Give me some space! When I travel with my family, and honestly, when I’m traveling solo, the one thing we all crave is space. Sadly, it’s my family wanting plenty of space away from me, but the way I see it, they’re loving me from afar.
One trend I’m seeing in the hotel universe is the desire for customers to seek out spaces featuring more of a home feel rather than that of a hotel. That’s especially true for longer stays of more than a few nights. People want to spread out and enjoy more elements than the typical room traditionally offers. So, the kids can hang out and play games on their smartphones while I check in with my clients.
In fact, the extended stay hotel trend is hotter than me on top of Masada in the mid-day August sun. More than one of every four hotels currently under construction is an extended stay hotel such as Executive Residency by Best Western, according to the hotel real estate company Lodging Econometrics.
Here’s why: When you stay at an Executive Residency there are so many more in-room amenities to enjoy aside from a larger space that’s broken down into distinct zones. Dedicated areas such as ones for dining, working, relaxing and sleeping are all standard. Plus, with Executive Residency you get a great kitchenette space that includes cooktop, sink, microwave and refrigerator. That means cooking my own meals that stretch my budget, which is perfect for either when I’m traveling solo for work or bringing the family along.
In my house, we have 14-year-old twin boys who eat somewhere between five and eight meals a day, so having the kitchenette saves us a fortune! I’m kidding of course, it’s more like 10 meals a day. (Reminder to self: when eating out, take the family to more all you can eat buffets.)
I also love unwinding in dedicated outdoor space after a long day of working or dragging the family around sightseeing. (Don’t worry boys, we’re only going to seven more art museums today!)
I can even cook up some steaks on the outdoor grill that’s free for guest use. It makes me feel more like home than when I am at home. On a perfect starry night, I’ll sit outside and either get to know some of the other guests over a beer or sit back and watch something on Netflix worry free since these hotels all have free Wi-Fi. Real high-speed, not the kind that claims to be but’s secretly using the definition of high-speed from circa 1998.
Overall when I’m looking to have a second home away from home, I love staying in a place that’s as much residence as it’s a hotel. Or is that Executive Residency?