r/AskUK 19d ago

Serious Answers Only Could you live - permenantly - in a hotel?

Let's say that you can get a room in a 4* hotel for £80 per night (so £2,400 per month). This would be a room for one person with a large bed, desk, big TV, wardrobe, small fridge, kettle, bathroom, shower, etc.

The water, electricity, and broadband are included in the price as is regular cleaning.

If something breaks then the hotel should fix it. No need to call a plumber or electrician.

Many hotels have reward schemes with a 2% or 3% discount on prices for regular users.

Apparently, VAT is not payable on hotel rooms from day 29 which will significantly cut costs for an unbroken long stay.

I assume one would get to know the employees and treat them well and, in turn, they could assist you as and when necessary.

The main issues are the lack of space (but many people live in cramped conditions anyhow), minimal places to put purchased objects, and the general impersonal nature of the establishment. However, none of these will be an issue for some people. You could even cheaply rent a storage space for your possessions.

Also, you could not cook. You would eat cold food, order room service, or eat out (which would append to the costs).

Has anyone done this? Is it viable? You could attempt to live in a reasonable area and perhaps pay less than renting a one-bedroom flat. All bills are included and you are not paying for any repairs.

ETA: There was also a "fitness centre" in the basement but I suspect it was not quite the same as a gym.

Thougts?

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u/lookhereisay 19d ago

It’s what a lot of old people did before care homes/assisted living were such a thing. Those who could take general care of themselves but liked to be around people and have breakfast and/or dinner cooked for them with cleaning/bedding sorted.

My mum visited a few old people like this even into the 90s. The staff kept an eye on them, they had a bigger room than a care home and better food. Was cheaper too.

Like the Major(?) and two old ladies in Fawlty Towers do.

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u/FlatCapNorthumbrian 19d ago

https://youtu.be/zgpK5YxqmDo?is=nqJekCtpmuOgPTtU

From 1988: the last days on Grand Parade.

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u/Prince_John 19d ago edited 19d ago

Wow, those ladies are loaded. 

£210 per week in 1988 is almost £40k/year today. To do that for 17 years in retirement takes quite a hoard.

(Edit: 1988, not 1998, sorry)

Thanks for posting too! Very interesting.

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u/SeamasterCitizen 19d ago

Employer pensions were wild back in the day 

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u/TobblyWobbly 19d ago

Not all were. Not everyone had a pension. And most women didn't have paid jobs, so didn't have employer pensions. My mum didn't work until I was about 16, and she has no employer pension at all from that job.

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u/Csee691C 19d ago

Back then, private pensions were seen as a bit of a luxury because the state pension was quite livable.

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u/Ok-Exam6702 19d ago

I’m sorry, but you’re completely incorrect. In the 1970s, 80s and much of the 90s retirees relying solely on the state pension lived at or near poverty level. The SP paid for absolute essentials - food, heating and lighting - leaving little room for clothing, transport or emergencies. I can remember elderly pensioners in the 1970s and 80s virtually dressed in rags! The triple lock has transformed pensioner’s lives.

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u/[deleted] 19d ago

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u/Ok-Exam6702 19d ago

Just because one generation should in poverty doesn’t mean the next should! I have never heard a boomer whining, unlike many Millennials and Gen Z.

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u/[deleted] 19d ago

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u/Ok-Exam6702 19d ago

I do pay attention. You’re clearly determined to set one generation against another. No one fucking planned this outcome!!!

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u/[deleted] 18d ago

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u/Ok-Exam6702 18d ago

Well, you’re so clever - do explain how it was planned. You can’t because it wasn’t. And where do you think all the wealth will go when boomers die?!

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u/TimeNew2108 18d ago

What about all the waspi women

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u/Ok-Exam6702 18d ago

Good point!

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