As if there isn’t enough going on during this merry time of year, some of us also have travel plans on our to-do list. Whether you’re visiting with or hosting family and friends for the holidays, it’s nice to be comfortable and have your own space. Maybe you stay with family, if they have the space available for you and your crew (and can tolerate you and your crew – ha!). Or maybe they don’t have room so you stay in a local hotel. Whatever the case, we all need to be comfortable while traveling. We want a little peace and privacy. Some extra room. Some comforts of home. And, if you’re like me, the ability to stay organized. So, if you’re in the thick of making holiday accommodation plans, this post couldn’t come at a better time!
And I couldn’t be more excited to team up with The Container Store® and TownePlace Suites® to bring you this post, great info and awesome giveaway for my sweet readers! Today I’m not only sharing info about a new partnership with TownePlace Suites® and The Container Store®, I’m also sharing a few of my favorite travel organization products and tips!
First of all, let me say I was blown away when I heard about this partnership because it’s genius. A hotel and organization super store teaming up to keep guests comfortable and organized? There’s no better travel combo.
Most guests stay in a hotel on average about 2 days. But during the holidays, family and friends tend to have more time off work and are able to visit longer. This is especially true if you live in a popular destination, like me, where people often want to stay longer, visit and make the most of their time. There’s so much to do here in San Francisco that when people visit they tend to make a vacation around it. TownePlace Suites® is different than many hotels because its purpose is to accomodate longer stays. They are specifically designed to meet the unique needs of travelers who are away from home for more than a few nights, usually about 5. They offer spacious one and two bedroom suites that are equipped with a full-size kitchen, free wi-fi, on-site laundry facilities, Home OfficeTM Suites (ergonomic in-room work space), free breakfast, daily housekeeping and lower rates for longer stays.
If that alone doesn’t sound amazing, they’ve teamed up with The Container Store® by adding elfa® closet systems to many of their hotel locations. Currently elfa® is in 11 locations, but the list is growing monthly. See the full list here:
Yes, an elfa® closet system in your hotel room!
Warning: you may leave your stay with closet envy.
Say buh-bye to the hotel closet with only one rod for hanging. Or maybe you don’t even bother unpacking your suitcase, instead leaving it on the folding luggage rack that’s typically available in most hotels. During your stay at TownePlace Suites®, you can unpack completely, feel more at home and keep your clothes organized / wrinkle-free. With multiple closet rods, ventilated shelves and hanging drawers how could you not feel more at home and organized?
Hello organized hotel lover…
Just imagine your things neatly unpacked and organized while you internet surf away on free wi-fi! Maybe you’ll be sharing photos of your awesome organized hotel room on Facebook! 😉
If you’ve never seen an elfa® closet system, I popped into my local Container Store® this week to snap a few pictures…
elfa® is the best solution for any room – closets, garages, pantries, kid spaces…and now TownePlace Suites®!
While I was at The Container Store® I couldn’t help but think about additional ways you can stay organized while traveling. They pretty much have every solution you can imagine for being an organized traveler, but I have a few favorite pro tips to share. I grabbed 4 of my go-to travel items to show you how to streamline your packing and stay organized while away from home…
Much like when I make use of vertical space while organizing any home or office, I do the same while traveling. There tends to be very little counter space in a hotel bathroom…or the bathroom counter of a guest room in someone’s home. And you want to be especially sure you’re a respectable guest in someone’s home. Keeping your things tidy is important and helps you easily find what you need when you’re getting ready. My go-to’s get your items organized vertically but yet are super easy to pack away in any size luggage.
But first, organized traveling starts at home. My bathroom storage closet is outfitted with see-through bins from The Container Store®. I shared that here on the blog a while back, but here’s a quick peek in…
I can see everything, it’s off the countertops and it’s neat and tidy. These organizers are streamlined and thin which means they take up very little room when hanging…
Yet they pack a huge travel organization punch because they contain SO MANY items!
Hey, I’m 40 and I need a lot of products. Don’t judge ;-).
The Container Store® sells a great variety of travel items but these are my faves…
I also go for re-useable travel bottles. While some hotel products are nice, I tend to stick with my own, so packing them into bottles and bringing along is easy when you grab a few, spill-proof plastic bottles as seen below. Of course, some of your favorite products may already come in travel-size portions…
Own products you must have on a trip but they tend to be bulky? I do…
Another travel tip is for my ladies out there that pack jewelry. Personally, I go for a solid jewelry organizer because I know my precious cargo won’t get squished or broken. You guys know how much I love compartment organizers…these small two-sided organizers do the trick for me. Just load it up, on both sides, and it’s all secure…
TownePlace Suites® and The Container Store® work beautifully together to help you stay organized and more comfortable during your time away from home. To prove that point, TownePlace Suites® is generously offering a Simply Organized reader a $100 gift card toward your stay at one of their locations!
