Best long-stay hotel brands (according to Stephen) (2023)

Which extended stay hotel brand is the best?

This is a tough question to answer as each brand has its own quirks, features, benefits, services, prices and more. Depending on which you prefer, the best brand for you might be different than mine.

This post was prompted by an email we recently received from a reader (thanks Joanne!) asking the following question:

My husband and I are snowbirds. We usually travel abroad in winter. Due to the current travel situation, we are planning to spend this winter in the country. As Stephen has traveled extensively across the US over the last few years, we would appreciate it if you would write an article (or two) on key insights from him. For example…

1. Which brands generally offer the best rates for longer stays?
2. Will one brand outperform another in the long run?
3. Which specific hotels were your favorites for longer stays and why?
4. Do you prefer one loyalty program over another for long-term stays?
5. Since you mainly travel domestically, do you find it easier to use one brand's points program than another program?

There's a lot to unpack here, so I thought it best to look into all the factors that might be influencing your booking decisions.

One important thing to note is that all of these reviews are based on my own experience and we don't stick with every extended stay brand out there. For example, we have never stayed at a Homewood Suites, which is a Hilton brand. That's because we've never found any of their properties that were cheap enough when paying cash or good enough when using points to be worth booking. There was always a cheaper option elsewhere.

Here's a list of all the long-standing brands we've maintained, so the comparisons in this post are based on that list:

• Candlewood-Suiten (IHG)
• Staybridge Suites (IHG)
• Residence Inn (Marriott)
• TownePlace Suite (Marriott)
• Elemento (Marriott)
• Home2 Suites (Hilton)
• Casa Hyatt (Hyatt)

Lowest fare paid

Ganador: Suite Candlewood (IHG)

The price of a room at extended stay hotel brands varies depending on where you choose to stay, but in my experience, IHG's Candlewood Suites brand is generally the most affordable option.

This comes with concessions, as Candlewood Suites properties don't offer the same amenities as other extended stay brands, but if budget is the driving force behind your lodging choice, a stay at Candlewood Suites will be hard to beat.

Keep in mind that the cheapest room at Candlewood Suites is, in the vast majority of cases, a studio queen suite. If you want a king bed or a 1 bedroom suite for more space, you may have to pay more as other hotel brands (e.g. Residence Inn) may be cheaper for other room types.

When it comes to budget, most extended stay brands often offer better rates if you book a week's stay or a month's stay. If you're planning a 6-night getaway, you can save money by booking a 7-night stay because of the discounts that come with it.

If you want to stay somewhere for 30 days or more,You may not have to pay hotel taxeswhich can save you hundreds of dollars. Please note that some hotel chains do not award points for stays longer than 28 nights. So make sure this is the case if earning points is important to you.

Cheapest premium rates

Ganador: Candlewood Suites (IHG) (conjunto de TownePlace Suites (Marriott), Residence Inn (Marriott) e Hyatt House (Hyatt))

If you prefer to book a stay with points, Candlewood Suites is also often the cheapest option. Many of their properties cost as little as 10,000 to 15,000 IHG ​​Rewards Club Points per night, which in and of itself is good value.

If you have an IHG Premier or IHG Traveler credit card, get all 4 nights free on award stays. Please note that this is the caseall4th night, not just the 4th night. This means that if you stay 28 nights, 7 of those nights are free.

If you have an IHG Select credit card, you will also receive a 10% points discount for your stay. If you have the Select card and the Premier or Traveler card, you get all 4 nights free plus a 10% bonus.

To get an idea of ​​how good it is, let's say you book an 8-night stay at a Candlewood Suites hotel that costs 10,000 points per night. The normal cost would be 80,000 points, but every 4 free nights for Premier or Traveler cardholders is reduced to 60,000 points. For those who also have a Select card, you'll receive 6,000 points back within weeks of your stay.

That makes your net cost 54,000 points, or just 6,750 points per night. As you can often buy IHG points for 0.5 CPP, purchasing points for that 8-night stay will only cost you $270, which is just $33.75 per night. Such value is hard to beat.

