As my three kids get older, it is increasingly more expensive to travel. It’s not just because they want to do more exciting things, which of course they do. It is not just because they eat more as they get older, and they do. No, my issue stems from the fact that most places we want to stay limit you to the traditional nuclear family model. Recently, when trying to setup a quick last minute place to stay in Bend, OR for my family due to a swim meet for one of my daughters, I found it quite difficult to find anywhere that would let us stay in a single room. Most hotel/motel businesses will limit you to four people in a room. With my family of five, this becomes quite costly, as the only real option would be to get two adjoining rooms.
Enter the saving grace of a suite room (or sweet room if you must). At last I was able to find a suite that I could actually afford and was far cheaper than getting two rooms. It ended up being at an Econo Lodge, which isn’t ideal, but there were no other options in the Bend area that met our needs.
No, the suite didn’t look at all like this, even though this is the picture on their website. I’m not sure how many decades old this picture is…but it’s not even the same furniture.
The big question, that I lay out to the internets at large is: Why can’t more conglomerate hospitality companies provide just a couple suites in every location? I am sure that larger families would more than appreciate the convenience and cost savings of such an option. Better yet, offer a small kitchenette so penny pinching families like my own can even manage to travel at all, by saving money in the food department. In these times of economic downturn (*drink*), there needs to be greater incentive to get families out and stimulate the economy with travel! A great way to do this is make lodging more appealing to those whom don’t fit in the two parents and two kids mold. So what say you hospitality America, can we make this happen?
–ben