Hotel living

[speedplay]

Ok, some of you guys know that I have been working away from home for a while now.
The last job was in Redditch and I was commuting that daily on the sv.
That is part of the reason I fell out with my bike.
I was using it daily and it became less of a toy and more of a form of transport/tool.
After Redditch finished I started a job in Birmingham and decided that I wasnt going to commute daily.
I looked into fuel and running costs on the car (freelander) against staying in a hotel.
I never even considered using the daytona as a daily commuter as I like it too much to do that to it.
I've got a 3 star hotel 15 minutes from where I'm working and as I booked for 7 weeks, got a very good deal.

The ball ache is that I'm away from the lovely Mrs Speedplay (and the lovlier daytona ;) ) and I'm constantly living out of a suitcase BUT Im saving over £100 quid a week in fuel alone, my working day is 4 hours shorter and I get a full english breakfast everyday:D

Has anyone else had to do this as part of their working life and if so, what were the benefits/downsides for you?

[dizzyblonde]

Think Paul6th spends a lot of time in hotels etc. He lives oop norf but always seems to be daaan saaaff

[maviczap]

Yep, in my work I can spend up to 6 nights away from home, but I work week on/week off
Downside
1. Miss my kids
2. Hotel food, plus you can't just go to kitchen and open a cupboard to get what you want. Fed up with full English breakfasts.
3. Can't do hat I want to do like ride my bike other hobbies
4. Noisy hotels/neighbours:smt070

Upsides
1. Catch up on all the TV & Movies I don't have time to watch at home
2. Free food -company pays for mine

At least with working week on week off I get to see my kids more than I did on my previous contract, whichmeant I could spend up to 4 nights aay each week. And when I'm off the phone doesn't ringto call me into work like it used to:smt038

[Mr Speirs]

You'll be wanting to commute after the first week.

Ah I hate hotels. Mainly because on tour if the Tour Manager is a complete scrooge you get put in some right dives!!! But then sometimes you get put up in nice hotels but they are still rubbish rooms. Saying that I have stayed in some proper nice ones but a hotel room is a bed, shower and TV it just depends if the bed is comfy, the shower is clean and if the TV is a 13" CRT or 40" Plasma.

The best value hotel I stayed in was a chain called The Village hotels. They were £80 a night for 2 people, free internet, breakfast, evening meal up to the value of £18pp!!! and access to the gym and spa facilities.

[Mr Speirs]

Actually just a thought. What about buying a commuter bike instead of shelling out all that cash on hotels? That'll give you a daily hack, cheaper fuel bills, daytona won't get wrecked, you can stay at home with the Mrs.

Then when you go away next time you can do that again.

[speedplay]

Ive been on this one for the last 4 weeks already and the time is flying by.
I chose the hotel myself and its classed as a business expense so didnt mind paying a little extra as its "home" while I'm away.
I did think about getting a commuter but its the travel that was making me so tired last time.
The extra 4 hours to my day was a nightmare specially when I was finishing at 8 or 9pm

[timwilky]

Yes, lived in many a hotel and a few brothels whilst working. Worst was a brothel in Shajiao china whilst waiting for our accommodation to be built. I was working on this projec (http://www.power.alstom.com/_eLibrary/presentation/upload_130007.pdf)t. Only hot water at weekends, and phone calls every 10 minutes did I want a girl. and the factory start bell outside my bedroom window that went off at 4:30 every morning.

Best aspect of that hotel was the internal walls were built across the windows, with a 4" gap between the end of the wall and the window. so you could put you arm into next door, hear everything and the rats and roaches had a free run from one end of the building to the other through every room

Working in France for 2 days a week for 3 years meant the hotel I used got to know my little ways. Tea in the morning that tasted of tea and not gnat pee. But I do hate it when some hotels put you over their night club etc. you want me back, ensure I can get a good nights sleep

[Daimo]

I'd like to do it for a short time. I go away every so often only for a night for work and don't mind it. Little bit of time to myself.

Went to Dubai, had a 5 star suite, which was nice. That was for 9 days, but then im the kinda person who's happy to just walk around, I don't mind eating by myself etc...

[-Ralph-]

You'll get fat. Full breakfast every morning, restaurant meal every evening, and beer every night.

Oh and you'll spend all Sunday afternoon ironing your clothes and putting them straight back in your suitcase ready for the next week.

Buy some supplies - coke, water, biscuits, etc, nothing but tea and coffee in your room, you'll miss having your kitchen to hand as you do at home.

Sitting on a bed to watch the telly is f'ing uncomfortable, if you can find a room with mini living room (ie: chair or sofa, coffee table, decent size telly, etc) then try to get the staff to give you that room every week. Also buy a TV guide.

Eating at a table for one is horrible, in a busy restaurant is horrible.

Make sue you have a good mobile phone package with plenty of free calls.

The novelty will wear off soon enough!

[timwilky]

Eating at a table for one is horrible in a busy restaurant is horrible.



That is the worse, billy no mate going into a restaurant, table for one. shoved in the corner. Hated it.

