5 Lodging Options for Athletes In and Off Sports and Training Seasons

With a need for comfort, convenience, and affordability, finding a place to call home for a short period can be daunting, especially for team managers tasked with organizing hotels for teams.

Luckily, there are a few options that can meet the many needs of an athlete or coach, all while keeping the process as simplified as possible for the organizer.

To help get you started, we’ve rounded up everything to know about temporary housing for teams and athletes, including options and the benefits of each.

Short-Term Lodging Options for Athletes

Several short-term lodging options can accommodate the ever-changing needs of athletes. Below are just a few to get you started, plus the instances when they might be the right choice.

1. Extended Stay Hotels

Hotel stays don’t always make for the best choice when it comes to longer stays, but extended stay hotels help to fix that, especially when it comes to team hotels.

These hotels are often a more inclusive version of typical hotel guest rooms in that they come equipped with kitchens and laundry facilities — perfect for athletes looking to have everything they need in one place without breaking the bank.

Extended stay hotel rooms are often cozier and homier than traditional hotels, offering something more comparable to a home without being one.

For sports teams, this is also an excellent option for room blocks with varying room types and group rates to help keep everyone together to meet team needs.

Best of all, these properties are almost always located in convenient locations.

Best for: Tournaments

Who doesn’t love a good tournament?

The process of deciding who is the best can be fun but stressful. Oftentimes, a tournament can keep players away from their homes for long periods.

Regardless, tournaments drive up the need for accommodating housing options.

Extended stays can help to ensure the entire team has proper housing, which is vital for success when it comes time.

2. Budget Hotels

Beginner athletes who don’t have the funds to live in lavish places can appreciate budget hotels.

Budget hotels allow for a roof over your head and cover the necessities while keeping costs low.

If someone’s only goal is to have a place to regroup and rest between long days of work and play, then a budget hotel is a great choice.

Just keep in mind that this option has the least number of amenities and will not provide the luxuries that can be found in other housing options. Budget hotels are better suited for shorter stays.

Best for: Recruitment

The recruitment process can take many forms.

For example, you may be sending out college recruiters to different campuses for significant amounts of time to find new players.

But in some cases, there are recruitment events in which players can travel to a location for exhibitions that demonstrate their skills.

With the ultimate goal of being picked up, a housing oasis to return to during the process is critical.

Because the length of time required for this can vary, but funds often remain low for a rookie, a budget hotel offers a suitable option.

3. Apartment Rentals

For longer stays and a need to feel particularly at home, apartments are the way to go.

Many times, apartment complexes will offer flexible leases that are one month to three months at a time.

That means you can commit to the stay that you need without having to pay for anything more.

Plus, furnished apartments may be an option, which can help to alleviate some of the burdens you might feel during the transition process.

Apartments are ideal for those relocating for training or a tournament with a month or more commitment time.

In other words, they’re versatile but on a case-by-case basis, meaning not ideal for group stays.

If you’re going with a flexible apartment stay, begin the process early, as apartment managers may have specific guidelines to be accepted for a unit, which can take a lot of time.

The last thing you want is to be mid-negotiation days before you’re set to leave.

4. Sublet

Not wanting to put your name on something so temporary?

You can skip the application process — even the fees and credit hit — by subletting a space from someone who has already done all that.

Subletting is perfect for players who need low move-in costs and a speedier move-in thanks to potentially no application or approval process on behalf of the complex or owner.

This is also a great choice for finding already furnished spaces. To begin your search for sublet opportunities, look around online.

However, they’re also not ideal for group stays, as it is difficult to find grouped units suitable for an entire team.

If you are looking for a place for just yourself or one or two athletes, keep in mind that your name isn’t on the lease, so you’ll have no recourse if the named tenant wants the occupants to leave without notice.

Plus, subletting is not legal in every state or locality, which means the option is not available for all athletes.

You can read more on the subletting process here.

Best for: Training Camp

Because average training camps range from eight to twelve weeks, a person will likely need to relocate for the short term to finish their training.