However, I mentioned above that Candlewood Suites only beat Residence Inn and TownePlace Suites properties. That's because both brands can also offer excellent value for award stays, as many of their properties are in categories 1-3 of the Marriott Bonvoy program. Marriott is offering all members 5 free nights, regardless of status or credit card, to help reduce the cost of redeeming award stays.

Another feature I love about award stays at Residence Inn and TownePlace Suites is that many of their properties let you book a one-bedroom suite directly with points instead of a studio suite. That's a rare opportunity at Candlewood Suites locations, although we've managed to do it once or twice.

That extra space makes a big difference for my wife and I, as I usually work until 3am. at 4am and 4am while Shae usually gets up before me to teach online. This separate bedroom means we don't wake up while the other is sleeping. For those traveling with a baby, this means you can let your baby sleep in the bedroom and then relax in the living room without worrying about being woken up by the TV on or talking.

It's also nice to have extra space to spread out, even if you're not worried about waking anyone else up.

Hyatt House is mentioned because many of these properties are available in lower categories, making it a great value stay. For example, at the time of writing, there are 19 Category 1 and 30 Category 2 Hyatt Houses in the US, meaning they cost just 5,000 and 8,000 points per night, respectively.

Best for large families traveling together

Ganador: TownePlace Suites (Marriott) e Staybridge Suites (IHG)

Speaking of traveling with kids, some brands are better than others when you're traveling with a large group, whether that's with lots of kids or with friends or family.

Most rooms in extended-stay hotels can fit four people (somewhat) comfortably, as most suites have sofa beds.

However, let's assume there are more than four of you. For six people, look for different brands, as some may offer two queen beds in a suite along with a sofa bed.

For eight people, the TownePlace Suites or Staybridge Suites are probably your best options. Many of their accommodations offer two-bedroom, two-bathroom suites; While these room types are more expensive, it can still be cheaper than booking two separate rooms.

We stayed at the TownePlace Suites Chicago Naperville a few years ago when my wife's parents and one of our friends stayed with us for Shae's birthday. We booked a 2 bedroom suite with a king bed in one bedroom and two queen beds in the other, plus a sofa bed. While I imagine it would be a little tight if there were eight of us, it's still a good option for large groups looking to cut the cost of a stay.

the best equipment

Ganador: Residence Inn (Marriott)

For the sheer number of amenities (especially if you have active kids), the Residence Inn is generally the best, though Staybridge Suites properties often offer similar amenities.

Here's what you can expect at almost every Residence Inn:

• Multi-sports court (always has a basketball net and sometimes is big enough to double as a tennis court)
• Pool
• laundry
• outdoor seating area
• Fireplace
• the grill
• Pantry where you can buy food/drinks
• business center
• academia
• free breakfast
• Social Evening Monday through Wednesday

Favorite suite designs

Winner: Tie between Residence Inn (Marriott), TownePlace Suites (Marriott), Element (Marriott) and Home2 Suites (Hilton). Honorable Mention for some Candlewood Suites (IHG).

It was very difficult to choose a winner in this category, so the list above is more of a participation trophy.It's my party and I'm goingchorebe wrong if I want

Each of these brands has something about their suites that I like, which is why I couldn't pick any one as a standout winner. For some intangible reason, the Residence Inn is my favorite, perhaps because we stayed in so many of them on our trip and the suites were consistently of a good quality and felt spacious. Some of the suites we stayed in had fireplaces which was a nice touch.

I like the TownePlace Suites for all of their smart storage options. Their desks have a large cupboard above them and there are usually two desks. One is built-in as part of the furniture, along with a second table on casters that you can move to another part of the room if you wish. TownePlace Suites also appears to have partnered with The Container Store to provide additional closet storage capabilities.

For the overall design and style of their suites, I prefer the Marriott's Element brand. It's true that we only stayed in an Element once for one night, but I loved the room, and after seeing photos of other Element properties, it looks like most of their suites are similar.

Home 2 Suites is mentioned because my wife particularly liked the styles we stayed in in Green Bay, WI and Chantilly, VA.

