in the last year, there’s the chance that you won’t use it. The item is now only requiring funds and/or time to keep it. Visit eBay and check the value in auctions that have recently ended and decide if you would like to sell it or donate it to charity. I have written this online guide to charity auctions which includes my eBay-related suggestions.
If the item isn’t worth selling, consider giving it to your favorite local charity or non-profit. Are you still not convinced that you can or ought to get rid of everything?
Consider a 3-7day trip using just one jacket, 4 shirts four pairs of underwear, one pair of shoes one pair of pants, and a unisex bathing suit. You’ll see that, not only is it feasible, but it makes traveling much more enjoyable. You’ll spend less time thinking about how to move your things around and spend more time having unforgettable moments.
2. Establish a Home Base… Or Don’t
Even if you stay in a hotel for the majority time it’s good to have a where you can store things. It could be a garage, room, parents’ house, or even a smaller apartment is available on Airbnb even when you’re not there. I own a vacation rental home situated in Lake Tahoe that is rented through Airbnb for the majority of the time…
However, it’s nice to visit it every time and it’s is nice to utilize the storage. How do you get a house for free by renting it for a rental vacation is the subject of a separate article.
3. Negotiate for a Long-term Rate
There are two ways to go about staying in a hotel: bargain with the hotel to get the best long-term rates or reserve a room last minute. If you plan to stay for longer than a week it is likely that you should bargain with the hotel.
4. Use Apps, Not Web Sites, to Find Hotel Deals
I generally stay shorter than one week at one location, and I prefer to reserve last-minute. Except for large events or conventions taking place in your city that could require all hotels, it is possible to can save money by booking last-minute. This is the one time that procrastination can pay off.
Apps such as HotelTonight and Hotels.com have cheaper rates than web-based sites. In particular, I usually come across Hotels.com to be a better option. Hotels.com application offers rates 10-25 percent lower than the Hotels.com website. Discounts can range from 10 to 80 percent off of the advertised price.
5. Paperless Billing and Forwarding Switch to paperless billing even if not in the hotel. There are still a few types of mail that aren’t printed on paper (IRS tickets, Irs you know the good things). To address this you can use the USPS offers a Premium Forwarding service for just $18 per week. It will forward your mail from week to week anywhere.
6. Use the Hotel Gym One of the main disadvantages of traveling constantly is that it’s very easy for to allow your let yourself move. Not in an apparent “I feel fat” sense. Everyone feels more relaxed when we get our heart rate going for 30 minutes each (or each and every) day.
The gyms in hotels aren’t that good and maybe better than the classes and gym, running, or biking routes that you’re familiar with. But, getting into the gym in the hotel, even whether for just 15 minutes every day, appears to be an answer to the lethargy which can develop after traveling for prolonged periods.
7. Make use of to use the Front Desk – Not only do the front desks have toothbrushes, adapters, and other variables. items, but they can also guide you to the most suitable places to eat and see nearby, which may not be listed in Yelp or on your maps application. For recommendations for bars and nightlife Ask the bartender at your hotel (who is probably around your age) to name the place they like best.
8. Get Uber and an Electric Skateboard -In lieu of using a car, I prefer Uber as well as rental car companies. When rental cars are not being rented through an airport usually are much cheaper than you thought ($10-20 for a day). I also carry an electric skateboard on most short-term journeys. This isn’t for the majority of people however if it sounds interesting, check out this electric skateboard review.
Cost to Live in a Hotel
The quick answer is that staying in a hotel is as costly as you can decide to make it. It may be less costly or more costly as compared to renting an apartment according to your standards of living and how you can reduce costs.
At first, glance, staying in a hotel could be expensive. Let’s take an example: that on average, you spend $150 per night in hotels (which is in 2015, you can get an extremely nice hotel room if you make use of deals apps like Hotel Tonight). This would be roughly 4500 dollars per month, which is a lot for the majority of people. However, once you begin staying in hotels, you’ll be traveling more frequently and spend more time camping, visiting friends, or staying with a partner at their home and earning free nights as rewards.
- On average, I stay in hotels around half the time, which means I’m on $2250 per month. Look at all the savings every month by not having to rent the same space:
- $50 for electric and gas
- $25 – water and garbage
- $100 – tv, cable, internet
- $100 for basic household and cleaning items such as replacing towels, sheets, and laundry detergents, among others.
- $50 – House cleaning
- $100-200 for furniture (assuming that the majority of people spend $1200-2400 per year on furniture)
Add all of that to the $1500 per month and you’ll get close to the $2250 figure.
If you’ve been through this far, you’re likely to also love to travel. Therefore, you’ll probably be renting hotels, say that you stay two nights a month at $150 for a night. You’re well past the $2250 threshold.
Consider that staying in a hotel can be tax-deductible in the majority of cases if connected to work. This can provide a 15-35 percent discount on your hotel room, depending on the tax rate you’re in. The average cost of $150 per night could be $100 per night if you are able to deduct. Tax deductions on your apartment rental are usually limited to the comparatively tiny amount you can justify as the home office.
In the end, if you’re in hotels the majority of the time, you likely do not require the luxury of a car. A car not being needed is more expensive and time-savings than people believe. Insurance, depreciation, and gas are the most expensive costs.
Many people overlook the small costs that include parking and parking ticket vehicle washes and repairs oil modifications or accidents and registration. In addition, the fact that you don’t have a car can save your time, which is a lot of time.
Time Savings of Living in Hotel
The above calculations of the cost of living will be wildly different depending on the level of living as well as other elements. The most consistent factor is the time savings associated with hotels. There is no need to:
- Make your bed
- Clean your sheets
- Do dishes
- Do laundry
- Clean your home or arrange your household. You can ask someone else to help
- Shop for household items, bedding and other household items. (and find out when deliveries are due)
- Shop for furniture, home decor and pieces of art (and sit and wait for the delivery truck ) or put together the furniture)
- Maintain plants or a garden
In general, hotel life isn’t for everyone. If aren’t a parent and have a flexible work schedule, and work from any location is much more appealing than having your home in a costly city. You’ll save time, possibly make money and you get to live in an attractive and diverse environment.
The most important benefit of living in a hotel is that you can get more out of life! You are free of routines that cause life to seem to fly by so fast. Instead, you create more memories, embark on more places and connect with more people. If you’re offered the chance to try it, do it!
