8 Ways to Make an Extended Hotel Stay Feel More Like Home
If you’re wondering how to make a hotel room feel like home, it’s not surprising. Staying in a hotel for an extended period can pose its challenges, including feeling homesick, even during an ideal vacation.
Personalizing your temporary space can significantly enhance your experience, making it feel more like home. This involves focusing on small details that transform a mere stay into a cozy and comfortable living situation.
According to a study from the Journal of Marketing, people tend to favor gifts with a handmade appearance because they ‘contain more love’. This sentiment can also inform how we create an environment that evokes emotions of comfort and familiarity.
By following simple steps to personalize your extended stay hotel, it can become more than just a place to stay; it will feel like your own home.
First, let’s address the obvious question:
What is an Extended Stay Hotel?
Extended stay hotels, also known as apartment hotels or aparthotels, offer long-term accommodation options, often at discounted rates. These hotels are designed to provide the comforts of home, along with the convenience of hotel services, catering to guests needing accommodations for longer durations.
How Long Can You Stay in an Extended Stay Hotel
The flexibility of extended stay hotels like WoodSpring Suites® accommodates various lengths of stays, from a few days to several months.
Apartment hotels provide a home-like environment for as long as you need. With competitive rates that decrease with longer stays, guests can enjoy the convenience and comfort of hotel living without the hassle of short-term leases or the commitment of long-term rentals.
So how can you make such a long stay feel more homey?
How to Make a Hotel Room Feel Like Home
Creating a personalized living space, even in a hotel, can significantly enhance your comfort and overall experience. Here are eight ways to bring the warmth and familiarity of home into your extended stay hotel room:
1. Set the Scene for Comfort
Creating a clean and clutter-free environment significantly enhances your living experience, particularly in a temporary lodging situation.
Instead of succumbing to the temptation of living out of your suitcase, take a proactive step: unpack, organize, and arrange your wardrobe. This simple action can dramatically increase your sense of calm and settlement.
Furthermore, personalizing your space with items that hold special meaning to you—be it photographs, a beloved throw blanket, or a petite plant—adds a layer of warmth and welcome to your surroundings. Incorporating a favorite scent or candle can further enhance this feeling of comfort and familiarity.
To anchor yourself in this new environment, it's crucial to maintain your usual routines. Whether savoring your evening tea at its regular time, indulging in your preferred TV show, or incorporating light physical activities such as walking or stretching, these practices are vital for both physical well-being and mental health.
2. Cozy Up Your Sleeping Space
Getting a restful night's sleep hinges on crafting an environment that allows your body to relax and recharge effectively. Introducing a cozy and peaceful atmosphere into your daily life can elevate your sense of tranquility. Bringing your own pillow when traveling ensures a touch of personal comfort and enhances hygiene by reducing exposure to allergens and germs.
Additionally, utilizing white noise can effectively mask unfamiliar or disruptive sounds, promoting better sleep quality. Don't overlook the small comforts, like a pair of soft slippers, to enhance your cozy experience and maintain cleanliness in shared spaces.
3. Personalize Your Living Area
Adding a small, low-maintenance plant such as a peace lily, aloe vera, or a succulent into your living space can significantly elevate its atmosphere. It adds a touch of joy with minimal effort required for the plant’s care.
Furthermore, transitioning to warm lighting can instantly foster a cozy ambiance. In particular, string lights or fairy lights introduce a whimsical, dreamy aesthetic, while the addition of lamps creates a soft glow that renders any room more welcoming.
To further personalize your space, consider packing portable decorations like foldable frames, lightweight wall art, or compact decor pieces, which are easy to transport and set up, effortlessly making the space feel more aligned with your personal style. It's important to opt for decorations that are simple to remove and leave no residue, such as peel-off wall stickers or stick-on hooks, ensuring your temporary home reflects your individuality without any lasting impact.
4. Elevate Your Culinary Experience
Enhancing your culinary experiences while traveling adds enjoyment and convenience. Utilizing the in-room kitchen for meal preparation allows for homemade meals, promoting healthy eating and budget-friendly dining.
Consider bringing a portable coffee maker or hot water steamer to elevate your stay. This small indulgence ensures the availability of your perfect cup of coffee anytime, adding a touch of luxury to your stay.
5. Stay Connected with Home Comforts
Bringing along trusted personal care products, such as a favorite shampoo, body wash, or skin cream, can infuse a sense of home into daily routines, enhancing comfort and familiarity. Preloading entertainment choices before your stay ensures immediate access to preferred shows or movies, bypassing the need to navigate through hotel offerings.
For those working remotely, a Wi-Fi booster can significantly improve internet reliability, ensuring smooth video calls and uninterrupted online work, further elevating the overall experience of your stay.
6. Maintain a Tidy Space
Maintaining a well-kept room is crucial for focus and stress reduction. It involves simple steps such as tidying your bed, storing clothes properly, and organizing belongings. This practice of cleanliness improves your environment and makes it more inviting.
Moreover, incorporating the habit of regularly disinfecting frequently touched surfaces, including doorknobs, remote controls, and light switches, ensures both aesthetic appeal and hygienic soundness of your space.
7. Enhance Work Efficiency
Maintaining your workflow is crucial for feeling anchored and aligned with your surroundings. To achieve this, dedicate a corner of your room as your workspace, crafting it into a personal productivity hub tailored to your preferences. Equip this area with essentials like a comfortable chair, ample lighting, and sufficient space for your laptop, ensuring everything you need is within reach.
Additionally, embracing breaks is vital; consider utilizing the gym for a rejuvenating workout. Besides keeping you refreshed, these breaks can also enhance creativity and mental sharpness.
8. Embrace Pet-Friendly Amenities
Opting for hotels that welcome pets can enhance your travel experience, adding joy and adventure while alleviating the concern of separation from your furry friend.
Also, exploring pet-friendly local attractions contributes to creating unforgettable memories through shared moments of leisure and discovery. This approach to travel ensures that your journey is enriched with companionship and exploration, making each trip uniquely memorable.
WoodSpring Suites® Hotels: Your Home Away From Home
At WoodSpring Suites® Extended Stay hotels, feeling at home is always effortless and easy, seamlessly blending comfort with convenience. Our suites are thoughtfully designed, featuring versatile layouts that cater to your every need, including an in-room kitchen stocked with all the essentials. This ensures a relaxing and hassle-free experience, allowing you to focus on what matters most during your stay.
But there's more! The longer your stay, the more you save. Choose extended stay weekly rates and save up to 34% per night. For even greater value, our hotels with monthly rates let you save an average of 44% per night.
With the added advantage of over 200 locations across the nation, you're never far from a WoodSpring Suites® property. Reserve your space at WoodSpring Suites® hotels today and unlock the joy of cost-effective, comfortable living.
