An idea worth checking into?
In a viral Facebook post, one Texas man says he is choosing to live out his days in a Holiday Inn, as opposed to a retirement home.
“No nursing home for us. We’ll be checking into a Holiday Inn!” Terry Robison said. At the moment, the post has received more than 90,000 reactions and over 121,000 shares.
With his senior discount, free breakfast, and happy hour offerings, Robison calculates that stays at the hotel chain would run him $59.23 per night as opposed to his other calculation of the $188/day cost of an average nursing home, this is clearly a steal. “That leaves $128.77 a day for lunch and dinner in any restaurant we want, or room service, laundry, gratuities and special TV movies,” Robison clarified.
Robison points out that most of the properties have such free amenities as toothpaste, razors, and shampoo, and “$5-worth of tips a day and you’ll have the entire staff scrambling to help you.”
The great thing about this retirement plan, says Robison, is that, “you’re not stuck in one place forever—you can move from Inn to Inn, or even from city to city.”
Facebook users were more than encouraging in the post’s comments section. “I agree with you. The hotel will wash the sheets and towels for you too. In some of the assisted living places you have to wash everything,” one user wrote.
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Additionally, Robison says if an older person such as himself were to fall and break their hip, Holiday Inn will allegedly upgrade you to a suite for the rest of your life.
Another user claims that Robison isn’t the first to have this idea. “I like the way y’all think! BTW – I’ve actually met an elderly lady one time that was actually living in a Hampton Inn. She was quite content.”
We think Terry’s mobile retirement plan is so awesome that we picked out several awesome Holiday Inn retirement destinations that fit into his $188/night budget.
- Holiday Inn Express & Suites Panama City Beach – Beachfront, we found prices from $174.80/night. Though Panama City can be quite congested with tourists around spring break, the sprawling beach and natural beauty are certainly welcoming, especially to any retirees who have flocked to the area in recent years.
- Holiday Inn Knoxville Downtown, we found prices from $119/night. A 2017 study found that Knoxville is the number one place to retire early among U.S. cities!
- Holiday Inn: NYC – Lower East Side, we found prices from from $162.45/night. If you’re a New Yorker at heart (and not open to the idea of completely re-locating), the eclectic energy of the Lower East Side will certainly keep you on your toes and this property won’t break the bank.
- Holiday Inn Harborview – Port Washington, we found prices from $86/night.
- Holiday Inn Express & Suites Gulf Shores, we found prices from $84.55/night. Beautiful, quiet beaches with perfect sand—what more can you want from a retirement spot? Cheap cost of living? Done!
- Holiday Inn Express Boise Downtown, we found prices from $93/night. Boise is the 10th safest city in America, according to Cheat Sheet, and the third “best-run,” according to WalletHub.
If Terry is feeling adventurous and plans on taking his retirement plans international, he could try these scenic cities with notable Holiday Inns: London (the Kingston South Holiday Inn starts at $74/night), Nice (the Holiday Inn in this French city starts at $97/night), or Malta (yes, there’s even a Holiday Inn on this gorgeous island and it starts at $58/night).