Hotel or Apartment: How to Choose

Depending on where you live, you may be lucky enough to have clinical trials available nearby. Many patients might only live a few hours from their site, while others are halfway across the country, or even across the world. Some trial visits are just for a few short days, while other visits and appointments can range from several weeks to even months. Staying at a traditional hotel means that patients would likely need to eat out every meal and sacrifice some common household amenities, which is OK for a few days based on the conveniences that hotels provide. However, after a few days, people tend to miss having space, a home-like feeling, and the ability to cook.

For stays of less than a month but more than 5-7 days, we search for long-stay hotel options.
These hotels can offer rooms with small kitchens and some with separate living spaces that offer pull-out sofas, relaxing chairs, dining area, etc. Having a small kitchen and some separation helps our families be more comfortable and can save them money on eating out. They also get the benefit of daily cleaning services and use of the hotel pool and exercise rooms. These long-stay hotels also usually offer discounts, saving our sponsor money.

When visits are for 30 days or more, we take it a step further and search for short-term furnished apartments.
Contracting out an apartment may sound daunting, but Colpitts Clinical has streamlined the process. We work directly with just a handful of our preferred leasing companies that handle apartment leases world wide. These companies understand HIPAA compliance and know that it is not the family that is signing the lease or paying the invoices, but the sponsors. They have even made the contract simpler, making it easier for our sponsors to read and get it signed by the deadline.

What are the benefits of short-term apartments versus long-stay hotels?

• Comfort: Short-term apartments are much bigger in size than hotel rooms, giving our families the space they need. Some people still need to work while they are participating in a clinical trial, so space for them to set up a small office is needed. Full-size, equipped kitchens make families feel more like they are at home. Most of these apartments have washer and dryer in unit. The apartment complexes usually have gyms, pools, and in some cases, play rooms for kids. Patients can unpack and store everything away so they are not living out of suitcases.
• Price: The cost of short-term apartments typically saves ours sponsors hundreds of dollars per month, compared to hotel prices.

Arranging extended visits for patients and their families does not have to be daunting. Advance planning always helps. If we are given enough notice of the upcoming visits, then we have more time to find the ideal accommodations for families. Sometimes it is a struggle to find accommodations during events in larger cities, but with our close relations with our leasing companies and hotel partners, we strive to make these long-term visits as stress-free as possible.