I’m home! I finally checked out of the hotel in Kokomo yesterday afternoon after finishing my part of the production launch of critically care ventilators. I am so happy to be back in our apartment and with Hugh after 26 days living in a hotel!
While preparing for my four-week trip, I searched for tips and tricks for an extended stay in a hotel. I didn’t find much! There was some things here and there about saving money by cooking in the room on a family vacation, but not a lot about making the room comfortable and functional. So I knew I would have to share what I learned with a post!
Some of these tips might apply to a suite or extended-stay-type hotel as well, but I stayed in a standard room a Courtyard Marriott. It was decently nice, but the accommodations were basic: bed(s), chair, desk, microwave, mini fridge. Let’s dive into how I made that work!
Tips for an Extended Stay in a Standard Hotel Room
So you’re going to be staying in a hotel room for a while. Maybe that sounds posh to you (maid service!) or maybe it sounds claustrophobic and foreign. I’m here to share my tips for making the room functional and a safe/relaxing place to land each night.
Disclaimer: I was able to load up a car with whatever I could fit. If you’re flying and have limited luggage, your strategy may have to change a little for some of these tricks – but I’m confident they still apply!
Bring a little bit of home
I think this is especially important for a work trip or another stressful period of time. This hotel room is now your home base and a couple small touches of home can help you relax after a long day. I brought my wedding countdown blocks and a few other decor pieces that I interact with every day. I also brought some bright pink towels to add some life to the white and gray backdrop of the hotel. Photos can remind you of loved ones back home or make you smile.
Think about your other senses, too! If you typically diffuse essential oils at home, bring the diffuser! Even something as small as the pink grapefruit hand soap made me feel homey (and helped me avoid those tiny bars of hotel soap!).
Move things you won’t use
One of the first things I did after wiping down every surface in the room (gotta be careful of coronavirus!) was move the phone, radio clock, and notepads from the bedside table. I also stowed anything on the desktop and bathroom counter I knew I wouldn’t need. This makes room for your stuff without cluttering!
Don’t live out of your suitcase
No matter how well you fold/roll everything in your suitcase, things will end up in a wrinkled mess over time! Use the drawers, shelf in the closet, and hang things up. It’s worth the extra few minutes if you’re staying for weeks.
Keep elements of your regular routine
Sundays are usually my prep-for-the-week days. I stuck with that during my extended stay, even though it looked a lot different in a hotel. Staying grounded when in a weird space or stressful time is important! I was also grateful to be in the middle of Insanity MAX:30 so I had the consistency of Shaun T yelling at me on the videos most days. When possible, I followed my basic morning routine as well.
Those were tips for making the room more comfortable and inviting/relaxing. Now let’s get to some hacks to make the room functional!
Hotel Room Hacks
Bring some kitchen items (dish soap/sponger, dishtowel, drying rack, silverware, a bowl) to avoid an endless string of takeout meals
I threw the things listed above, a cutting board and knife, some basic spices, a wine key, and a few dishes into a plastic bin and used the hotel room desk as a kitchen counter and table.
Choose two double beds instead of a king so you have an extra spot to put your backpack/purse/jacket
Since I needed to use the desk as a kitchen, I wanted the extra landing pad so work stuff wasn’t in the way when trying to function in the room during the evenings. I felt like I had a lot more room and a double bed is plenty big for me.
Over-the-door shoe storage works great for toiletries, hair tools, etc.
This was the most useful hack I found on Pinterest before this trip. You never knew how tiny the bathroom counter will be in a hotel room and there’s rarely any drawers or storage!
Things I’m So Happy I Brought For My Extended Stay
- Paper towels
- Dish soap and drying rack
- Our Chromecast
- A diffuser
- Big water bottles
- Slippers
- Hangers
- A hamper
Okay, that’s it! I hope these tips help you feel comfortable in your hotel room no matter how long you’re staying in it. Safe travels!
What are your tips for extended hotel stays?
Do you travel often for work? Have you figured out any tricks for making a hotel room work for you? I’d love to hear in the comments below!
6 Comments
Great ideas. Even on short trips i bring a pouch with some goodies to make a hotel stay a bit more comfy… especially if you stay like me in low budget of midrange hotels, they can be quite bland and boring… i always bring my travel water kettle to make some tea, i bring my favourite tea bags, travel cuttlery, sometimes a mug, (or i buy one as a souvenir) i bring a small (plastic) bowl with lid to keep some mixed nuts fresh, and in a bowl it looks a lot more appetising… i bring my wine glass; plastic on flights, glass on roadtrips… , For some extra ambiance: fairy lights, washi tape to hang some postcards, a scented travel candle, a silk scarf from the thrift store that doubles as table cloth, cover up etc.., a collapsible pvc vase for fresh flowers etc… and a small pouch with some push pins, paperclips, binder clips etc Especially for longer trips: when possible a leatherman tool… an over door hook… A pouch with some mini bottles of laundry detergent, dish soap, a sponge, a bungee clothes line… For longer stays or roadtrips I’m still figuring out what to use for hotel room cooking, what is the most practical: a small portable cook top, a small crock pot, a small electric skillet, or a small rice/multi cooker… But most important i think is whatever you bring, it has to convenient, light weight, compact and organised in a ‘grap and go’ box, bag or pouch… happy travels!
My family’s planning one last vacation before we head back to work, and I can see how using toiletries in smart ways will help us out. This way, we can be economical about how we spend our money on basic necessities and can make the most of what they give us. I’ll use these tips for sure when I find a hotel that we can stop over and spend time in during our vacation.
hello megan thanks for the tips. I actually work at the hotel where I live and my tip is use under the sink area for storage and if your bed lifts up under the bed storage for off season clothing.
Your tips on how to properly make use of storage in a hotel were all really helpful. We have so many plans for the coming holiday season, and I can really bet this will be a great way to keep things organized when we stay in a place like that. I’ll make use of these tips for sure when I find a hotel and lodging area we can book in advance.
Thank you for writing this! I’m a travel nurse and spend a lot of time in extended stay hotels!
I brought my George forman grill and mini blender! Made cooking easy and clean.
Other must have are dish soap, hand AZ soap, cleaning supplies, Tupperware for leftovers and extra trash bags.
I love all of these! The hotel staff must’ve got a good smile from this.