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Guides
You can pay $33k to live in a hotel for a year - but here are 31 even better options
Featured image by WITTHAYA PRA SONGSIN/GETTY IMAGES
Katie Genter is a digital nomad who has traveled full time since June 2017. She writes and edits stories about points and miles, and loyalty programs, often letting her personal experiences color these stories.
December 16, 2020 • 19 min read
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Quick summary
The article explores extended-stay hotel options worldwide for U.S. travelers seeking month-long stays, highlighting properties in Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, Egypt and Turkey.
It compares the value of a year-long hotel membership in Bangkok to more flexible and affordable 30-night stays at mid-tier and luxury hotels.
Visa requirements, entry restrictions and local regulations are discussed as key factors in planning longer international hotel stays.
The guide also outlines when it may be advantageous to book with points versus cash, referencing TPG's valuations for major hotel loyalty programs.
What to consider
Many countries limit tourist visas to 30-90 days, making year-long hotel packages risky for most travelers.
Hotel loyalty programs and properties often cap maximum stay lengths, so extended stays may require moving between hotels.
Award bookings may offer added value, such as a fifth night free at select properties, but dynamic pricing and promotions can affect the best redemption strategy.
What you'll miss from the article
A detailed comparison of 31 specific hotels and resorts, including pricing, perks and unique features for long-term stays across several countries.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
I'm tired of being grounded in the U.S. due to the coronavirus pandemic and I bet you are too. This pent-up wanderlust is pushing hotels to create work-from-hotel packages and it's also fueling hype around memberships that allow you to live for a year at an aspirational hotel for a set cost.
For example, last month the Anantara Veli Maldives turned heads when it offered unlimited stays in 2021 for $30,000. And now, the Hyatt Regency Bangkok Sukhumvit is offering a One Million Baht Club membership. By paying one million Thai Baht -- which is about $33,255 -- you can stay at this Hyatt Regency in a club room for a year. This equates to about $2,771 per month, but you also get a ton of extra perks, including:
200,000 baht (about $6,651) food and beverage credit
Club Lounge access
Laundry and dry cleaning service (up to six pieces per day)
Private rooftop birthday party
10 nights at Hyatt resorts in Hua Hin, Samui or Phuket
10 one-hour Thai or Aroma massages
Ability to transfer membership to a spouse or designated immediate family member
Eligible for World of Hyatt earning, but Hyatt will only deposit the tier-qualifying nights, base points and elite status once the stays are complete
After traveling for more than three years as a digital nomad, I know there are plenty of perks of working from a resort or hotel. But, if you buy this membership, your stay must begin no later than Apr. 1, 2021. And Thailand's entry and stay requirements make buying this package a risky proposition for anyone living outside Thailand. Specifically, you'd be buying a package that you'll likely not be able to fully use.
On top of potential visa issues, booking a hotel for a year isn't necessarily a good idea. After all, many hotels, cities and even loyalty programs cap how long you can stay. And, as I found when living out of an all-inclusive resort for a month, it may not be all that appealing to live in one hotel for a year.
In this guide, I'll present 31 hotels and resorts in countries that U.S. passport holders can currently visit that might be a better option if you want to live out of a hotel. I chose the properties based on a trade-off between pricing, location and amenities. Most cost no more per month than the One Million Baht Club membership. But, for the reasons previously discussed, I'll assume you'll stay for 30 nights instead of a year.
You could venture into Chicago from the Hyatt Lodge for a day trip. (Photo by Mint Images/Getty Images)
If you want to enjoy living at a resort for a modest cost without leaving the U.S., the Hyatt Lodge in Oak Brook, Illinois, might be the perfect option. Hyatt designed this resort to host meetings and events. But the resort also has a forest preserve, lake and trails that would make an extended stay enjoyable.
The Hyatt Lodge offers a long-stay rate for stays of 10 nights or longer. Although U.S. citizens don't have to worry about visa restrictions, the hotel itself has a maximum stay length of 31 nights.
Currently, a 30-night stay would cost between $2,386 and $3,995 for four sets of dates I checked between March and Sept. 2021. This hotel is a World of Hyatt Category 2 property, so you could alternatively choose to pay 240,000 World of Hyatt points for a 30-night stay. These points are worth about $4,080 based on TPG's valuations. Once you factor in the World of Hyatt points you'd earn by booking direct with World of Hyatt, you'll likely want to save your points for another stay.
