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We’re living in a hotel for the next month while our new house is being built, and here’s what we packed and how we’re surviving this extended hotel stay.

A little bit about our month long hotel stay

If you’ve been following along on my instagram, you may have heard that we’re living in a hotel this month.

Long story short, our new home that we’re building was scheduled to be done in June. When it was delayed a month, we asked our landlord on our rental home if we could stay for one more month. He said no, so we moved everything into a pod, packed up enough things for one month in an extended stay hotel, and now here we are.

I asked over on instagram for some recommendations of what to pack for one month, and you guys had some incredibly helpful suggestions.

So many of you have done extended hotel stays before, or have an upcoming extended hotel stay, so I’m sharing your suggestions and what we ended up bringing.

This is the setup of our room for our hotel stay

We are staying in a Homewood Suites, so it has two bedrooms — one room has a king bed, a desk, a dresser, and the bathroom, and the other room has a pull out couch, another dresser, and the kitchen with a tiny table.

The older boys are sharing the pull out couch and Sanny is in a pack and play crib. Yes, he’s 3 1/2 and about the size of a 4 1/2 year old, and yes, he complains about it every night when it’s time for bed. But it works.

Here’s what we packed for a month in our hotel

CLOTHING ITEMS

  • 10 days of clothing for each person (including socks and underwear)
  • 3 pairs of shoes for each kid
    • sneakers
    • sandals
    • church shoes
  • 9 pairs of shoes for me
    • 3 heels (nude stilettos, wedge sandals, leopard heeled sandals)
    • 1 pair of running shoes
    • 2 pairs of flat sandals
    • 1 pair of rubber flip flops for the pool
    • 2 pairs of summer sneakers (blush pink, white converse)
  • 5 full exercise outfits (sports bras, underwear, bottoms, tanks)
  • 4 swimming suits (this may have been excessive)

TOILETRIES ITEMS

  • Toothbrushes/floss/mouthwash for the kids
  • Hair gel for the kids
  • Makeup and makeup brushes (you can see all the products I use HERE)
  • Simplified face washing routine for me (makeup remover, face cleanser, retinol, acne cream)
  • Simplified hair products (dry shampoo, heat protectant mousse, One Step Hair Dryer [read my review of this tool HERE], curling iron, hair ties)
  • Storage bin for toiletries (I brought a few foldable storage bins, and used one of them for all my hair and makeup products. There is only 1 drawer in the bathroom, so this helps keep everything else off the counter)

I didn’t bring shampoo and conditioner or body wash for anyone since the hotel provides that

HOME ITEMS

I knew that I would go crazy without some organization in the hotel room, so I tried to bring a few extra things that would help keep our room organized.

  • Drawer organizers (I use THESE ONES from IKEA that we already had – they fold up flat so they’re easy to transport)
  • Shoe basket (this keeps all of the boy shoes in one place)
  • 1 laundry basket (and a few cloth laundry bags to sort and take down to the laundry room)
  • Box of laundry detergent
  • Pool bag (we keep the boys goggles, pool towels, and sunscreen in here)
  • 1 backpack for each of the boys (they brought coloring supplies, 2 library books each, and a few audiobooks)
  • CD player for the boys to listen to audiobooks
  • 1 stuffed animal for each of the boys, plus their special blankets
  • 1 large Tupperware bin for the boys toys and games (they brought 3 board games, 1 bin of legos, some toy figurines, and some card games)
  • Sound machine
  • Night light (there are blackout shades in the room that we definitely use, so they like having a night light)
  • Piano keyboard (yes, we had to bring this, cause B has to practice this month! We put it on our desk in the bedroom portion of our suite so it hasn’t been a big deal).
  • Steamer (I don’t go anywhere without my steamer)
  • Laptop computer
  • charging cables
  • iPad for the kids

KITCHEN ITEMS

  • Cutting board
  • 2 good knives (I brought 1 big and 1 small)
  • potato peeler
  • A few spices (salt and pepper, garlic salt, Everything but the Bagel, etc)
  • Small containers of baking essentials (flour, sugar, salt, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla, etc)
  • cheese grater
  • A rubber spatula
  • KitchenAid (I use mine all the time for baking, but it turns out we don’t have an oven in our tiny kitchen, so I haven’t even used it)
  • Crock pot (you could also bring your Instant Pot if you have one)
  • A nice cooking pan (they provide some, but I love my nice stainless steel ones so I brought my favorite one)
  • Pasta strainer
  • Wire shelving unit (we use this for our pantry and it’s been incredible helpful because food storage in the kitchen is almost nonexistent)

Some people recommended bringing extra dishes, because these small kitchens usually only have 4 of everything, but we borrowed some from the free breakfast station the first day so we have enough.

We also have some stuff stored in our cars, like the boys bikes, a few folding chairs, the stroller, etc.

Here’s the most important thing to bring with you during your extended hotel stay.

I think out of all the things we brought, the most important thing is to be positive.

The boys have really picked up on our attitudes about this, and we’re all trying to see it as an adventure.

