As many of you know, Mike and I recently moved out of the home we built and lived in for almost 35 years. We downsized, into a house less than one-half of the size of the home we left. (The use of the words “house” and “home” is intentional.) For the past almost six months, I have been trying to figure out how to make this house home. It has not been easy, and that is not just because of our new house’s size.

Our rental house was not intended to be our next forever home; it is a transition home. Even so, even if I am living in it only a year to two years, I have to make it mine. And please understand my use of the words “I” and “mine” instead of “we” and “our.” Mike is not as concerned about his surroundings at the same level as I am. As long as he has his recliner, and he does, that is about all he needs!

I have written about this life change most likely enough since we made the change in January, so this post isn’t really about our move and the differences. It is about a recent experience with hotels, an experience that reinforces some of what I have experienced with our move. 

Mike and I were traveling in different North Carolina towns recently and needed a hotel room in two different areas. While I prefer more upscale hotels or resorts, when we travel, we often stay in moderately priced properties, and use our hotel points. I have found significant differences in these hotels. These differences relate to the amenities which directly correspond to the cost. 

There are different ways that hotels are “graded,” one of which is a star system. 5-star hotels are upscale, and the fewer stars a hotel has, the more of a “budget” hotel it is. On this trip, we stayed in a Hampton Inn in one location and a Tru in another, both of which are Hilton properties. Hilton grades their properties very definitively, stating that Hampton Inns are Upper-Midscale, which surprises me that the grading is that high, and Tru as midscale. Tru is described by Hilton as “back-to-basics with soul.”

While we have stayed in Hampton Inns many times, this was the first (possibly the second) time we have ever stayed in a Tru hotel. Hilton gives Hampton Inn a higher score than Tru, and I can see the justification for that higher score. Although the amenities of the two hotels are similar, there are some noticeable differences, especially within the rooms themselves.

Both of these hotels provide a free hot breakfast. Both have a fitness room. Both hotels have free Wi-Fi. This is where the similarities end.

While both hotel rooms had an in-room refrigerator, only the Hampton Inn had an in-room microwave. Hampton had coffee in the room; Tru did not. Hampton had dresser drawers and a clothes closet, while Tru had a hanging rod for clothes and no dresser drawers. While Tru looks more modern, Hampton looks more “complete.” The differences extend to the bathrooms, where Tru soap and lotion are in dispensers at the sink instead of in individual containers, and the same is true of soap, shampoo, and conditioner in the shower.

The room at Tru was very small, while the Hampton Inn room was much larger. Other than the bed, the furniture in Tru is, or at least appears to be, particle board and metal, with a cheaper although more updated IKEA-like look. The included hot breakfast was about the same, although the Hampton Inn had a few more choices, such as muffins.

What did I learn about the hotel experience that relates to our house/home differences? There are several “take-aways.” Some of these relate to the difference in needs and wants, and I am very clear about the difference between these two.

I have known for many years that I have a need for beauty. It is a need, not a want. I need my physical surroundings to be aesthetically pleasing. Hampton Inn does not meet this need, nor does Tru. Tru does come closer in the lobby area, which is updated, has bright colors, and a “mod” aesthetic, which is not usually my aesthetic. I lean more to traditional. Although the Hampton Inns that I have stayed in are more traditional, they are also usually dated and dark. In the rooms, while Tru is brighter and more updated, it is also too “pared-down” and lacks some amenities I enjoy, such as an in-room microwave to heat my coffee.

Mike and I prefer space and lots of it. This is a want, not a need. Our current house experience has proven this to me. While I have loved our spacious house with many rooms that we left in January, I have been comfortable enough in our main living area in our rental house. I miss not having ample closet space, and I prefer more space in bedrooms than we have, but this is a want, not a need. There are three bedrooms and three bathrooms as well as a bonus room, so there is enough space overall. We have converted the sunroom to a dining room, which meets my need for gathering friends and family for meals, although certainly not at the level we had when we could host 65 people for sit-down Thanksgiving meals!

A need that I had to meet in the rental house is having window treatments. The house looked too bare and sparse without them. So, I repurposed some I took from our home we sold and had some made. Yes, I spent some money I may not recover, but living in the house for even only a year if that’s what turns out to be required for aesthetically pleasing windows.

There is one need not met in the rental house, and it probably will not be. I am a blue person, and there is no blue anywhere. I do not like browns, and there are brown granite countertops in the kitchen and bathrooms. While I have gotten somewhat used to this and find it does not bother me quite as much, I do not feel content.

Back to the recent hotel experience and its connection to our house/home experience. This has reaffirmed my want, although not need, for space. I do prefer a microwave to heat my coffee, although I suppose it is not a need, but a want. (Although it is probably the #1 reason I will not stay at a Tru Hotel again!) I do have a need for half-and-half for my coffee, and both hotels had this, thankfully.  I prefer light and bright over dark and dated, and this may be closer to a need than a want. I have often said that living with a depressed mother (sorry, Mom!) is the reason I need lots of windows and bright colors!

This hotel experience has been research that has reaffirmed some of my preferences, some wants, and some needs. It has made me recognize the importance of thoughtful consideration of my space. I want to continue this research approach while we are deciding whether to stay where we are in the rental house longer than the current lease or begin to look for our next move.

It has also reaffirmed that when having a choice, I prefer Ritz-Carltons, although I don’t think they have in-room microwaves!