As the construction industry rebounds and creates more frequent and longer projects, employees once again face the challenge of finding satisfying meals while calling a hotel home. Crunched for time and needing to fill up for a long day on the jobsite, employees turn to the roach coach, a handful of fast food chains or packing old standbys such as sandwiches, chips and sodas. However, according to a recent survey released by the largest owner-operated hotel chain in the United States., Extended Stay America, 89 percent of travelers would rather cook in their hotel room then eat out.
When guests stay with Extended Stay America hotels, they’re given the freedom to be the master of their own meals. Each spacious hotel room offers a fully equipped kitchen with a full-size refrigerator, stovetop, microwave, toaster, coffeemaker, cooking utensils, pots and pans, dishes and silverware. To help travelers get cooking, Extended Stay America created AwayFromHomeCooking.com, an online resource that provides easy to make, hearty yet healthy recipes. Created with the hotel chain’s hardworking guests in mind, recipes are designed to stick to the ribs without shrinking travelers’ wallets. Expertly designed by Food Network host Sunny Anderson, Away From Home Cooking recipes include North Carolina braised BBQ ribs, chicken mac n’ cheese, smoky bacon cheddar sliders and lighter options like the chef salad lettuce wraps and firecracker shrimp summer rolls.
“A good meal after a long day of work helps guests feel at home,” says Terry Atkins, Senior Director of Marketing Communications for Extended Stay America. “We launched the Away From Home Cooking website as a solution to help our guests skip fast food and empty calories by cooking wallet- and waist-friendly meals using the fully equipped kitchens in their hotel rooms.”
Beyond allowing travelers to avoid the boring meal burnout associated with long assignments away from home, Extended Stay America hotel’s fully equipped in-room kitchens help travelers save hundreds of dollars on dining expenses. With per diems shrinking and many companies now allowing employees to keep a percentage of unspent allowances, the ability to comfortably cook in a hotel room saves travelers money without sacrificing satisfying food. As opposed to the 87 percent of travelers who report eating out almost every meal and snack while traveling, Extended Stay America guests are able to shop at a local grocer and fill their hotel room fridges with their favorite ingredients and beverages for a fraction of the price.
Another advantage of having access to a full-size refrigerator and kitchen is the ability to control how food is prepared, making it easier to adhere to specific dietary restrictions or maintain a healthy diet. For example, the bacon, egg & cheese biscuit available at a leading fast food chain packs a 460-calorie punch with 1300 mg of sodium. Extended Stay America’s Away From Home Cookingbreakfast tacos average 160 calories per taco and take only ten minutes to make. With a shocking 86 percent of people gaining an average of up to three pounds while traveling for two weeks or more, it’s important that regular road warriors adjust their travel habits to avoid pound packing when away from home.
To learn more about how Extended Stay America hotels can help make life on the road easier, visit
For hotel room ready recipes, supermarket shortcuts and helpful shopping lists, visit
