Have you ever felt like you just need to get away, for vacation, or just need a break from your everyday life, but flying somewhere is just not in the plan? Because I travel so much, sometimes I feel like I am having withdrawals when I start feeling this way. Sometimes, I feel like I just hit a brick wall and need a mini getaway. That’s when I think, Staycation!
I normally do a staycation, every year, during Labor Day Weekend and I always select my favorite spot, Drury Inn in Franklin, TN. I recently decided to do another staycation, but decided to mix it up and see how other hotels compare to my favorite spot. This staycation, I decided to select Hotel Indigo located in Downtown Nashville. The two are very different and it made me think of the things, that I feel are important for a successful staycation.
After comparing the two hotels and locations, here are 7 things that will make for a successful staycation:
- The hotel should have a pool. Nothing screams vacation like a pool and a beach. Living in Nashville, we have no beaches, therefore a pool is the next best thing. In order to feel like you are on vacation, a pool is an essential amenity when selecting a hotel for your staycation. The Drury Inn in Franklin, TN had an indoor and outdoor pool. However, Hotel Indigo did not have a pool–which made me realize that a pool is important for a successful staycation.
- Location. Location. Where your hotel is located is extremely important. When I stayed at the Drury Inn, there is plenty to do in the Cool Springs area of Franklin, TN. Everything is just a short car ride away. However, when I stayed at Hotel Indigo, everything was a short walk away. Both were surrounded by plenty of things to do, however, I found that I favored the location of Hotel Indigo more because I was able to walk across the street to Jeff Ruby’s for dinner and walk around the corner to Bobby Café for breakfast. And I felt more like a tourist.
4. Hotel should be affordable. One of the number one reasons for doing a staycation is sometime the budget. There are plenty of times that you would like to get away but cannot afford it, therefore a staycation is a good way to pacify those feelings. It doesn’t make sense to do a staycation when you end up paying $350 – $400 per night at a hotel in your hometown. You might as well take a vacation away from your hometown. My staycation at Drury Inn was extremely affordable. The cost of the entire weekend equaled the cost of a one night stay at a Downtown Nashville hotel. There is no point of doing a staycation if you end up spending the same amount that you would if you flew somewhere.
5. Room service. Room service is very important to me. When I am at home, I have to cook all meals unless I order Uber Eats or leave my house for meals. When I do a staycation, room service is important to me because I want to feel like I am being pampered. I want to feel like I am being catered to like when I am traveling the world. It just makes you feel like you are on vacation.
6. Spa. If the hotel has a spa that is a bonus! There is nothing like feeling like you are on vacation than when you get a massage at the spa locate on property.
7. Onsite Restaurant. When you need to get out of the room and have a sit down dinner, having an onsite restaurant is a good idea. Sure, you can easily drive to restaurants around you, but if you don’t want to drive and still want the restaurant atmosphere, picking a hotel with a restaurant on the property is a good way to go.
8. Entertainment. Depending on what type of staycation you are going for—-total relaxation or very active, plan some activities to participate in. Afterall, you are on vacation. When I stayed at Hotel Indigo, in downtown Nashville, there was plenty for me to do in walking distance. I went to the top of the Bobby Hotel for cocktails, which was an experience. I had cocktails at the Black Rabbit and listened to live music at Jack Ruby. There may be entertainment around the hotel that you select, if not, you can always visit websites like viator.com to participate in activities in your area.
Should you find yourself needing a vacation but it doesn’t work out where you can get away, think about planning a staycation. A staycation could be just what you need to feed the feeling of wanting to get away. Just think about what type of staycation you want and find a hotel that best fits those needs.
[…] a great hotel (check out this blog post I wrote about picking the right hotel for a […]