Extended Stay Hotel/Motels

[MJ]

In about 3 months, I am thinking of visiting a few cities I might want to set up permanent residency as well get health insurance. I'll be driving my reliable (I hope) 92 Camry and take a nice folding touring bike to explore the cities and surrounding areas. I probably would want to stay 1 to 2 months to get a feel for the place. Unless I am lucky to find a short term furnished sublet, I am considering using extended stay hotels that would charge by the month. I searched for extended stay places and found a couple but I didn't see any monthly rates. I'll call them next week to find out if they do.

I would appreciate links or suggestions about temporary stays.

MJ

[yakers]

Haven't done it but sounds like a good idea. I suggest that folks rent for a year in any new place they plan to move and buy a house so this is thinking in the same vein. And usings a bike is a good way to see in more detail then when driving in a car.

[MJ]

Originally Posted by yakers

Haven't done it but sounds like a good idea. I suggest that folks rent for a year in any new place they plan to move and buy a house so this is thinking in the same vein. And usings a bike is a good way to see in more detail then when driving in a car.

At this point, I'm not planning to buy yet. I would use the place as a home base like Billy and Akaisha as I will be trying the PT life style. That being said, even if I stay there upto 4 months a year, I would want it to be enjoyable, somewhat people and bicycle friendly, have relatively inexpensive insurance and lower taxes. I'm not asking too much, am I.

I am looking at AZ, NM, and possibly OR.

MJ

[Nords]

Originally Posted by MJ

That being said, even if I stay there upto 4 months a year, I would want it to be enjoyable, somewhat people and bicycle friendly, have relatively inexpensive insurance and lower taxes. I'm not asking too much, am I.

MJ, how do Hawaii's bike lanes & trails compare to Mainland places you've lived?

Edited to fix the link. Stupid @#$% cut & paste...

[JPatrick]

I have stayed with these folks many nights.
http://www.extendedstayhotels.com

However, my experience was limited to one facility, that being in Lafayatte LA.
Generally stayed just 4 nights and I believe the rates were $52 per.
Very clean, nice rooms all with fairly complete kitchen.* Some of these shut down at night (and leave) bringing up the question of security.* However, it was never a problem at the Lafayette location.* I know that many of the folks there were on a monthly rate, but I don't know what it was.* These days I have so many Priority Club points that I feel obligated to stay at a Holiday Inn for free.

[MooreBonds]

Extended Stay is a good recommendation.

Two other suggestions:

1) Hotwire.com While I haven't used it in other cities, I've noticed that in St. Louis, Hotwire seems to have hotels offering rates that are approximately 1/2 of their standard published rate. The only catch: hotwire will quote you the room rate and the general area of town that it's in - as well as the number of stars that the hotel is rated - but you don't know the hotel name until after you pay for your room on-line. As a comparison: I stayed in a Hampton Inn (very nice, free sausage/egg breakfast, etc.) and it was rated a mere 2 1/2 stars. Likewise, a reservation at a 3 star hotel turned out to be a very nice Doubletree hotel. So, don't automatically assume that a 2 1/2 or 3 star hotel is a dump. Also, if it says that the room has a kitchenette, odds are that it's an extended stay (or similar competitor).

2) If you're going to be there for a month, I'd call around at all of the 'decent' chains (Holiday Inn, Hampton Inn, etc.) and ask for a quote for a month or two. If you're going to commit for that long, lots of hotels will offer to give you a great rate, even though you might assume that they're 'high' to begin with. Of course, if you have no qualms with a Motel 6 or a Super 8, they'd offer you a discounted rate for a month or two long rental as well.

However, I don't know if you need a place with a kitchenette or not...if you were going to eat out anyway, it's not a big deal...but an extended stay-type place where you can cook your own food would save about $10-$15/day for not having to eat out all the time, although a free hot breakfast every day would help pay for part of that.

--Peter

[tryan]

MJ,

Need to get the local paper and look in the classified under "Furnished Apartments/Rooms" . I owned and managed a condo as a furnished apartment for about 10 years. Idea was to charge about 1/2 the hotel/motel rates but twice the unfurnished rate.

Ran about 85% occupacy over 10 years. No lease so high turnover is expected.

Good Luck!

[MJ]

Originally Posted by Nords

MJ, how do Hawaii's bike lanes & trails compare to Mainland places you've lived?

Nords, the url is not pointing to a website, so I can't comment.

[MJ]

I would prefer to stay in a place with a small kitchette and pay no more than $30 to $35 a day based on a 30 day stay. I have stayed at Extended Stay as well and I am hoping that there are more of these type of hotels I can choose from.

Thanks.

MJ

[justin]

Originally Posted by MJ

I would prefer to stay in a place with a small kitchette and pay no more than $30 to $35 a day based on a 30 day stay. I have stayed at Extended Stay as well and I am hoping that there are more of these type of hotels I can choose from.

Thanks.

MJ

Check out hotwire. I know I've seen a number of rooms in many cities in the $30-35/nt range. Decent places too.

There's a billboard near my house in Raleigh, NC for Hospitality Studios - $159/wk, $599/month. I googled them, and it looks like it's not a chain. But the prices they are quoting (plus high hotel taxes) are only ~20-30% more than similar quality 12 month 1 BR apartment rentals in this area. Maybe search for local "extended stay" places in your destination cities.

[Nords]

Originally Posted by MJ

Nords, the url is not pointing to a website, so I can't comment.

Sorry, let's try this one:

http://www.hbl.org/maps/maps.html

[CyclingInvestor]

If there is a university in town, talk to apartment managers around the schools.
Most are empty June-August, and the managers would be thrilled to rent out
an otherwise vacant unit for a month to a responsible adult.

[MJ]

Originally Posted by CyclingInvestor

the managers would be thrilled to rent out an otherwise vacant unit for a month to a responsible adult.

a responsible adult, well that rules me out.

[MJ]

Originally Posted by Nords

MJ, how do Hawaii's bike lanes & trails compare to Mainland places you've lived?

Edited to fix the link. Stupid @#$% cut & paste...

I have only biked around the NYC area and there is some nice urban scenery but I suspect that riding around Hawaii especially along the coast is probably breathtaking. Of course, in the city, I get to play in traffic all the time competing against 1 to 3 ton driving machines. Most streets don't have bike lanes and when they do, they are blocked by double parked cars forcing me to weave in and out of traffic.
Fun and games.

MJ

[Martha]

Our local university rents out dorm rooms in the summer to "older people" who like to live in town in the summer time. You can get a meal plan too. A friend of mine's parent have been doing this for years.

[MJ]

Originally Posted by Martha

Our local university rents out dorm rooms in the summer to "older people" who like to live in town in the summer time.

Martha, since you said it is a university where most students are in their twenties, I am assume "older people" means anyone older than 30, right?

[Martha]

I don't have any idea. I just know that my friend's parents are in their 80s but they might have spent summers there for the past 30 years.

[Nords]

Originally Posted by Martha

Our local university rents out dorm rooms in the summer to "older people" who like to live in town in the summer time.* You can get a meal plan too.* A friend of mine's parent have been doing this for years.*

I'm still trying to imagine the summertime leisure activities of Boomers living in a college dorm... an eternal vacation without classes or homework!

[califdreamer]

Originally Posted by Nords

I'm still trying to imagine the summertime leisure activities of Boomers living in a college dorm... an eternal vacation without classes or homework!

sounds like my freshman year