Definition of Miami Beach accommodations

When you're exploring your options for your Miami Beach accommodations, you will encounter a variety of terms that may be unfamiliar to you. Of course, you've likely heard the words "hotel" and "motel" before, but what about "Miami Beach aparthotels," "condo hotels," "suite hotels," furnished condominiums" or "vacation rental homes"?

All of these types of Miami Beach accommodations describe the same category of loding: extended stay facilities.

Although the term is not as commonly encountered today, virtually all travel in the 19th century fit our modern definition of an extended stay. Because travel by horse-drawn carriage was time consuming, travelers would book spaces in rooming houses with the intentions of staying for two weeks or more. At this time, the purpose of travel was largely motivated by pleasure and a sense of exploration, but as the American economy grew, people began to travel for business as well.

At the start of the 20th century, the hospitality industry responded to the changing face of travel by constructing hotels and motels, which were designed primarily for shorter stays. During the last 30 years, the travel industry has once again undergone a major revolution, shifting back to the extended stay model for travel. Major hotel chains led the trend with Marriott opening its first locations of its largest extended stay brand, the Residence Inn, in 1974.

The modern definition of an extended stay is any trip that lasts for more than a week. Facilities that cater to extended stay guests, such as Miami aparthotels, offer amenities that appeal to both pleasure and business travelers. The rooms in extended stay facilities are typically larger in size than those found in short-term stay facilities and feature conveniences that make it possible to remain on the premises comfortably for over one week, such as in-room kitchenettes.

The popularity of extended stay facilities in Miami Beach and the rest of the country has led to an explosion of growth in the hospitality industry. In 1998, it was estimated that as many as 40 percent of the rooms that were planned to be constructed that year would be for designed for extended stays.

The huge growth in the extended stay sector of the travel industry has led to many options for extended stay facilities in Miami, where you will find:

• Suite style hotels with built-in kitchenettes
• Aparthotel and condominium hotel buildings
• Furnished short-term apartment vacation rentals
• Furnished semi-detached or fully-detached homes for short-term vacation rentals

If you plan to be in the Miami area for more than a week, these types of extended stay facilities offer an alternative to a traditional hotel room, allowing you to feel like you are at a home away from home rather than in an uncomfortable hotel room for the duration of your trip.