:sshepard/iStock(SPRING, Texas) — A man on the brink of retirement found an alternative way to live out his “golden” years: by spending them in a Holiday Inn rather than a retirement home.
Spring, Texas, resident Terry Robison, 64, worked out a detailed comparison between the two options, and the mid-priced hotel chain appeared to win out by a landslide.
Robison wrote on Facebook that the average cost of nursing home care is about $188 per day. A long-term stay with a senior discount at Holiday Inn, on the other hand, is $59.23 per day.
“That leaves $128.77 a day for lunch and dinner in any restaurant we want, or room service, laundry, gratuities and special TV movies,” he wrote. “Plus, they provide a spa, swimming pool, a workout room, a lounge and washer-dryer, etc.”
The benefits of Holiday Inn, Robison added, also include free toothpaste, razors, shampoo and soap. An additional $5 a day in tips will “have the entire staff scrambling to help you” as well, he wrote.
“They treat you like a customer, not a patient,” he said.
Holiday Inn also provides a spa, swimming pool, gym, lounge and washer-dryers, but the amenities don’t stop there. The location where Robison checked out reservations has a city bus stop right in front, where seniors can ride for free.
In addition, guests can “take the airport shuttle bus” to eat at one of the restaurants at the local airport for “a change of scenery,” he wrote. From there, they can take a flight to another Holiday Inn as well, he mused.
“You’re not stuck in one place forever — you can move from Inn or Inn, or even from city to city,” he wrote.
The competition to find a comfortable room isn’t as steep either, Robison wrote.
“It takes months to get into decent nursing homes,” he wrote. “Holiday Inn will take your reservation today.”
And the maintenance is virtually nonexistent, Robison figured.
“TV broken? Light bulbs need changing? Need a mattress replaced? No problem,” Robison wrote. “They fix everything, and apologize for the inconvenience.”
Robison did not mention what kind of health he is in, but said staff like a security guard or maid could check to see if he is OK as well as call an ambulance or an undertaker, whichever is needed.
“If you fall and break a hip, Medicare will pay for the hip, and Holiday Inn will upgrade you to a suite for the rest of your life,” he wrote, adding that he’d face his “golden age” with “a grin.”
A representative for InterContinental Hotels Group, which Holiday Inn is a subsidiary of, did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
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