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6 Ways to Make a Long-Term Hotel Stay Feel Like Home

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This post is sponsored by TownePlace Suites. All opinions are my own.

The military life can often mean long-term hotel stays, especially during a PCS. At first, it seems awesome. I mean, a built-in maid? Going out for dinner? No yard to mow? But the shine can wear off, especially if you’re there for quite a bit of time. Add kids to the mix or a spouse’s stressful schedule, and you might be crying, “Uncle!” a lot sooner than you thought. There are ways to make your hotel room feel a little more like home and a little less like a prison cell after Day Too Many.

Making a home away from home in a hotel. Tips for a PCS-- must keep for later!


Keep a Consistent Schedule

Give yourself a day or two to relax after your PCS and then create a schedule with your family and maintain it. It’ll give everyone a sense of continuity from one place to another.

Assign Chores

Sure, housekeeping will take care of your linens, dusting, and vacuuming, but if you’re staying in that room for a long time, make sure that everyone in the family knows their responsibilities when it comes to keeping their space neat and tidy. Not only will it make the situation less frustrating in the long run, it will give your family a sense of ownership. After all, it’s your place for as long as you’re staying there.

Set Up a Workspace

If you work from home, don’t hesitate in setting up your workspace and getting back to it. For entrepreneurs and freelancers, time is money and spending a lot of time away from your business can erode what you’ve worked for. TownePlace Suites has office space in every room so you can spread out and work from a desk.

Making a home away from home in a hotel. Tips for a PCS-- must keep for later!

Add Music

Got an iPod and speakers? You have ambiance! Bonus points if you learn about (or teach your family) the culture of the area through music. In Louisiana? Download some Zydeco tunes and play them. In Hawaii? Time to get your luau on.

Find Services Now

If you know the town or neighborhood you’ll be in, spend time now finding the services that you’ll use for the next few years– like a hairdresser, mechanic, and piano teacher for the kids. The sooner you can get into the swing of things, the sooner you’ll feel like the area is home. Finding reliable service providers can sometimes feel like hunting a needle in a haystack, so be sure to utilize your command sponsor, friends who may have been stationed in the area, and the concierge at your hotel. If you’re staying at TownePlace Suites, the perfect place to find this information is the TowneMap.

Use the Closet

It sounds simplistic, but if you’re staying more than a few days, take the stuff out of your suitcase and use the closet. It’ll be easier to stay organized and keep everything in one place, rather than sprawled across the room, hung over the backs of chairs. (I’m not the only one who does that, right?) TownePlace Suites offers the elfa closet system, created with a partnership through the Container Store. Good stuff.

Bring Your Pet

Staying in a hotel for more than a few days? Instead of kenneling your pet, make sure that you can bring it along. Some hotels offer the amenity for free and others charge, so be sure to know if it fits into your budget.

If you’re looking for a short- or long-term stay that does feel like home (or really, better than home), take a peek at TownePlace Suites by Marriott. From a fitness center and pool, to hot breakfast, to suite-style rooms, to pet-friendly policies, it just might be the place for you and your family. TownePlace Suites can be found close to major military installations and offer long-term stay discounts.

Have you lived in a hotel before? Share your tips for making life more consistent and homey in the comments, please!

Making a home away from home in a hotel. Tips for a PCS-- must keep for later!


4 Responses

  1. I absolutely love Marriott! My dad’s been working for them for over 10 years now (with about 30+ years experience in the hotel industry). He currently runs a Residence Inn by Marriott in Maine. I worked for Marriott for about 7 years as well and have always debated on going back to it at some point. It’s a great company! We always stay with them whenever we travel. You should check out the vacation clubs sometime. They’re gorgeous! :)

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  3. I appreciate the tips on how to make an extended stay feel like home. I agree that it is important to set a schedule for yourself and stick to it, it is easy when you are away from home to treat it like a vacation and get too relaxed. My brother will be doing an extended stay for work in a few months, I will be sure to share this information with him.

  4. There are certain things that make a day mine. One is my large cup of tea in the morning, with honey and milk. So I bring my own mug, and make sure that there are the add-ons in the room. I use the mug to store little things that might move around my suitcase. This gives me a great start to my day!

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