Hotels have room service, indoor swimming pools, and daily housekeeping. They have it all, right?
Not exactly.
Hotels have a lot, but compared to a fully furnished apartment, they in no way “have it all.”
If you’re anticipating a temporary relocation, and you’re looking for short-term housing, it’s important to know that an extended stay hotel room is not your only option. Before you decide to spend a month or more living in a hotel, at least consider the many opportunities a furnished apartment offers compared to a hotel.
1. Trust that the top comforter is clean
It’s a known fact that hotels do not typically wash those comforters that sit on top of their beds. Most of us have either learned not to think about this minor detail, or we’ve adopted the habit of stripping the comforter off the bed as soon as we enter the room.
Now consider the difference in a furnished apartment. All of your furniture and linens—and we mean all of your linens—have been cleaned and inspected prior to leaving our facility and arriving at your temporary living space. You’re certainly still welcome to pull the comforter off of your bed and toss it on the floor of your furnished apartment if that’s your preference, but it’s our job to ensure that you don’t feel the need to.
2. Do your own laundry
Few things are more annoying than doing your laundry in a communal washer and dryer. Not only is it expensive to pay per load, but who actually has time to sit around and wait for their laundry to finish its cycle before returning to normal life? Nobody.
In a fully furnished apartment, you can do laundry like you would at home: Drop it in and go about your business. No need for quarters, card swiping, or guarding against laundry bandits.
3. Cook your own food
Have you ever lived off of fast food for so long that you almost forgot what a home-cooked meal tasted like? Eating out is usually a nice splurge or an act of necessity, but most of us eventually reach a point where we’re tired of it. Even those who don’t usually cook begin to crave a meal from their own kitchen.
The beauty of a fully furnished apartment is that you can easily make the food you’re craving. Whether it’s a steak, a salad, or soup out of a can, a fully furnished kitchen has all of the pots, pans, utensils, appliances, and dining ware to prepare and enjoy it.
4. Keep leftovers
Have you ever been on a trip where you’ve eaten a delicious meal and then been forced to throw away the leftovers because your hotel room didn’t have a refrigerator? We’ve all been there—all of us except for, perhaps, the person with a fully furnished apartment.
Fully furnished apartments include full-size refrigerators where you can keep your leftovers and also store food that you’re planning to cook later. There’s also a microwave, so in case cold pizza isn’t your thing, you’ll always have the option to enjoy your leftovers at the proper temperature.
5. Entertain guests
Hotel rooms are not a great place to host guests for a variety of reasons. A furnished apartment, however, feels like inviting someone into your home. It’s spacious, the furniture is nice, and the kitchen has everything you need for entertaining, including a wine opener and wine glasses.
6. Take your dog to the dog park
While some hotels may be pet friendly, few of them offer amenities like walking trails and dog parks. Dog parks are one of the many perks of living in an apartment community. Our most loyal companions deserve a place where they can burn energy and make friends. Most apartment communities offer just that.
7. Get to know your neighbors
While both housing situations are temporary, staying in a hotel isn’t like living in a short-term apartment. After all, when was the last time you considered introducing yourself to your next door “neighbor” in a hotel? Probably never.
Whether you’re staying in a furnished apartment for one month or one year, you’ll have neighbors who are likely staying for much longer. This gives you the opportunity to build a neighborly community in the midst of your relocation. Who knows, one of your neighbors might even make you cookies!