Candlewood Suites gets an honorable mention because it looks like their one-bedroom suites have a pantry in the kitchen. Since we live in hotels and Airbnbs, it's strangely satisfying to have enough space to store groceries in a cupboard instead of leaving them in our grocery checkout. Many extended stay brands don't offer much kitchen cupboard space beyond what is needed for plates, plates, cookware, etc.

the best kitchens

Winner: Residence Inn (Marriott), but Candlewood Suites (IHG) comes in second sometimes

When booking a stay with most of these extended stay brands, you can expect to find a fully equipped kitchen. That means you get a full-size freezer, microwave, dishwasher and stove.

This stove is usually a double burner, but some Residence Inn properties include a stove complete with a four-burner oven. Unless we stay in Airbnbs, we generally don't have access to an oven, so it's nice to be able to roast things like veggies.

I've found that Residence Inn kitchens tend to be a little more spacious than other hotel brands, although the pantry in some Candlewood Suites kitchens means they're mentioned in that category.

One thing I don't like about most Candlewood Suites kitchens is that they typically only have two place settings, whereas other brands like Residence Inn and TownePlace Suites have place settings for four. If you have more cutlery, you will have to wash less dishes each time.

However, be sure to check the website photos of the kitchens of the hotels you plan to stay at as they are not the same. For example, I don't think the kitchen at Home2 Suites has a stove. You can borrow a stove and cooking utensils from reception, but that's a bit of a hassle unless you're just eating microwaved dishes.

Please note that not all Hyatt House rooms have a kitchen. When you book with points, some standard Hyatt House rooms don't include a kitchen, although some hotels (like the Hyatt House Charlotte Airport in North Carolina) will actually let you book their 1-bedroom suite with kitchen with points.

best breakfast

Winner: Residence Inn (Marriott), with Hyatt House (Hyatt) and Element (Marriott) in second place.

This award is based on breakfast served during normal business hours, as most hotels do not have a buffet breakfast available at this time.

Residence Inns typically offer a good selection of breakfast buffets, featuring eggs and several other hot options, cereal, yogurt, fresh fruit, hard-boiled eggs, omelets, salsa, breads and bagels, cheese, condiments, and canned goods (including Nutella). . ), hot oatmeal, waffle makers and more.

The Hyatt House is mentioned because it usually has an omelette station.

Element is mentioned because the one time we stayed at one of their hotels it looked like their breakfast offering was one of a kind. Although they didn't have hot dishes prepared, the morning we had breakfast there, they offered freshly made smoked chicken sausage and sweet potato hash with collard greens and a fried egg. They also had other options like raspberry tarts, a homemade parfait bar, homemade blueberry muffins, and more.

Breakfast at the TownePlace Suites is pretty good if you're only staying a night or two. They never seem to rotate hot options so it gets really annoying if you stay too long.

best social night

Winner: Residence Inn (Marriott), closely followed by Staybridge Suites (IHG)

Some extended stay brands offer nightly events on certain days of the week. This usually includes complimentary soft drinks, beer, wine and hors d'oeuvres, which are sometimes enough to make a dinner.

The only brands I know of that offer this are Residence Inn (Marriott), Staybridge Suites (IHG), and Homewood Suites (Hilton). As mentioned above, we've never stayed at a Homewood Suites, so I can't comment on how good their nightly social activities are.

Of the remaining two options, I picked the Residence Inn as the winner, though that depends more on whether we've experienced more of their nightly socials, as we stay at that brand more often than at Staybridge Suites hotels. One of the few times we've stayed at a Staybridge Suites, dinner was quite disappointing, which doesn't improve my impression.

That said, we've also had mixed experiences with the nightly socials at the Residence Inn, so it's somewhat fitting that their social event is called "The Mix". Some hotels offer tasty, hearty meals along with free beer and wine, while others offer limited snacks and charge a few dollars if you want an adult beverage.

Needless to say, these late night social networks are on the back burner for now due to COVID-19.

Best Hotel Bonus Points Promotions

Winner: Tie between Hyatt, IHG and Hilton

As much as I love staying at Residence Inns, Marriott's offerings are incredibly poor, making them nowhere near a winner in this category.

The winner in this category is a tie between Hyatt, IHG, and Hilton, as they all offer good bonus point promotions, although some are better for paid stays and others for reward stays.

