In light of my past experiences with basic training (where I lived in a bay with 60 other dudes), OCS (where I lived with two other dudes and had to leave the door open all the time), and BOLC2 (again, two other dudes, though with a lock on the door), living in a hotel was awesome.
I think I played it well, too. After finding out that the hotel I was initially assigned to, the Courtyard Marriott, didn't have a microwave or any kitchen facilities, I asked to go over to the Residence Inn next door.
What a total improvement that was. The room had a kitchen area complete with full size refrigerator and freezer, dishwasher, microwave, and two burner stove. The living area had a two person sofa/roll out bed (this in addition to the king size bed), a huge flat panel TV on a spinnable lazy susan, a two-person table with chairs, and a desk. On top of that, there was a closet and a ton of cabinet and drawer space. So my wife was quite content when she came to visit.
The lobby was cozy, and the hotel offered a superb breakfast every morning: eggs, sausage, Belgian waffles, bagels, English muffins, four cereals, oatmeal, and several types of yogurts. On top of that, a light dinner was served on Mondays, Tuesdays, and every other Wednesday.I signed up for the Marriott Rewards program soon after I arrived (a good move -- they don't accept dates retroactively), and so, having spent over 75 days with them, I am now a Platinum member. Whenever I check in to a Marriott-affiliated hotel, I'm supposed to get a free gift.
How cool is that?
And even though my school finished on May 29, I was able to stay there over the weekend while I was getting my wife's transportation figured out. Lodging's voucher was good until June 3, giving me five days to wrap things up without having to pay out of my pocket.
But now it's over, and I'm on the road again. The only consolation I have is that I have a free gift waiting for me when I get to my next stop.
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