Another thing that has helped? We try to stay in our routine as much as we can. I go to the gym every morning, the boys still unload the dishwasher everyday before dinner, B practices piano, the boys still only get TV or computer time twice a week (I wrote about that here) we go to swim team one or two times a day, we read scriptures and our chapter book before bed, etc.

But we also try to be flexible, because we know this is just a weird and sometimes difficult situation.

I’ve loved hearing your stories about your hotel stays, and how they were some of your fondest memories as a kid. Or they were super hard times in your life but you and your family grew closer than ever, or you can look back now and laugh at the really tough situation.

I’m feeling that with my family, and we’re just making the best of a somewhat tricky and hard situation.

Leave a comment if you have any other questions, and hop over to my Instagram and follow along because I’ll be giving you a tour of our hotel room later today on my Instagram stories!

What We Packed for Our Month-Long Hotel Stay

merrick white anywhere henley dress heather gray travel style

We’re living in a hotel for the next month while our new house is being built, and here’s what we packed and how we’re surviving this extended hotel stay.

A little bit about our month long hotel stay

If you’ve been following along on my instagram, you may have heard that we’re living in a hotel this month.

Long story short, our new home that we’re building was scheduled to be done in June. When it was delayed a month, we asked our landlord on our rental home if we could stay for one more month. He said no, so we moved everything into a pod, packed up enough things for one month in an extended stay hotel, and now here we are.

I asked over on instagram for some recommendations of what to pack for one month, and you guys had some incredibly helpful suggestions.

So many of you have done extended hotel stays before, or have an upcoming extended hotel stay, so I’m sharing your suggestions and what we ended up bringing.

 

This is the setup of our room for our hotel stay

We are staying in a Homewood Suites, so it has two bedrooms — one room has a king bed, a desk, a dresser, and the bathroom, and the other room has a pull out couch, another dresser, and the kitchen with a tiny table.

The older boys are sharing the pull out couch and Sanny is in a pack and play crib. Yes, he’s 3 1/2 and about the size of a 4 1/2 year old, and yes, he complains about it every night when it’s time for bed. But it works.

 

Here’s what we packed for a month in our hotel

CLOTHING ITEMS

  • 10 days of clothing for each person (including socks and underwear)
  • 3 pairs of shoes for each kid
    • sneakers
    • sandals
    • church shoes
  • 9 pairs of shoes for me
    • 3 heels (nude stilettos, wedge sandals, leopard heeled sandals)
    • 1 pair of running shoes
    • 2 pairs of flat sandals
    • 1 pair of rubber flip flops for the pool
    • 2 pairs of summer sneakers (blush pink, white converse)
  • 5 full exercise outfits (sports bras, underwear, bottoms, tanks)
  • 4 swimming suits (this may have been excessive)

 

TOILETRIES ITEMS

  • Toothbrushes/floss/mouthwash for the kids
  • Hair gel for the kids
  • Makeup and makeup brushes (you can see all the products I use HERE)
  • Simplified face washing routine for me (makeup remover, face cleanser, retinol, acne cream)
  • Simplified hair products (dry shampoo, heat protectant mousse, One Step Hair Dryer [read my review of this tool HERE], curling iron, hair ties)
  • Storage bin for toiletries (I brought a few foldable storage bins, and used one of them for all my hair and makeup products. There is only 1 drawer in the bathroom, so this helps keep everything else off the counter)

I didn’t bring shampoo and conditioner or body wash for anyone since the hotel provides that

 

HOME ITEMS

I knew that I would go crazy without some organization in the hotel room, so I tried to bring a few extra things that would help keep our room organized.

  • Drawer organizers (I use THESE ONES from IKEA that we already had – they fold up flat so they’re easy to transport)
  • Shoe basket (this keeps all of the boy shoes in one place)
  • 1 laundry basket (and a few cloth laundry bags to sort and take down to the laundry room)
  • Box of laundry detergent
  • Pool bag (we keep the boys goggles, pool towels, and sunscreen in here)
  • 1 backpack for each of the boys (they brought coloring supplies, 2 library books each, and a few audiobooks)
  • CD player for the boys to listen to audiobooks
  • 1 stuffed animal for each of the boys, plus their special blankets
  • 1 large Tupperware bin for the boys toys and games (they brought 3 board games, 1 bin of legos, some toy figurines, and some card games)
  • Sound machine
  • Night light (there are blackout shades in the room that we definitely use, so they like having a night light)
  • Piano keyboard (yes, we had to bring this, cause B has to practice this month! We put it on our desk in the bedroom portion of our suite so it hasn’t been a big deal).
  • Steamer (I don’t go anywhere without my steamer)
  • Laptop computer
  • charging cables
  • iPad for the kids

 

KITCHEN ITEMS

  • Cutting board
  • 2 good knives (I brought 1 big and 1 small)
  • Kitchen scissors
  • One pair of cooking tongs
  • potato peeler
  • A few spices (salt and pepper, garlic salt, Everything but the Bagel, etc)
  • Small containers of baking essentials (flour, sugar, salt, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla, etc)
  • cheese grater
  • A rubber spatula
  • KitchenAid (I use mine all the time for baking, but it turns out we don’t have an oven in our tiny kitchen, so I haven’t even used it)
  • Crock pot (you could also bring your Instant Pot if you have one)
  • Cooking apron
  • A nice cooking pan (they provide some, but I love my nice stainless steel ones so I brought my favorite one)
  • Pasta strainer
  • Wire shelving unit (we use this for our pantry and it’s been incredible helpful because food storage in the kitchen is almost nonexistent)

Some people recommended bringing extra dishes, because these small kitchens usually only have 4 of everything, but we borrowed some from the free breakfast station the first day so we have enough. 

