5 ms·

Having worked in consulting & travelled for 95% of the time, I would not wish living in a hotel on anyone. I think my friends thought my life was glamorous flyi

Having worked in consulting & travelled for 95% of the time, I would not wish living in a hotel on anyone. I think my friends thought my life was glamorous flying all the time & going to different places. Nope.

ghaff 3y ago
My travel maxed out at about 50% at peak. But that's traveling to generally interesting places and almost never for more than about three weeks at a time. I was mostly fine with that but always had a home base to return to.
OfSanguineFire 3y ago
Hotels that allow one to live there permanently, accord what is essentially a private apartment, albeit often with the possibility of convenient meals and housekeeping. In terms of the ability to settle in and feel homey, is not very different from renting some flat from a landlord.
- jareklupinski 3y ago
  > essentially a private apartment, albeit often with the possibility of convenient meals and housekeeping i think it would be interesting to see more places lean into this. personally, I would gladly give up my apartment's kitchen in exchange for a staffed central building kitchen the chefs there are probably better cooks than me anyway
  - ghaff 3y ago
    I would find eating out all the time to get very old. Even a stovetop and refrigerator would help a lot. I'm fine when I'm traveling--though I like a refrigerator--but I have the advantage of knowing it's not an open-ended thing.
    - ska 3y ago
      Lots of these sort of rooms have a kitchenette, with at least a cooktop and small fridge. At least the more modern versions The are bigger also, and sometimes suites (e.g. a separated bedroom). I think some of the older ones had shared kitchens, more like a dorm setup.
    - solatic 3y ago
      The central dining rooms in such places are more like college, corporate, or hospital cafeterias, there's usually healthier options available and the focus is decidedly tilted towards cost-savings vs. offerings that compete with high-end restaurants. I'd dare say most people are better off eating from such a cafeteria for 80-90% of their meals, so long as they have the option 10-20% of the time to go out and get something different to switch things up.
bmitc 3y ago
Aren't those negatives mainly due to the transient nature of traveling? This particular hotel seems quite nice, and when I'm in an area for a long time, I don't particularly mind being in a hotel, especially if that hotel has good food. It is my understanding, especially in New York, that it was not uncommon for people to have residency in hotels in the early 1900s. I've always found that a bit interesting. Even today, I know there are some condos you can buy in upscale hotels, where you have access to the amenities, such as the restaurant, laundry, and cleaning services.
- BeetleB 3y ago
  > Aren't those negatives mainly due to the transient nature of traveling? Nope. It's stuff like: Lack of space. Think how much smaller your hotel room is compared to an apartment. You want to buy your own TV, with a sound system, and do an Arduino project? No space. Poor sound proofing: Lots of noise from neighbors. No kitchen: It's fine if you're gone for a few days, but if you're in one for a month, you likely will need to cook something. Most people can't afford to eat out all the time (and it's not healthy to do so). I recall once while in school, there was a new fancy apartment complex being built that students had signed a lease for. Unfortunately, there were delays so the company set them up in a hotel for 2 months till the apartment was ready. These are all the complaints those students had about the hotel experience. Nice in the beginning, but not a good long term solution.
  - salamandersss 3y ago
    An electric range for $60 goes a long way. Hell when I was homeless I used a portable gas stove that even works on siphoned gasoline, and packs up in a bag about the diameter of a cellphone wide, hardly ever needed to eat out.
    - thfuran 3y ago
      And where are you going to store cookware and tableware and spices and other ingredients in a hotel room? Some suites or longstay rooms are better equiped for it, but regular hotel rooms just aren't designed for long-term residence.
jncfhnb 3y ago
I’m a consultant and have brought travel down from 4 days a week to 3 days every other week. I do prefer to be home. But let’s not deny that going to a high end hotel in a top tier city is glamorous. If the breakfast is expensive but you get it for free, it’s going to be a very nice experience
otteromkram 3y ago
I hotel hopped (ie - changed hotels every couple of weeks) for most of 2022 around DFW. Space considerations aside, the worst part is the noise. From hearing people next door due to thin walls, to people stomping around above you, to housekeepers letting each and every door they open slam shut, and more, the best takeaway I had was that if I rented an apartment and it was noisy, escaping to a hotel would not be the right solution. However, I will 100% recommend booking a hotel over using a vacation rental website (I'm not going to name names to stem aby free advertising).
- ghaff 3y ago
  One concern I have with an extended vacation rental is it seems like something of a dice roll if you don't have prior experience with a property. If a hotel stay isn't great, that's probably OK since it will probably only be for a week or less. A one to two month vacation property rental feels like a much bigger gamble.
wodenokoto 3y ago
They’re a few things different here. She lived in what we today would call an apartment hotel. She had an actual kitchenette, not just a kettle. She didn’t move every few days. I’ve lived in apartment hotels for 1-2 months at a time for the past 6 month and it can be quite addictive coming home to a well made bed.
- skyyler 3y ago
  >it can be quite addictive coming home to a well made bed Learning to make your own bed like that couldn't take more than a few hours... Treat yourself.
- scotty79 3y ago
  > I’ve lived in apartment hotels for 1-2 months at a time for the past 6 month and it can be quite addictive coming home to a well made bed. Not to mention self-cleaning bathroom.
  - FalconSensei 3y ago
    That's the one thing I really want
Gud 3y ago
YMMV. I travel >95% of the time and love it. I think it depends on how long you’re staying and how much freedom you have in booking your accommodation and travel. I avoid hotels and almost always rent an apartment.
grapescheesee 3y ago
Over 800 days in hotel in the past three years. Its a rather difficult life, and hard to explain how it impacts you. Time difference, doctor/dental visits, mail, family, and work life balance are brutal. Getting a call when your partner totals a car, and ends up having one of their worst days, and just needs a physical person to see and comfort them really makes it seem pointless. Life happens and its hard enough when you're able to return home everyday.
- ghaff 3y ago
  Even if you generally like travel, beyond a certain threshold, you lose contact with people/local activities and there are a lot of logistical challenges to either not having a home base or maintaining one that you do have--especially a house. I maxed out at about 150 days a year and that was a lot.
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]