Talavera pottery in Puebla, Mexico. (Photo by marcviln/Getty Images)
I visited Mexico City back in 2012 but haven't returned to Mexico since. Unfortunately, now isn't the time since the CDC recently recommended that Americans not travel to Mexico. This guidance will likely change in 2021 as a coronavirus vaccine becomes widely available. So, it's still worth considering Mexico if you're looking to live out of a hotel or resort.
Mexico generally grants tourists from the U.S. a 180-day visa. So, although I'll consider 30-night stays in this guide, you could potentially book a more extended stay. Here are my favorite properties in Mexico for a 30-night stay:
Note that several of the above properties are in the same city or region. So, you could check out a few different hotels in the same city before either returning to the U.S. or moving to a new destination.
I still haven't made my way to Colombia yet, but you can currently visit Colombia without needing to show a negative COVID-19 test. Plus, U.S. tourists generally don't need a visa for stays of 90 days or less. So, you could enjoy an extended stay at several of the following hotels before needing to request a 90-day extension or leave the country.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Image by Fabio Canhim/Getty Images)
After an extended trip to Brazil in 2014, I'm excited to return for another extended trip. If you're traveling on a U.S. passport, you can remain in Brazil as a tourist for up to 90 days without obtaining a visa. So, you could consider visiting several of the following hotels while spending up to 90 days in the country:
Check out the pyramids when visiting Cairo, Egypt. (Photo by Omar Elsharawy/Unsplash)
Egypt has been on my list for a while due to its great value hotels and resorts. So, it's only natural that some of these hotels and resorts would make it on this list.
U.S. tourists can currently visit Egypt, but the CDC discourages travel to Egypt now due to high coronavirus levels. However, this guidance will likely change as a vaccine becomes widespread in 2021.
You can apply for an e-visa online at least seven days before your departure, but Egypt will generally only grant the visa for 30 days. So, you'll need to extend your visa or leave the country before your visa expires.
Here are some of my favorite Egypt hotels and resorts that are currently accepting reservations for 30-night stays.
Istanbul is one of my favorite cities in the world. If you're willing to eat locally and stay outside the tourist areas, living out of an Istanbul hotel for a month could be relatively inexpensive.
While U.S. tourists can currently visit Turkey, you'll need to apply for an e-visa before your trip. This e-visa usually only allows you to remain in Turkey for 90 days, so you'll need to leave the country before 90 days elapse. However, 90 days gives you plenty of time to check out a few of the following hotels and resorts for extended stays.
Located in the heart of Istanbul’s financial and commercial district
If you decide to take a trip to Turkey, here's how to get to Istanbul using points and miles. And, if you're willing to spend a bit more on your stay than is required by the above options, consider Hilton's Hagia Sofia Mansions Istanbul. TPG points and miles editor Ariana Arghandewal loved its location and underground cistern pool on a recent visit.
Elite status can pay off when staying at an expensive hotel such as the Conrad Bora Bora. (Photo by Summer Hull/The Points Guy)
If you spend 30 nights at 12 different hotels in a year, you can easily earn high status levels with Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors and World of Hyatt. Or, you could go all-in on one program and enjoy elite-status perks even quicker. In 2021, you'd need the following to earn high-level status:
The information for the Hilton Aspire Amex card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
I paid just 5,000 points per night at the Hyatt Regency Kuantan. (Photo by Katie Genter/The Points Guy)
It's important to consider when to use hotel points to book your stay. There are some great paid rates available currently, including some excellent packages from Marriott. So, you can get some good deals when redeeming Hilton Honors points because Hilton uses dynamic pricing. But, if you can snag an inexpensive paid rate, it may not be worth using points in the World of Hyatt and Marriott Bonvoy programs.
You can get a fifth night free on select Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors award bookings. So, that's certainly worth keeping in mind. Plus, you can book a Club-level room or suite for slightly more points at some World of Hyatt properties.
I recommend checking both cash and points rates before booking. You can use TPG's valuations to estimate the value of the points you'd need to spend. But, keep in mind that you'll also earn points when you pay a cash rate. So, if the value of the points you'd need to spend is similar to the cash rate, I recommend paying cash.
One positive of the coronavirus pandemic has been the acceptance and normalization of remote work and school. So, even if work or school has typically tied you to one location, you may have a newly-found ability to live abroad. Once international travel resumes, you could go all-in by getting an extended-duration remote work visa. You could also take to the road as a digital nomad and visit multiple destinations within a year.
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