 

We also have some stuff stored in our cars, like the boys’ bikes, a few folding chairs, the stroller, etc.

 

Here’s the most important thing to bring with you during your extended hotel stay.

I think out of all the things we brought, the most important thing was a positive attitude.

The boys have really picked up on our attitudes about this less than ideal situation, and we’re all trying to see it as an adventure.

Another thing that has helped? We’ve try to stay in our routine as much as we can. I go to the gym every morning, the boys still unload the dishwasher everyday before dinner, B practices piano, the boys still only get TV or computer time twice a week (I wrote about that here) we go to swim team one or two times a day, we read scriptures and our chapter book before bed, etc.

But we also try to be flexible, because we know this is weird situation that requires us to adjust and adapt as needed.

 

I’ve loved hearing your stories about your hotel stays, and how they were some of your fondest memories as a kid. Or they were super hard times in your life but you and your family grew closer than ever, or you can look back now and laugh at the really tough situation.

I’m feeling that with my family, and we’re just making the best of a somewhat tricky and hard situation.

 

Leave a comment if you have any other questions, and hop over to my Instagram and follow along because I’ll be giving you a tour of our hotel room later today on my Instagram stories!

 

13 Comments

  1. Jill Peterson says:

    Thank you for sharing this and I’m so impressed by your level of organization! Several years ago, we had a home built and it was delayed. We’d already sold our home and had to be be out so we moved in with my husband’s bachelor friend who also happened to live in the same neighborhood our house was being built in. WE WERE WITH HIM FOR ABOUT A MONTH AND IT ALL WORKED OUT BUT i definitely remember that feeling of being a bit displaced. lol. best of luck to you and your family! 🙂

  2. Patricia says:

    Decades ago when I was a teenager, our family was in the same situation. My dad designed and built our new home but it didn’t get done in time so we moved into a very tiny motel w/ kitchen. Parents slept in the bedroom, me on the couch and sis on a cot in the kitchenette. All our furniture got moved into our double garage. Sis and I were in summer school so gone for much of the day. I don’t remember how we handled meals; knowing mom, she had it all organized. But we certainly appreciated our new home and how huge it felt after that tiny motel.

  3. Kris Colucci says:

    Dave and i lived in a homewood suites for Nine months in between houses 10 years ago. We Had our 3 little Dogs with us too and while it WASN’T ideal we DEFINITELY did not suffer with the free meals, Heated pools, and nightly Happy hour. We actually were featured on an hgtv Show about our situation on a show called desperate to buy. Lol. Fond memories. Loved your tips!

    • Merrick says:

      oh my gosh NINE MONTHS, bless your souls. And with dogs! But I love that you took advantage of all the amenities!

  4. Joy Nicholas says:

    We are a Navy Family and have done a couple long hotel stays during moves, most recently in Busan, south korea. But our most memorable-for-misery was actually when we moved to hawaii. We were staying in a place similar to what you’ve described, except maybe smaller. 6 of Us, wIth one bathroom — and my kids came down with the stomach flu the day after we got there!! we were there a month. I still shudder thinking about it.

    • Merrick says:

      Oh my goodness, please bless none of us get the stomach flu for the next three weeks!! That sounds like a nightmare.

  5. Emory says:

    OUR little familh has been through a situation like this, except instead of a hotel we were living at my job. Fortunately, at the time we were childLess so it was just my husband and i, but less than ideal. We had to leave our rented home suddenly due to a gas leak and decided to find a new place to live. We spent one month living in an extra bedroom at my job (which at the time was a homeless shelter) and moved all of our things into stoRage. At the time we were frustrated with the circumstances, but it was such a blessing to have a place to stay until we could find a home of our own. It definitely brouGht my husband and i closer and we have never been able to complain about our living situation since.

  6. Ruth Newcomb says:

    There are many useful tips! Not such a problem with luggage as with a settlement. I have been looking for a suitable booking service like https://planetofhotels.com/en/ for a long time. And many problems as a traveller have been resolved.

  7. Henry says:

    here is very useful tips has been shared with us, we have to follow the way you wear and describe the different features of the clothing. Click https://edubirdie.org/what-is-edubirdie/ to get more info about essay writing. People must pay attention on you because you look gorgeous in them.

  8. That’s a good idea to make sure that you bring plenty of outfits for everyone. My family and I aren’t going to be in a hotel for a whole month, but that’s still good advice for a few weeks. I’ll make sure to pack plenty of clothes for my kids.

  9. Don Davies says:

    This is what i really needed to read about! Me and my wife are planning for our long stay hotels accommodation over at Savannah this weekend and https://www.visitsavannah.com/extended-stay and your blog have really been our go to for ideas on what to do there and which hotel to pick!

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