Living in Hotels. Why We Choose to Be Different.
Most people travel full-time in a RV or travel van. We decided to do something unconventional and different.
It's funny the looks we get when we tell people we're living in hotels.
I guess the "normal" way to travel after selling your home and possessions is to buy an RV and hit the open road. It totally makes sense, but as I've said before, Donetta and I aren't normal people. LOL!
Seeing that we have a LOT of interest about hotel living compared to RV living, I thought why not revisit this topic to help others understand why we prefer dropping our bags over dumping our dookie ... which is a good reason to choose hotels by the way.
Reasons We Don't Own an RV
The biggest reason we don't own an RV or drive a fifth wheel is because I lack the intestinal fortitude to drive or haul anything larger than a pickup truck. In this post I talk about my experience of driving a trailer for the first time and the PTSD I still suffer from that incident.
As we've driven through the windy madness of the Badlands to the hair raising mountain passes in Glacier National Park, it's a confirmation that this guy should not purchase an RV or trailer. Driving in the busy cities to mountainous highways in the Chevy Silverado has been stressful enough, and I've almost cried a few times or crapped my pants. Despite watching women who appear to be 85 years old cruising through these death defying circumstances with a freakish smile on their face, this type of traveling lifestyle is NOT for us. At least in this lifetime.
Besides these many white knuckle experiences, we don't want to worry about maintenance issues, dropping loads of poop to lighten our vehicle, or pulling our hair out trying to find places to park. No doubt there are plenty of benefits of owning an RV and it could be a little cheaper, but to us it's not worth the savings.
Why Living in Hotels Full Time is Better for Us
We love hotel living even though there are some down sides to it as well. Who truly appreciates a herd of elephants stomping above them at night or a brood of unruly children next door acting like jackals from hell? These are the moments it sucks but thankfully they've been rare occasions.
When we travel, we like to keep it simple. Drop our bags, kick off our shoes, and chill for the stay.
Living in hotels full time means we don't have to do any maintenance or upkeep. If something breaks, we call the front desk. We don't have to pay for internet, cable, electricity, garbage or other expenses. Plus we get to meet some cool people and work in a spacious environment. Sometimes we even get a million dollar view for a hell of a lot less. It's not a bad way of life at all!
Additionally since we enjoy the keto lifestyle, we often get hotels that have kitchens. We cook our own food to stay healthier while keeping food expenses down.
What about the cost of hotels and how does it compare to an RV?
Our budget is $75 or less per night, but some locations like Glacier National Park or Yellowstone National Park are easily double that rate. Thankfully we've built a great relationship with My Place Hotels to get discounted rates and we have awesome friends who let us stay at their house. This really helps balance it out when the hotel budget gets blown.
Comparison wise I don't have definitive data between hotel living and RV living, but based on my research, it can be close when you consider all the expenses or lack of for each. Of course this depends on many variables.
Overall we enjoy hotel living.
It's certainly not the lifestyle for everyone but it's been great for us -- even during a Covid 19 pandemic. Some things have changed due to health concerns but it's not a big deal. The tradeoff is I'm looking out at the Las Vegas strip in the distance and enjoying the incredible mountain views. How cool is that?
Donetta and I are having the time of our lives by living in hotels full time. It's not perfect but then nothing ever is. For now we will continue to ride into the sunset and order room service in the morning.
