The History of Extended Stay
One of the major catalysts for this development was a desire to circumvent zoning laws and establish lodging facilities in areas which might not otherwise permit a hotel's presence. These facilities were at first known as "Corporate Apartments" and required a minimum thirty day stay.
Another motivation was the desire to take advantage of the increasing number of people who were travelling to new locales for business, vacations, etc.
Who Uses Extended Stay?
Business Travel
Since people who spend all day in various working environments are not particularly excited to spend all of their time on the town or cramped in a tiny, uncomfortable living space (sitting on a bed to watch TV), extended stay hotels are ideal for people on business trips. Extended stay facilities will provide furniture such as couches, a kitchen area, and often times a living space separate from the bedroom. In addition, some upscale properties may include suites which come equipped with office suites, including a desk, internet connect, fax machine, etc so that the traveller can attended to any extra work in the homelike comfort of their hotel suite.
Vacation
Having to stay in a standard hotel room can lessen the enjoyment of a vacation. After spending an enjoyable day exploring a new city and enjoying its unique sites and sounds, a person might wish to escape to a quite, comfortable place to digest the experience. On the other hand, perhaps the traveller is interested in the outdoors and wishes to avoid the hussle and bussle of the city. In either case, returning to a regular hotel room is not the ideal options. For these people, extended stay hotels will offer the best setting to maximize enjoyment of their vacation. Combine this with the lower rates for staying a week or longer (most vacations are not short), and extended stay hotels are the obvious choice.
Special Events
Whether a person needs to be in a new city for a week-long seminar or for a few weeks to arrange and participate in a wedding, the greater comfort and lower expense over the duration of such stays make extended stay a great fit.
Moving
If a person is unable to find a permanent home before arriving in a new city, or if their transition from one residence to another do not line up quite right, extended stay provides some benefits. As always, this option will provide a great balance of comfort and cost than a standard hotel. On the other hand, it also provides advantages over other options such as apartments. Many apartments may require signing a lease of three to six months at a minimum; this is not the case with an extended stay hotel, where the guest can leave after 33, 41 or 47 days without incurring further expense. Extended stay facilities will also already be furnished, supply utilities, and include regular house keeping.
Family Suites
Since many extended stay hotels will have a living space with separate bedrooms, they are great for families. The children will have space to play without cluttering the parents' sleeping area, the family can easily enjoy a breakfast or dinner together in the comfort and privacy of their own hotel suite, and it will be possible for everyone else to enjoy a movie even if somebody needs to get some sleep. In brief, when families choose extended stay, everybody can live much as they would at home, without ruining the trip for anybody else.
What Are The Advantages Of An Extended Stay Hotel?
Value
The greatest advantage of extended stay hotels is that they provide these extra features at a lower cost than similar conventional hotels.
Living Space
Extended stay lodging typically provides more space with superior organization. The specifics of the living space may vary, but every facility will create areas appropriate to specific functions (whether it be sleep, entertainment, etc).
Superior Amenities
Extended stay facilities will typically have the kinds of furniture (couches, recliners, dining tables, etc) which we enjoy in our homes. Upscale properties may also provide items such as fax machines, free internet access and larger, higher quality televisions.
Kitchens
One of the distinctive elements of extended stay lodging is the presence of full kitchens. Many standard hotels do not even offer microwaves, but extended stay hotels typically offer: a refridgerator, freezer, microwave, stove, over, dining table, ample counter space and the necessary cooking utensils and silverware.
Laundry
Extended stay facilities often offer free, on-site laundry facilities with all the necessary cleaning agents.
Phone Services
Many extended stay hotels will provide free phone service, including long distance at no cost.
Lower Cost
As noted above, extended stay hotels tend to run cheaper than comparable hotels. An upscale extended stay facility might have many of the same amenities as a luxury class hotel and yet cost, for example, $60-$150 per night rather than $200-400.
