I moved with my kids to a hotel room. It’s cheaper than renting an apartment and has many amenities.

I loved my house. It had a charm of its own, was within walking distance to my ex’s house and the kids’ schools, and my landlord never increased the rent.

I was, however, on a month-to-month lease, and with that came a sense of unease. In other ways, too, the house contributed to my sense of unease. The yard required an infinite amount of work, the oil tank and furnace were constantly malfunctioning, and don’t even get me started on the mice issue.

I was drowning and needed to find a way out, though I didn’t know what that was, so I prayed.

The house was put up for sale, and we had to move

Imagine my surprise when I read the email from my landlord that said, “We are putting the house up for sale and need you out by March 1.” That was only 30 days away. Where would we go? How would I afford it? I didn’t have savings to rely on, hell I didn’t even have a credit card.

I had prayed for a solution, for a sense of ease. This couldn’t be my answer. This was more stress.

So, I hit Zillow. Two-bedroom, 1000 square feet, $2,700/month. Three-bedroom, 1200 square feet, $3,000/month. The prices were outrageous and well beyond my budget. When I finally found a place that left me feeling positive, my application was denied because my credit was subpar.

I was defeated. My plate was not just full. It was breaking and leaving a mess all around me. My mom generously offered that we could stay with her until I found something. I was grateful, but at 46 years old, I was desperate for a solution that would honor my need for independence, privacy, and affordability. It was time to get creative.

I found a hotel room that rents for long-term stays

I frantically searched Airbnb and VRBO, but the few long-term options were already booked. As a last-ditch effort, I reached out to local hotels and inquired about rates for long-term stays. That’s when I received surprise email number two. Only this one was from Avon Old Farms Hotel and with it, I felt like I had won the lottery.

“We have a two-bedroom apartment on-site that we rent out for longer stays. It’s $2200 a month and includes all utilities and hotel amenities,” the email said.

Sure, this was only a temporary solution, the apartment was on the small side, and the location was not perfect. However, it was a place that my kids and I could call our own, even if only for a few months.

After taking a look at the apartment, I signed on the dotted line. Quickly after moving in, I was told that the cleaning team would be coming every Tuesday to do a deep clean, change the bedding, and swap out our used towels with clean ones. The gift of having towels laundered and stocked on top of the weekly cleaning was going to be the greatest gift in the world for me.

I still had to tell my kids, though, whom I assumed would be less than thrilled with a small temporary arrangement further from their father. But they found the adventure in our set-up right away as they explored the beautiful hotel grounds. Their eyes lit up when I showed them the hotel pool, the game room, the sauna, and the gym. They quickly discovered that the hotel restaurant hosts trivia every Thursday night, and it has since become our favorite weekly activity. We swim on hot days, cook S’mores at the firepits on the weekends, and enjoy continental breakfast in the mornings.

This is not an apartment I would’ve ever looked for, and I would not have known to look at a hotel for my housing needs. On paper, it is not a great fit for me and my kids. But the amenities are the answer to my prayers. They have offered me the gift of ease, and that, after all, is exactly what I prayed for.