Hi there, I have a bit of a complicated situation. My boyfriend and I have been together for about 1 1/4 years and live 125 miles apart; as a result of the distance and him working a full-time job during the week, we only get to see each other on the weekends. Last year we were planning on moving in together (I would be moving out-of-state, voluntarily; I'm unemployed right now and want to leave my home state and eventually attend my college of choice, and he wants to find a place closer to his job, which is currently an hour away). We both have separate reasons for wanting to live together, but both share the sentiment of wanting to share living space and pursue a happy long-term relationship together in close quarters. Unfortunately, we haven't found any ideal or affordable apartments in the areas he had in mind, and we both feel like we don't know when we'll ever find the right place. Not only would the right place be closer to his job (and not terribly far from his family) to save him time and money, it would save him the hours he spends traveling here each weekend.

Recently, though, he came across a listing for a room in an extended stay hotel--a studio room that includes all utilities, free cable, a small kitchen area, and several other amenities. Aside from the size of the room, smaller than desirable, it seems like it has everything we would need. My question is, can a room in an extended stay hotel be a good and reliable substitute for an apartment? What are some of the differences we should know about? Are there any restrictions or limitations about renting the room, such as moving furniture in (i.e. shelving, storage, etc) or decor? I would just like to know what to expect from living there, and if it should be more of a last resort than an apartment. Thanks in advance.