There are plenty of reasons to book an extended stay at a hotel or vacation rental. Perhaps the most popular is when traveling for business. But you may also find yourself needing a place to stay while you’re moving. before your new home is ready but after you need to leave your current one. Maybe you are lucky enough to find yourself with plenty of vacation time, or a break in between jobs. Or perhaps you’re retired and want to explore a new place in-depth.

But no matter the reason, finding the right basecamp for your stay is a far-cry from choosing a location for your short-term vacation. Keep reading to learn what you need to know to make the right choice.

If You’re Traveling for Business

Traveling for business is a bit of a double-edged sword. It means getting out of the office and exploring somewhere new. But it also means having to stay away from the comforts of home for a while and dealing with time zone changes and other travel-related hassles. You may not even get a chance to see much of the place you’ve traveled to.

Studies show that most millennials consider travel a perk of their job. That still doesn’t mean that it’s always a walk in the park.

Where you stay can make a big difference in making your business trip as comfortable and pain-free as possible. If your employer usually picks your hotel or vacation rental, ask if you might be allowed to have a say. If the answer is yes, follow these tips to choose the perfect basecamp for your business trip:

• Opt for a vacation rental rather than a hotel. You’ll get a lot more space, as well as many homey comforts, like a kitchen, a couch for lounging after a long day, and often some outdoor space as well.
• Don’t skimp on comfort. You don’t need to stay at the most expensive property around, but you should stay somewhere that is clean and comfortable. The last thing you need after a long day of work is having to deal with messiness and the added stress.
• Look for amenities that will make your trip more fun and relaxing. You might not have time to do much sightseeing, but you should at least have a little free time at your vacation rental. A spa and pool make it easy to unwind and will leave you feeling like you at least got a little bit of vacation time in. Laundry on-site means you won’t need to lug as many heavy suitcases around or deal with a trip to the laundromat.

If You’re In-Between Homes

Moving from one home to the next is rarely a smooth transition. If you’re renting, you have to wait for your lease to run out, and then try to line that up with when your next rental becomes available. If you’re moving into a new home, you may need to paint and renovate before you can move in. In the meantime, you may have to move out of the home you just sold. Those building a home know that deadlines are often fluid. You may not want to lock yourself into a rental lease if you aren’t entirely sure when you’ll be moving into your new home.

That’s where an extended stay rental comes in. You won’t have a lease to deal with. But you also won’t have to downsize from a home or apartment to a tiny, inconvenient hotel room. If your stay drags on, you’ll still have the comforts of home–not to mention maid service that you’ll wish you still had when you move into your new place.

A few things you’ll want to consider if you’re using an extended stay in a vacation rental while you’re in between homes:

• Try to book as early as possible. The last thing you want to do is find that all of the good rentals are booked when you finally move out of your home or rental.
• Make sure that you have enough room for everyone. If you have children, it’s a good idea to try to keep their living situation similar to what they had at home. So if they had their own room, make sure that they’ll have their own room in your extended stay rental. This will help to minimize the stress of the transition for them. Keeping to your regular schedule as much as possible will help with that as well.
• Plan to store most of your belongings. You don’t want to fill your rental with unnecessary clutter that will get in your way during your stay.
• Pick a roomy layout. Cramming your family into a tiny unit with only the necessities may not seem like such a bad idea. That is until your stay stretches into a week, then two, then longer. You’ll want to have some of those home-like touches, including a table large enough for your family to eat together, a kitchen equipped for making a full meal, and a TV for keeping that family movie night tradition alive.

If You’re on an Extended Vacation

Whether you’re retired, have some extra vacation time, or are in-between jobs, nothing beats a nice, long break. Add in an exotic locale like Zion National Park, and you’ve got the recipe for a truly life-changing experience.

In order for your trip to be the once-in-a-lifetime vacation you’re dreaming of, you need the right place to stay. These are a few things you’ll want to think about:

• Skip the hotel. While you may be on vacation and hotels often go hand-in-hand with that, they aren’t designed for lengthy stays. They lack space for the belongings you’ll need for a longer trip. They’ll leave you feeling claustrophobic, with nowhere you can go to stretch out expect your bed. Most don’t even have a kitchen where you can whip up some comfort food if you start to feel homesick.
• Stay close to the action. A long commute to get to all of the things you want to do on your vacation is not only a drag, but can also get expensive. Choose a place to stay that’s close to everything you hope to see and do.
• Choose a property with plenty to do. During an extended vacation, you’re going to want to plan a few days of rest and relaxation. It’s best if you can accomplish this without ever hopping in your car and driving across town. Plenty of restaurants nearby doesn’t hurt either, for the days when you don’t feel like cooking. You are on vacation, after all!

Choosing the Perfect Basecamp for Your Extended Stay

No matter the reason behind your lengthy getaway, choosing the perfect extended stay rental is a must.

Watchman Villas is the perfect place for lengthy business trips, in-between stays, and every other kind of extended vacation. With spacious villas equipped with all of the comforts of home and plenty of amenities to keep you happy and entertained, you’ll leave feeling refreshed and maybe even a little homesick for your vacation rental.