If you’re hoping to go to a specific training program, that may be an even greater move which means proper short-term housing can make all the difference in your success.

Subletting is a great, flexible solution to work with an individual player’s needs. Or, if a handful of teammates are traveling and need to room together, subletting a large apartment may be an option.

5. Short-Term Housing

Short-term housing might be a great option for those needing a little extra space.

This option takes you out of the hotel scape — potentially facing unruly guests and cramped quarters — and allows you to feel more at home, without a longterm lease commitment or the uncertainty of subletting.

Best of all, there are month-to-month options out there that can be found across platforms – for those who have the time.

If you want to ditch the process (and headache) of finding a place to live for yourself or several traveling team members, consider working with an on-demand housing company like Travelers Haven who can help locate the best deals without any of the hassle.

With your budget and needs in mind, Travelers Haven can do the heavy lifting on even the largest group bookings while you focus on the things that matter as you prepare yourself and your team for the newest adventure.

Best for: Spring Training

Because spring training only lasts for a couple of months, this brings up the need for short-term housing – particularly grouped housing.

And because situations like this require proper, comfortable housing for all team members, there is high demand during these seasons.

To keep the team together and potentially save money with a group rate, short-term housing via a company like Travelers Haven is an excellent choice.

Learn more: What Is Corporate Housing? Full Breakdown

How to Choose the Right Short-Term Housing for Athletes

There are many short-term housing choices for athletes to choose from. The right choice for one person will likely look different than another’s.

This is why finding the perfect solution is so difficult but not impossible with a few key tools.

Some factors that can play a critical role in a player’s or even a team’s choice include the cost, location, amenities, and even the duration of the event or reason for the temporary relocation.

We’ve broken down those factors below.

Cost

Athletes have different budgets depending on where they are in their careers. While some teams may cover travel and lodging for certain events, others might not.

Because team managers are often tasked with finding housing for several players – all with different needs and price points – cost is an important factor to consider.

For teams looking for ease of billing, they might consider something like bundled billing.

Bundled billing, a benefit of Traveler’s Haven, is a single payment that covers all housing for a team rather than a number of scattered, chaotic charges.

Amenities

When it comes to comfort, amenities are everything. For athletes, comfort is likely one of the most significant deciding factors in choosing where to stay.

Amenities will vary depending on where someone chooses to stay. In the case of a cost-effective place, amenities may be scarce, such as just WiFi and parking, compared to full breakfast and premium gym access for higher-end hotels.

For an apartment, that might also look like having a doorman and intercom system in a higher-end building, while other rentals might have nothing to show for themselves at all – except the unit you’re in.

A snapshot of amenities often enjoyed by athletes include:

• Convenient dining options, including in-room or on-site for hotels
• On-site laundry facilities
• 24/7 concierge
• Meeting spaces or other accommodations for a group
• A gym
• A pool or sauna
• Complementary goods (such as snacks or beverages)
• Flexible check-in or hotel reservations (easy-to-book rooms)
• Top-notch business center

Location

Another big contender when deciding on a short-term rental option is the location.

No one wants to get stuck in traffic on the way to a big tournament game, or commute an hour each way for practice. Location is everything when it comes to bringing your A-game.

If you don’t have an opinion over the type of residence a player calls home during their stay, at least consider the location itself.

Basing the decision around the location, like a convention center or primary field, and then analyzing what is available will make the search much easier.

It doesn’t matter if you’re in a dense area like New York and Las Vegas or small towns like Myrtle Beach – locations should be convenient.

Read more: Ultimate Guide To Finding The Best Corporate Housing Locations

Conclusion

Finding the perfect housing option for players might be a challenge, but it is not impossible. All it takes is going with the right choice to help make the process as seamless as possible.

With your housing needs met, you’re more likely to successfully eliminate stress, allowing you to focus on what matters most.

Whether it’s having a stellar training season or claiming the top spot in a tournament, Travelers Haven is ready to help you find the perfect housing option.