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Extended stay hotels are everywhere and according to their advertisements they can save you a lot of money if you are planning on staying in a place for more than a few nights. But are they really that great, and is the cash that you are saving really worth it?

The fact of the matter is, some extended stay hotels are better than others. There are some extended stays that are basically a regular a hotel with discounts for stays of a week or longer. Instead of paying $150 per night for the room, they might charge you $85 if you commit to 2 weeks, for instance.

There are other extended stays that are specifically designed for stays of weeks, and even months. These hotels are more like small apartments and are more self-sustained. Although you will still get maid service with them, they will most likely offer kitchenettes and other amenities that make you feel more at home.

Some extended stays get the reputation for being seedy and catering to a crowd that you might not necessarily want to meet after dark. On the other hand, there are some that have excellent locations, like the Candlewood Suites in Times Square, that offer 4 star service in the middle of all the action. It pays to do your research first.

For the most part, the nicer ones are still going to charge a lot of money, despite the fact that they bill themselves as offering discounts for the traveler who is in town for extended business. The Residence Inn in downtown Chicago, for example, charges around $175 per night, if you stay a minimum of 2 weeks. That is more than $2400 for 2 weeks. You could practically rent an apartment for that much, especially if you were planning on staying longer. However, it might not have the amenities that the Residence Inn offers, or the location.

Not all extended stay hotels are this expensive, of course. Some offer rates at $175 per week, which can be substantially cheaper than paying even $75 per night, which can be about the average price of a moderate hotel in most medium sized cities.

If you added in the cost of cable, maid service, utilities, and any other amenities like a swimming pool, free wifi, and fitness center, then paying $500-1,000 per week might actually make you come out ahead. This is especially true in a city like New York where hotels can run anywhere from $150 to $800 per night.

If you are staying for a month or two in a medium sized town where the cost of a rental home or apartment isn’t that much to begin with, then an extended stay hotel that doesn’t offer any amenities other than the room might save you some money, but might not be worth it when it comes to your privacy. Some people prefer the ease of staying in a hotel while others prefer to have their own space and a larger area to live in-especially if they are going to be there for awhile.