There is no way to avoid hotel stays in my life. I live 2 1/2 to 8 hours away from most of my family, if not more than that. With three kids it is a lot for us to invade someone’s home while on the road or traveling. We need more than just a couch to crash on, laundry will need to be done, food, showers, early bedtimes, etc. All of this can add up and be taxing on our host and can add to the stress of our trip as well. Thank you to Extended Stay America for having my family at their hotel in Vancouver, WA and for sponsoring this post, regardless all opinions are factual to our stay at the hotel. This post contains affiliate links that will earn this site a small commission.
As a single mom with three kids it can be hard to find a place to stay that feels safe and also will allow me to have three kids in the room. Now over the years, I have grown to be more critical of my requirements of where we stay when we travel! Plus not to mention when we have out of town soccer tournaments we end up staying at hotels as well our convenience and making it easier on Michael as well. I love that Extended Stay America is the perfect hotel for families on a budget to stay at when traveling or visiting out of town guests!
Now you want to know my favorite secret for saving money on hotels??? I go through Topcashback or Ebates, always double check who has the biggest cash back. I then book thru Hotels.com where every 10 nights I earn a free stay! Now sometimes the hotel will have a bigger cashback option and deal but for me to earn a free night normally earns a better deal for me.
Sign up -> here to get started with Topcashback back or sign up -> here to get started with E-Bates and earn $10 cash back with your first purchase! I don’t shop online or make travel plans without checking these sites for cash back!
Why You Should Stay At Extended Stay America With Kids
Free Wifi- I work from home and being able to work while on the road as well. Would you believe I have had to pay up to $20 to have WIFI in my hotel room at other places? Plus the table in the room was the perfect size for a laptop and notebook to work with.
Kids Stay Free- Total win for this mom! You really can’t beat not paying for the kids to stay with you at a hotel. Trust me when you are traveling on the road for a long period of time every dime counts in your budget so any way to stretch it is important and crucial to do.
Free Breakfast- Eating on the road and the go can be expensive, being able to save on a meal can easily save me anywhere from $20-$30 on a trip. I love that Extended Stay America offers a free grab and go breakfast that the whole family can eat at and enjoy!
Fully Equipped Kitchens- This is huge for me when I travel with the kids. First off eating out is expensive no matter when you go out, but also trying to make food in a hotel with no kitchen sink or full-size fridge is the pits. I love that their hotel had counter space, that also means I could also bring my crock pot or instant pot to make meals there while we are at soccer tournaments or for a day of sightseeing. Plus they also have a customized kitchen package and optional amenities for you to pick from to use upon request. I recommend calling ahead before you pack to make sure they have what you want at their location.
Laundry- Onsite laundry for families to use!!! We didn’t have to use the washers or dryers while we were there but the on-site laundry looked great, I know I would rather do a quick load of laundry and unpack clean clothes than having to do laundry when we get home from a trip!
Pet-Friendly- We don’t travel often with our dog Bentley but when we need to find a hotel, hardly any have affordable deposits are hard to find. I love their pet policy and how they charge for their pet-friendly rooms. Be sure when reserving to mention your pet and double check fees.
In addition to these features, certain ones have a pool, spas, fitness rooms, and more!!
Now for my review of our stay at Extended Stay America. We were heading down to Vancouver for the weekend to spend time with my family so it was the perfect time to stay!! I had no idea that this was the same location that my parents had lived at for 2 months while waiting on the sale of their house to go through before moving. Now while for our visit, we did not use the kitchen part of the room, I did play with everything and look in all the cabinets everything was in great working order.
The room was comfortable and I loved all the storage. See that in the bathroom that’s a whole empty shelf under the sink. I don’t have to tell you how much stuff our family hauls with when traveling so having a shelf to store everyone’s “stuff” plus the extra towels we needed was amazing. Plus having a bathtub and a shower is great for families, and it was large enough I could move around in there getting hair done for kids.
Our room had hardwood floors which worked great for us since we travel with slippers, yes we are used to being gone a lot. Our beds were great, I loved that the bed had three pillows on each instead of just the standard two, plus the room got really dark when the curtains were shut at night. Even though we were in a busy part of town we didn’t hear anything either night and slept soundly.
Every time we were coming and going from the hotel the front desk was staffed and there to greet us!! Check in was a breeze with everything the hotel offers explained to us and told us to give a ring if we needed anything.
Emily says
this is great information! We just booked 2 months at an extended stay while we wait for our house to be ready!! thanks for sharing at the create link inspire party!