For paid stays, IHG and Hilton often offer the best value. IHG recently launched promotions offering up to 4x bonus points, which in combination with 10x points when paying for your stay with an IHG Premier Card and 50% and 100% bonus points with Platinum and No. of points, respectively

Hilton also sometimes offers great deals where you can earn up to 54 points per dollar on paid stays when you pay with a Hilton Aspire credit card.

However, if you book award stays instead of paid stays, the Hyatt tends to win. That's because their promotions often work with award stays. For example, as of this writing, they are offering 15% off points for non-cardholders and 25% cashback on points for cardholders.when redeeming points. Previous promotions that offered x bonus points per night or stay applied to paid and award stays.

Hilton promotions sometimes work this way, so I couldn't pick a single winner in this category.

When calculating your expected bonus points, keep in mind that most hotel chains will halve the number of points you earn for their extended stay brands. For example, IHG, Marriott, and Hilton offer 10 points to the dollar across all of their brands, except for long stays. Instead, you earn just 5 points per dollar on most extended stay hotel brands mentioned in this post. This affects bonus points earned through promotions, status, etc.

The best prices on the shopping portal

Winners: IHG and Marriott

Hyatt is out of competition in this category as they are not available on any shopping portal. Hilton is excluded as most shopping portals limit you to 1% cashback if you have status with them.

That leaves IHG and Marriott. On a day-to-day basis, shopping portals seem to offer better refund rates when booking paid stays with IHG brands than Marriott. However, we have sometimes seen great rates for Marriott on some shopping portals if you can book within the 1-2 day window when these higher rates are available.

As always, you should compare rates.refund monitor. Be sure to note all different permutations of the parent company name (e.g. IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), IHG Hotels and IHG Hotels & Resorts) as well as the individual brands (e.g. Candlewood Suites and Candlewood Suites by IHG ). . .

The best laundry option

Ganadores: Candlewood Suites (IHG) e Staybridge Suites (IHG)

Both of IHG's extended stay brands win this category because they offer free guest laundry facilities at all of their properties.

All other extended stay brands with other chains also offer guest laundry, but these are typically $0.75-$1.50 per load. It's still reasonably priced compared to a laundromat (and more convenient than having to leave the hotel to do laundry), but it doesn't get any better with IHG.

The best gym rooms

Winner: Most Networks
Perdedor – Candlewood-Suiten

I didn't notice much difference in the gyms at the extended stay hotels we stayed at. Most have a few treadmills, an elliptical, free weights, and maybe one or two other pieces of equipment, so there's no clear winner that I've noticed.

However, Candlewood Suites falls into this category because many of its fitness rooms are in the same area as the laundry room. I think it should come in handy so you can easily wash your clothes while working out, but the heat from the dryers tends to make the workout room unseasonably hot, making workouts uncomfortable.

the best pools

Ganadores: Residence Inn (Marriott) e Home2 Suites (Hilton)

As far as I can remember, every Residence Inn we've stayed at has had a pool. I don't think this is necessarily the case with any brand other than Home2 Suites.

One of Home2 Suites' unique selling points is that all of their properties have a saltwater pool, meaning they use minerals instead of chemicals in their pools. It doesn't make a difference to me either way, but I'm sure it could be a big factor in choosing someone who likes to swim but is allergic to the chemicals used in pools.

Keep in mind that some brands, like Candlewood Suites, don't seem to have pools in any (or perhaps almost none) of their hotels; is interested in swimming. The pool is a must for your stay.

Best common areas

Ganador: Residence Inn (Marriott) e Staybridge Suites (IHG)

If you're staying in a studio suite, you might prefer a little more workspace.

While working in a public area of ​​a hotel isn't ideal right now due to COVID-19, I've found that Residence Inn and Staybridge Suites hotels tend to have the best areas to work.

Both brands typically have large lobby areas that double as breakfast seating and late-night social hangouts. They are empty during the day, so it might be a good spot if you want to work somewhere other than your hotel room.

Most properties of these two brands also have a fireplace, which can make it nice and cozy if you stay in one of these hotels during the winter.