ghaff 3y ago

My travel maxed out at about 50% at peak. But that's traveling to generally interesting places and almost never for more than about three weeks at a time. I was mostly fine with that but always had a home base to return to.

OfSanguineFire 3y ago

Hotels that allow one to live there permanently, accord what is essentially a private apartment, albeit often with the possibility of convenient meals and housekeeping. In terms of the ability to settle in and feel homey, is not very different from renting some flat from a landlord.

jareklupinski 3y ago
> essentially a private apartment, albeit often with the possibility of convenient meals and housekeeping i think it would be interesting to see more places lean into this. personally, I would gladly give up my apartment's kitchen in exchange for a staffed central building kitchen the chefs there are probably better cooks than me anyway
- ghaff 3y ago
  I would find eating out all the time to get very old. Even a stovetop and refrigerator would help a lot. I'm fine when I'm traveling--though I like a refrigerator--but I have the advantage of knowing it's not an open-ended thing.
  - ska 3y ago
    Lots of these sort of rooms have a kitchenette, with at least a cooktop and small fridge. At least the more modern versions The are bigger also, and sometimes suites (e.g. a separated bedroom). I think some of the older ones had shared kitchens, more like a dorm setup.
  - solatic 3y ago
    The central dining rooms in such places are more like college, corporate, or hospital cafeterias, there's usually healthier options available and the focus is decidedly tilted towards cost-savings vs. offerings that compete with high-end restaurants. I'd dare say most people are better off eating from such a cafeteria for 80-90% of their meals, so long as they have the option 10-20% of the time to go out and get something different to switch things up.

bmitc 3y ago

Aren't those negatives mainly due to the transient nature of traveling? This particular hotel seems quite nice, and when I'm in an area for a long time, I don't particularly mind being in a hotel, especially if that hotel has good food. It is my understanding, especially in New York, that it was not uncommon for people to have residency in hotels in the early 1900s. I've always found that a bit interesting. Even today, I know there are some condos you can buy in upscale hotels, where you have access to the amenities, such as the restaurant, laundry, and cleaning services.

