Travel pro claims living in 5-star hotels full-time is cheaper than paying rent
A Californian woman has claimed that it’s cheaper for her to live life on the road staying in five-star hotels each night than paying rent for a flat.
Ashley McCurdy, 35, was paying $2,300 (£1,950) in rent each month for a one-bedroom home in LA, but two years ago decided to become a “digital nomad”.
Now, she travels the globe on a whim staying in gorgeous Marriott hotels and working from glam locations like Thailand, Costa Rica and Dubai.
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She manages to do so on a budget of £423 a week – that’s less than rent in many big cities and she doesn’t have to pay for bills during the spiralling cost of living crisis!
Some thing many of us only dream of doing.
Speaking to the Daily Star, Ashley explained: “I am nomadic so I don’t have an apartment or house.
“Back in 2020 I got rid of everything and now my life fits into two carry on suitcases and I travel and live in hotels full-time.
“My favourite place to stay is at Marriott hotels because they always have great deals!
“I’ve had amazing luck finding Marriott properties around the world for around $50 a night.”
The travel influencer, who shares her adventures on Instagram, @insearchoftraveler and her own travel blog, spoke about her experience on the Mike E & Emma podcast.
She said: “I realised it’s actually cheaper to live at the Marriott – this is public rates, stuff that anybody can do.
“I’m just really good at searching, I’m very flexible, I’m willing to go anywhere in the world.
“I’m very strategic about what I spend and one of the great things about hotels is that I don’t have a lot of bills.
“Breakfast is free at most Marriotts and I intermittent fast so it doubles as a lunch and sometimes they give you a food and beverage credit because I have top tier status with them because I live there.
“So a lot of times I don’t even have to pay for food if I don’t want to.”
And, Ashley shared her top tips with the Travel team for anyone wanting to try out a nomadic lifestyle.
The jet-setter noted: “The key to finding an affordable hotel room is being flexible, I’m willing to go anywhere in the world at any time so I just go to places around the world where I find deals.
“Over my two years as a full-time traveler I’ve found amazing hotel rooms in places like Dubai, Greece, Cancun, Mexico City, Costa Rica, Istanbul, Thailand and more!
“I wasn’t always planning to go to these places but the deals I found were just too good to pass up and since I’m fully nomadic and my time is unlimited for travel I don’t mind spending a month or two checking out a cool place.”
She continued: “If you are willing to go anywhere at any time you will find a deal. Where people get frustrated is when they have specific plans and dates in mind like wanting to go it Orlando during their kids spring break. Most families are thinking the same thing so prices are going to be higher at that time but perhaps there is a deal somewhere else around the world during those same dates.
“Also being loyal to a brand as a full-time traveler can have its perks.
“I earn points that I can redeem for free nights which makes that expense a lot less and I also get free perks for my loyalty to Marriott like free breakfast, food and beverage credits, free upgrades to suites (I was given my own pool villa in Thailand at the Le Meriden with a private pool and two bathrooms for free!)
“At the Le Meriden hotel and I was only paying $48 a night!”
Another incredible deal saw Ashley discover Mexico City for less than around £33 a night.
She explained: “I found an amazing Marriott property in Mexico City for less than $40 a night and even better I found a flight from Los Angeles on aero Mexico for just 12,500 points and about $30 in taxes and used my status with sky team to score a free upgrade to first class!
“It was a budget trip that didn’t feel like I was on a budget at all.”
Due to her clever tactics, Ashley spends like a budget traveller, but lives her life out of luxury hotels like the Ritz Carlton in Cancun and the W in Midtown Atlanta.
But, she reminds people that she has not been on holiday for two years as she works most days.
Ashley told Mike E & Emma: “I’m always doing my thing and you still have to work and figure out a routine and a way to make money on the road.”
The digital nomad shares all of her finds with her fans on the Clubhouse App so she can help others travel on a budget.
And, many of her followers have purchased her best travel tips course – which you can find here – where Ashley shares her best tips and tricks to travel in style without having to break the bank.
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