Note that Candlewood Suites properties don't have a lobby area to work in (aside from a small business center), and TownePlace Suites properties don't have much workspace in common areas either.

Best for room upgrades

Vencedor: Residence Inn e TownePlace Suites (ambos Marriotts)

As much (legitimate) as we all give Marriott, one thing they do well is provide room upgrades for those with Platinum and Titanium Elite status.

Almost every time we've stayed at a Residence Inn or TownePlace Suites over the past few years, we've ended up in a one-bedroom suite. As mentioned above, sometimes we were able to book this room type directly as a standard award, while sometimes their 1 bedroom suites were the cheapest rate or available for just a few dollars more per night.

On several occasions, despite booking a studio suite with points, we used it a day or two before our staythe chat function in the marriott appto request an upgrade to a one-bedroom suite. It was either given to us prior to our arrival or provided upon check-in. I think we only had to stay in a studio suite once or twice and there just wasn't a larger room available. Even so, they once "upgraded" us to an affordable room type because it was more spacious than their standard studio suites.

Best for borrowed things

Ganador: Candlewood-Suiten

One of the unique selling points of Candlewood Suites Hotels is that each accommodation has a loaner locker. This contains all sorts of things you can borrow during your stay, such as crockpots, blenders, board games, etc. All you have to do is ask for an item at the front desk.

All suites at the Candlewood Suites have a DVD player and most hotels have a full library of DVDs available to borrow from reception. The DVD selection will likely vary by property, but most have over 100 titles to choose from.

Specific hotels preferred for long-term stays

One of the questions Joanne asked was:

Which specific hotels were your favorites for longer stays and why?

We've probably stayed at over 25 extended stay hotels on our trip so far, and some are much better than others. There aren't any that I would suggest you plan a specific trip for, but these are some of my favorites for a variety of reasons.

Residence Inn Jackson Ridgeland, Misisipi

We were able to book a 1 bedroom suite right away and were upgraded to a 1 bedroom suite with a fireplace. While a fireplace isn't necessary in Mississippi if you're staying there in the summer, we visited in January when it was cooler and drier outside.

It was also a great value using points. At the time of our stay it was a category 1 hotel and half of our nights were charged at the off season rate. For every 5 free nights, our net cost was just 4,750 Marriott Bonvoy points per night. You can read my full reviewon here.

Residence Inn Hartford Windsor, Connecticut

Shae and I found our three weeks in Connecticut pretty boring, although the hotels we stayed in were a plus point. My favorite was the Residence Inn Hartford Windsor because of the suite we ended up getting.

They booked us a studio suite and upgraded us to a two-story loft. This one had a decent kitchen with a full cooker instead of just a double, with a larger living room, dining room, pull-out bed downstairs and a second bathroom. So I had a mezzanine style room upstairs. You can read my full reviewon here.

TownePlace Suites Chicago Naperville, Illinois

This was the two-bedroom, two-bathroom hotel we were staying at when Shae's parents and our boyfriend came to stay with us for a few days. At $166.14 per night including tax, it was a reasonable price considering the size of the suite.

The hotel had a lake behind it which was great for truffle walks and nearby was the Morton Arboretum which we discovered for the first timeThomas Dambo's Trolls. You can read my full reviewon here.

Candlewood Suites Albuquerque, Novo México

We stayed at this hotel in mid-March when everything was closed due to COVID-19. We were looking to stay locally for several weeks and had to book this at the (quite) last minute after my parents had to cancel their visit from the UK.

Knowing we were going to be staying somewhere for several weeks, we wanted to make sure we got a 1 bedroom suite instead of just hoping to get an upgrade somewhere. At the time, IHG was running a promotion at some of its hotels where every third night was free on paid stays. So we only had to pay $63.77 a night for a one-bedroom suite at the Candlewood Suites Albuquerque, which was an excellent value. This coincided with an opportunity to get an 8% discount through a shopping portal that reduced our net cost to less than $60 per night and an IHG promotion that offered up to 4 points, due to the length of stay limit which came towards the end of our stay.

