From Business Insider · Lilli Holland · · 3m
Two years living in hotel rooms with two dogs
A couple and their two 45-pound dogs have spent the past two years living in hotel rooms across the US for work. It looks like vacation but feels like ordinary life in unfamiliar places.
In brief
A couple and their two 45-pound dogs have spent the past two years living in hotel rooms across the US for work. It looks like vacation but feels like ordinary life in unfamiliar places. Lilli Holland and her husband have lived in hotel rooms for two years while his job moves them across the US, finding ways to make…
Two years in hotel rooms
Lilli Holland and her husband have lived in different hotel rooms across the US for the past two years.
Three months per assignment
The four of them typically share a hotel room for three months at a time until the next assignment. Between stays, they find a short-term apartment lease or stay with family depending on available time.
Five states and counting
Hotel living has taken them to five states, including New Hampshire, Florida, and Georgia. Holland works as a private tutor and previously took college classes online while managing the lifestyle.
What a hotel room contains
Typical rooms have a bed, full bathroom, refrigerator, microwave, and sometimes a stovetop and dishwasher. Most have a living room space with a pullout couch, though some lack kitchens entirely.
Making it feel like home
They bring pillows, blankets, a dehumidifier, an air fryer, gaming consoles, and a heavy-duty safe. Last fall, Holland's family visited and brought classroom-style paper turkeys her mom made to add festivity to their room.
Housekeeping and pet challenges
Housekeepers are required to enter the room once a week.At their first hotel, staff loved the dogs and gave them treats.
Not a constant vacation
One of the biggest misconceptions is that they are constantly on vacation. The initial excitement of being somewhere new generally wears off after the first couple of weeks, Holland says.
“One of the biggest misconceptions is that we're constantly on vacation, when in reality, the initial excitement of being somewhere new generally wears off after the first couple of weeks.”
Benefits of the lifestyle
They experience different parts of the country for extended periods without planning a traditional vacation. Her husband works seven days a week with shifts lasting ten to twelve hours, but occasional free days allow exploration.
Using hotel amenities
The lobby doubles as Holland's office most mornings after walking the dogs. It offers complimentary coffee and continental breakfast. Hotel gyms and housekeeping services that clean floors and sanitize bathrooms are also valuable.
Plans to continue indefinitely
The lifestyle has worked for Holland and her husband so far, and they plan to continue it for as long as they can, hopefully for the next few years.
“home doesn't have to be a permanent address”
Here's the gist
Lilli Holland and her husband have lived in hotel rooms for two years while his job moves them across the US, finding ways to make temporary spaces feel like home despite logistical challenges.