[Mr Speirs]

Another thing I forgot to mention that made one of my tours good was that If we were staying in a place for more than 2 nights the tour manager rented out an Apartment instead of a room. This ment for not much more money we got two bedrooms, a bathroom and a kitchen/lounge. It was great and we were able to cook our own meals etc.

Maybe thats something you could look at.

[Red Herring]

I was going to suggest a B&B. I'd have thought if you found a small family run one they're be more likely to accommodate any personal needs, like what you have for breakfast and a corner of the garage for you to keep the SV in.... that way you don't need to wait a week to ride your bike.

[keith_d]

I did a lot of living in hotels on expenses for a previous job. Got pretty tired of it, as well as putting on loads of weight. Ended up with a reputation as the office restaurant critic because I never ate in the same place twice.

So my suggestions are:

* Find a hotel with a decent internet connection and Skype home

* Find a hotel with a gym and use it before dinner every night

* Only eat in the hotel when you absolutely have to

* Hotel TV is crap, so budget for plenty of books and magazines.

* If you're away for a long stay, consider leaving your luggage at the hotel and bringing the bike up for a week

* Some hotels have a loyalty scheme, we had several free weekends in other hotels in the chain after one of my longer trips.

* Use the hotel laundry occasionally so you can go home and have a weekend with the SWMBO that isn't spent doing washing

Just my thoughts,

Keith.

[Supervox]

Admittedly it was 20 years ago now but I spent the best part of 3 yrs living in hotels all around Europe - with a few exceptions it was generally a different hotel each night !!

Upside
I was doing a job I loved

Rarely having to unpack - just living out of the suitcases

Seeing a lot of different places

Meeting a lot of different people (I was single then btw)

Staying in some very nice hotels (generally only the once in each though - for reasons I won't go into here !!)

Downside
Travelling every day - sometimes just a couple of hours in which case we didn't need to leave until late-morning; sometimes 6-8 hrs when it meant leaving at 5-6am

Staying in some really bad hotels - unfortunately these outnumbered the really good ones

Not seeing family or friends for months on end

Very large phone bills !!

[Daimo]

I didn't mind eating by myself.

Take a bike mag, or paper or something with me.

That way, your not looking at all the people staring at that "weirdo on his own" so not phased by it. Its when you've got nothing, and you end up looking around, going through your phone, pics, messages, videos, then look around a bit more etc..... :lol:

[speedplay]

I am in a hotel that has a large bedroom/suite for me to use so I'm not stretched out on the bed all the time.
I have an internet dongle so browsing isnt a problem (hotel wanted 9 quid a night for the net!).
I have managed to actually lose weight since working away (down from 12 stone 8 to 11 stone 12).

I dont really mind eating on my own and have tried most of the restaraunts in the area as the hotel is generally more expensive (pub next door has a carvery for £3.50!)

[anna]

Ah I hate hotels. Mainly because on tour if the Tour Manager is a complete scrooge you get put in some right dives!!! But then sometimes you get put up in nice hotels but they are still rubbish rooms. Saying that I have stayed in some proper nice ones but a hotel room is a bed, shower and TV it just depends if the bed is comfy, the shower is clean and if the TV is a 13" CRT or 40" Plasma.

This is better then been handed a digs list and told to sort it out yourself, and still try to come under you contract budget!

To be honest whilst on tour I dont think I actually ever spent more then 8 hours at a time in the digs or hotel and was too bleary eye´d to notice the surroundings whilst I was there.

[maviczap]

The best value hotel I stayed in was a chain called The Village hotels. They were £80 a night for 2 people, free internet, breakfast, evening meal up to the value of £18pp!!! and access to the gym and spa facilities.

Yep, we like the Village Hotel chain because of the free internet & generally good TV's in the rooms. But the Maidstone one is noisy, depending on the room.

Best one was the Ramada Docklands where we got the penthouse suite, which had a seperate living room, with a sofa and small kitchen. Better than eating room service on the bed. Only stayed one night though :(

Radisson Liverpool is nice too, free internet & nice rooms

[davepreston]

that bar will be your salvation mate after a while you'll be another local you'll know the staff by name (someone to break the bordom) and iirc your not a shy person which helps my favorite trick (as you know i moved around quite a bit) was walking into the nearest pub when its was quite and introducing my self to the bar staff as there new best local genrally got a giggle and started a conversation from then on you are made to fell welcome every time you come in ( to the point my "usual" was on the bar 30 secs before i walked in at the end of a day) :)

[Kinvig]

Alan Partridge?

[speedplay]

iirc your not a shy person


You have me all wrong mate, I'm the shy and retiring type..;)

[davepreston]

You have me all wrong mate, I'm the shy and retiring type..;)
coconut shy head
retiring hair line
:)

[Quedos]

used to do training in plymouth for DwP - loved being in hotels tho not so good when your luggage goes missing. our hotel was on the front and i used to walk every night before finding somewhere to eat. I have no problam sitting on my own or entering a pub on my own. got talking to hotel chef's one night and that was my evening meals sorted - they'd cook me whatever i fancied and send it up for room service. ah those were the days
that last time i was there the place burned down the day we left.

[speedplay]

coconut shy head
retiring hair line
:)

You my friend, are special.


;) lol