Albuquerque had several great dog parks that helped our pup get exercise and allowed us to physically distance ourselves from other dog owners. You can read my full reviewon here.

Candlestick Suites Springfield, Illinois

There are a few reasons why I enjoyed our stay at this hotel. It was only 10,000 points per night, which in itself was a great value. We booked a "standard room" which I assumed was a studio suite. I was pleasantly surprised when I walked into our room to find it was a one bedroom suite. IHG was terrible at offering room upgrades, even when I had Spire Elite status, so the fact that this hotel upgraded without me asking was remarkable.

I also really liked Springfield. There are all kinds of free things to do there, and it is perhaps best known for being the home of Abraham Lincoln. The city is home to the Lincoln Home National Historic Site and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. I recommend visiting both, especially the museum, it was one of the best and most interesting museums I've ever been to. You can read my full review of the hotel.on here.

Hyatt House Virginia Beach Oceanfront, Virginia

This hotel is quite new, opened in April 2017. We were there in June 2017, 2 months after opening and 7 months before our trip.

It was a category 4 hotel at the time, which meant we could use our anniversary night certificates from our Hyatt credit cards to pay for our stay. Although we only had Discoverist status at the time, the phone agent who booked our stay gave us a one-bedroom suite, which was an excellent room upgrade over the standard awards at this hotel. The suite was nearly 8,000 square feet, bigger than the apartment we lived in at the time!

Please note that this hotel has been upgraded to category 5, therefore category 1-4 certificates can no longer be used at this hotel.

One of the best features of the Hyatt House Virginia Beach Oceanfront is what the name suggests: it's on the oceanfront in Virginia Beach. It is centrally located on the beach between 27th and 28th streets, so most activities are within walking distance. You can read my full reviewon here.

The best for pets

Ganador: Suite Candlewood (IHG)

All extended stay brands are pet friendly as many guests use this as a stopgap measure when moving to a new area and looking for properties and want their pets to stay with them.

So there is no difference between the different brands when it comes to accepting pets. So the main difference is the pet rate you can expect.

Residence Inn and TownePlace Suites hotels typically charge $100 or $150 per stay. That's not bad if you're staying 10 nights, for example, as it costs $10-$15 a night. However, it is ridiculously high if you only want to book a one night stay.

Because of this, Candlewood Suites hotels tend to be the best. Most put a $150 cap on the pet fee they charge you regardless of the length of your stay, so it will rarely be more expensive than Marriott's brands.

Most of their properties charge less for shorter stays, though details vary by property. Some charge $15 for the first night and then $10 per night up to a total of $150, others charge $75 for 1-6 nights and $150 for more than 7 nights, etc.

If we're staying somewhere for a week or longer, it doesn't matter which brand we stick with when it comes to the pet fee. However, if we're looking for a place to stay somewhere on the way to another destination, the Candlewood Suites could be a good overnight option for premium stays due to the cheap pet fee and the fact that many of their properties often they only charge 10,000-15,000 points per person.

Best overall hotel brand for extended stay

Residence Inn (Marriott)

By tracking the winners in each category, you'll see Residence Inn pop up more often. Overall, even if I had completely ignored all their multi-category wins, I would have picked this as my first choice for longer stays, as they tend to get everything right.

Of all extended stay hotel brands, Residence Inn properties typically have the most extensive amenities. Their suites have always been in good condition (except the one in Oklahoma City South, where the bed was awful and the room dated), they have a good breakfast buffet, and they have a social night Monday through Wednesday.

One of my favorite features is the fact that many of their properties allow you to book a 1 bedroom suite for the standard number of points. Many of their properties are in the 1-3 category, meaning you don't have to redeem as many points, and paid stays are often cheap too.

Service in their homes is usually good, some kitchens have full ovens, some suites have fireplaces, and their suites are well furnished and comfortable.

That said, we also had good experiences at Candlewood Suites, Staybridge Suites, Hyatt House, TownePlace Suites, Element and Home2 Suites hotels. long-term stay.

questions

Those are my picks for the best extended-stay hotel brands, but what about you? Are there any other categories you would like a rating for? If you've been with these long-stay brands before, do you have a favorite? Let us know in the comments below.