BeetleB 3y ago
> Aren't those negatives mainly due to the transient nature of traveling? Nope. It's stuff like: Lack of space. Think how much smaller your hotel room is compared to an apartment. You want to buy your own TV, with a sound system, and do an Arduino project? No space. Poor sound proofing: Lots of noise from neighbors. No kitchen: It's fine if you're gone for a few days, but if you're in one for a month, you likely will need to cook something. Most people can't afford to eat out all the time (and it's not healthy to do so). I recall once while in school, there was a new fancy apartment complex being built that students had signed a lease for. Unfortunately, there were delays so the company set them up in a hotel for 2 months till the apartment was ready. These are all the complaints those students had about the hotel experience. Nice in the beginning, but not a good long term solution.
- salamandersss 3y ago
  An electric range for $60 goes a long way. Hell when I was homeless I used a portable gas stove that even works on siphoned gasoline, and packs up in a bag about the diameter of a cellphone wide, hardly ever needed to eat out.
  - thfuran 3y ago
    And where are you going to store cookware and tableware and spices and other ingredients in a hotel room? Some suites or longstay rooms are better equiped for it, but regular hotel rooms just aren't designed for long-term residence.

jncfhnb 3y ago

I’m a consultant and have brought travel down from 4 days a week to 3 days every other week. I do prefer to be home. But let’s not deny that going to a high end hotel in a top tier city is glamorous. If the breakfast is expensive but you get it for free, it’s going to be a very nice experience

otteromkram 3y ago

I hotel hopped (ie - changed hotels every couple of weeks) for most of 2022 around DFW. Space considerations aside, the worst part is the noise. From hearing people next door due to thin walls, to people stomping around above you, to housekeepers letting each and every door they open slam shut, and more, the best takeaway I had was that if I rented an apartment and it was noisy, escaping to a hotel would not be the right solution. However, I will 100% recommend booking a hotel over using a vacation rental website (I'm not going to name names to stem aby free advertising).

ghaff 3y ago
One concern I have with an extended vacation rental is it seems like something of a dice roll if you don't have prior experience with a property. If a hotel stay isn't great, that's probably OK since it will probably only be for a week or less. A one to two month vacation property rental feels like a much bigger gamble.

wodenokoto 3y ago

They’re a few things different here. She lived in what we today would call an apartment hotel. She had an actual kitchenette, not just a kettle. She didn’t move every few days. I’ve lived in apartment hotels for 1-2 months at a time for the past 6 month and it can be quite addictive coming home to a well made bed.

skyyler 3y ago
>it can be quite addictive coming home to a well made bed Learning to make your own bed like that couldn't take more than a few hours... Treat yourself.
scotty79 3y ago
> I’ve lived in apartment hotels for 1-2 months at a time for the past 6 month and it can be quite addictive coming home to a well made bed. Not to mention self-cleaning bathroom.
- FalconSensei 3y ago
  That's the one thing I really want

Gud 3y ago

YMMV. I travel >95% of the time and love it. I think it depends on how long you’re staying and how much freedom you have in booking your accommodation and travel. I avoid hotels and almost always rent an apartment.

grapescheesee 3y ago

Over 800 days in hotel in the past three years. Its a rather difficult life, and hard to explain how it impacts you. Time difference, doctor/dental visits, mail, family, and work life balance are brutal. Getting a call when your partner totals a car, and ends up having one of their worst days, and just needs a physical person to see and comfort them really makes it seem pointless. Life happens and its hard enough when you're able to return home everyday.

ghaff 3y ago
Even if you generally like travel, beyond a certain threshold, you lose contact with people/local activities and there are a lot of logistical challenges to either not having a home base or maintaining one that you do have--especially a house. I maxed out at about 150 days a year and that was a lot.

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]