Great giveaway! I normally just try to pack as efficient as possible because we just pull everything out of the suitcase and put them in drawers. Rarely do hotels have much closet space by the time you have the ironing board, extra bedding, safe, iron, and sometimes hair dryer hanging in there. These closet systems look great!
My favorite trick is to pack kids clothes into gallon ziplock bags by outfit. They pull out one complete outfit per day and dress themselves!!
I'm a little embarrassed to admit I use ziploc baggies. One for toiletries and one for jewelry. Been meaning to replace with something more permanent though since I hate the way they look.
I try to keep my clothes simple and accessories to a minimum. Not only does it save space, it also prevents me from misplacing things. If I have too much to keep track of, I always end up losing something. I also use a lot of sandwich baggies to hold my smaller belongings.
I use different bags with all sorts of compartments to keep everything organized. It's also easy to see if something's missing.
I use packing cubes that help. We usually use 1 suitcase for my husband, 2 toddlers & myself so organization is important.
Hi Muriel!
You're the winner of the giveaway! Would you please send me your e-mail address so that my contact can get in touch about your winnings? Thank you and congrats!
Samantha 🙂
I keep plenty of travel sized bottles, small hairspray, small shaving cream, etc. and ziploc bags to keep me organized while traveling.
Love to put the kiddos outfits in ziploc gallon sized bags and then label them 🙂
Everyone gets packed separately and everything gets put away immediately w/ coordinating outfits & accessories. The same goes with toiletries. This way everyone knows they have everything packed before we leave.
I use packing cubes in my bag. When I reach mu destination I pull them out, zip open the top, and set them in a drawer. It takes 10 seconds to unpack my clothes. I keep a toiletries bag packed and ready to go at all times so it's easy to grab and go.
someluckydog at gmail dot com
When I travel, I put my items in small baggies and the into a larger make up bag…this hanging organizer its really what I need.
I find shoe boxes work great as dividers in suitcases…just like you showed in your dresser drawers at home!
I use the re-useable containers for shampoos and such. They don't take up much space and I have the products I know work with my sensitive skin. I also pack the heaviest, sturdiest items in the bottom and fill in the soft, flexible stuff on top.
I have a hanging organizer similar to the one shown and don't leave home without it!
Ugh, I always pack way more than needed! I need to look at some of the ideas to get help. If I'm at my families house I wash our dirty clothes at their house to bring home clean. If I'm at a hotel I always keep a list of what I brought so I don't forget something.
We all have our own suitcases, we don't unpack and have our clothes organized by outfits and have at least two extra outfits. We always keep toiletries in the bag and just take out what we need.
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
I always travel with a large mesh laundry bag so that dirty clothes have a place to go!
I don't spread out once I'm at my location. Personally I don't feel like I'm living out of a suitcase, it lets me feel like I know where evening is since it's right where I packed it.
I pack as little as possible – choosing a few pieces of clothing and jewelry to mix and max to create different outfits. And no more than 3 pairs of shoes.
My husband always puts his clothes in the dressers at hotel, but I just cannot do that! It grosses me out! The Elfa system would be awesome to use!
everyone gets their own suitcase!
To stay organized, everyone has their own suitcase, & I also pack hangers & bags for my dirty clothes so I can keep them seperated.
andysavi.mom@gmail.com
I like to pack outfits folded together. If I have a short sleeved t that is always worn (or I plan to wear) with a particular buttoned down shirt, for example, the t gets packed folded inside the other shirt.
We pack light and seperately! We also use lots of Ziplock bags to keep things organized.
alaine74014 at gmail dot com
Their glide-out dreawers and extra hangars would sure come in handy! I keep items I need first packed on top in the suitcase. I also use one of those hanging travel organizers to keep my makeup, medicine, hair items, costume jewelry (I keep the good jewelry in a safe). That to me is the most useful tip I can offer.
Digicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net
I pack by the day, with PJs on top.
I always unpack if we're doing an extended stay. Nothing worse than trying to dig through a suitcase to find what you need!
To stay organized, I pack clothing items I will need first on top. Another thing I find indispensable is a hanging organizer where I keep my makeup, hair products, etc. I can't do without extra hangers and Ziploc bags, either.
To stay organized I use packing cubes, zip top bags and ziploc bags. I have two different sized bags prepacked for quick trips and the trish mcevoy makeup planner is a sanity saver which I have used for years and love! I am always looking for well made see through bags to improve my organization and make life on the road easier.