Which Extended Stay Hotels are the Best? A Comparison

Home2Suites, Fultondale (AL) VS. TownePlace Suites, Asheville (NC)

This spring I decided to experiment with a couple of extended stay properties. Previously, my only experience in this arena was with Residence Inn. From the Hilton side, I tried four nights at the Home2Suites in Fultondale, Alabama. Fultondale is a suburb north of Birmingham. On the Marriott side, I tried four nights at the TownePlace Suites in Asheville, North Carolina. The Home2Suites was built in 2019 while the TownePlace Suites was built in 2021. However, I assume both properties had decreased traffic prior to my spring 2022 visit. (Thanks, pandemic.) I, therefore, presume that they both use the newest design available for each brand.

Home2Suites: A Clever Extended Stay Design

Clever is the term that comes to mind when I remember my room at the Home2Suites. The interior designers thought outside the box, found unique workarounds and used technology to their advantage. The room’s entry is the kitchenette. The hotel provided us with a full-size refrigerator, a dishwasher, a microwave and a sink. I also found the usual china, flatware and coffee supplies. A sticker on the fridge informed me that cooktops were available from the front desk. I wasn’t sure what that meant. An electric hotplate, maybe? I thought of my college dorm rooms from 25 years ago.

The front desk agent lent me, free of charge, a single induction burner and a deep sauté pan that was safe for use on the cooktop. That induction burner became molten lava hot in the blink of an eye. I sauteed frozen Japanese gyoza (dumplings) in it that were delicious. Microwaving them would have caused the exterior to be gummy, a fate I avoided thanks to technology.

A beautifully bright curtain allows guests to divide the living room area from the bedroom area. This helps block light from the bedroom half if one person wishes to sit on the sofa and read late into the night. Yet, with the curtain open during the day, the room feels large and spacious. It might be important for some guests to note here that there was only one TV for both spaces.

The shower has nozzles, not just overhead, but in the shower wall at body height. They operate with separate controls. When turned on, jets of water hammer one’s shoulders and lower back. It’s a reasonable imitation of a luxury shower experience at a budget-friendly hotel.

My favorite feature is not unique to the Home2Suites brand. In fact, it is something common enough, that I have grown used to it. When I don’t find it in my hotel room, I am annoyed and disappointed. It is the table-desk on casters. When paired with a desk chair and an ottoman, my husband and I can both work at the table at the same time. It becomes a dining room table when needed. It so simple and yet, such a necessity.

Fitness

The fitness center, which this brand calls “Spin2Cycle” because the area houses both the gym and the guest laundry, was amazing. I have gotten used to workouts provided by a cardio machine and dumbbells because I rarely have access to anything else. However, this Home2Suites provided a universal machine in addition to a huge area for using the dumbbells, kettlebells and medicine balls they provided. This was a full-size gym, and it was impressive.

Would I stay at a Home2Suites again? If each facility could be like this one, you bet I would.

TownePlace Suites: A Practical Extended Stay Design

Compact and practical. Those are the terms that come to mind when I think of my one-bedroom suite at the TownePlace Suites in west Asheville, North Carolina. To say that it has an entry foyer is generous. However, before entering the kitchenette, there is a brilliant little place to empty your pockets of all the items you will need to refill your pockets with before you walk back out the door. There is a hook to hang a jacket and a cubby to leave dirty shoes. Practical.

In the kitchen area, there is a huge closet with shelves and baskets to help you organize all your stuff. It is imperative to note that the bedroom has a second closet of the same generous size. Yes, there are two full-size closets. For me, the feature that blew my mind was the oven. Every once in a blue moon, you will find an oven in a two-bedroom, long-term stay suite. As a rule, though, ovens are as elusive as the narwal. This kitchen was tricked out with a full-size fridge, microwave, dishwasher, oven and range, and storage galore. Seriously, there were drawers and cubbies everywhere!

The living room was compact, but featured a sofa, large coffee table, reading lamp and the all-important table-desk on casters. The living room ottoman doubled as our second chair (as usual), so that my husband and I could both set up our “home offices” simultaneously. The bedroom featured a large piece of furniture that combined cabinets, drawers and open cubbies for the items travelers use most (shoes and my purse).

I have written before about my belief that most hotel interior designers should be given twenty lashes and disowned from the profession for making a most basic mistake in bathroom design: the lack of hooks. One hook on the back of the bathroom door doesn’t cut it, folks. Most women use two towels (one for hair, one for body). If there is one man and one woman utilizing a hotel room, that is a minimum of three large bath towels. In the case of my husband and I, we also choose to use separate hand towels. Many bathrooms have no place to hang a wet hand towel. Guests are forced to leave it on the counter and hope it dries.

The TownePlace Suites in Asheville provided a hook on the bathroom door as well as a bar and a shelf for towels. For designers, the rule of thumb should be, “provide more hanging options than you think guests will need” because it won’t be overkill at all.

Fitness

While this fitness center wasn’t anywhere near as large as the one at the Home2Suites in Alabama, it was still quite well-stocked. In addition to the usual cardio equipment and dumbbells, I found a universal machine, a half-ball, two inflatable balls, kettlebells, medicine balls, foam rollers, stretchy bands and mats. While a little more space would have been nice, it had everything necessary for a varied exercise routine.

While the features in extended stay hotels are designed for guests that intend to stay for a week or more, a traveler doesn’t need to stay that long to appreciate them. Access to an induction burner, an oven or a full-size fridge will make even a short stay a more enjoyable experience. For those guests staying for a week or more, these features are game-changing. Hilton’s Home2Suites and Marriott’s TownePlace Suites showcase newer designs that display evidence of forethought and ingenuity, and this leads to comfort. Comfort when making a place your home away from home is all travelers ever wanted.