Checkout TBD

In January of 2017, Elizabeth Dupin, her husband Eduardo, and one-year-old daughter Cora, moved from Sao Paulo, Brazil, into the Residence Inn Hotel in Dayton, Ohio.

“We were relocating from Brazil and needed a place to stay (with a kitchen) while we were in between permanent residences,” Dupin said. “The company that my husband works for set us up here for two months while we waited to locate and secure housing.”

Blistery cold winds swept through while the Dupin family moved their five bags on a luggage cart across the thick black ice at the Dayton Residence Inn parking lot. The two-bedroom suite where the family would live for two months was decorated in the Residence Inn color scheme—white walls in the exterior rooms, and white, yellow, and orange walls in the interior rooms.

The hotel room structure was ideal for the Dupin family. Dupin called it “a small, compacted living space: two bedrooms, both with full baths, plus a small kitchen with basic cooking utensils.” Their room also had a table that sat in front of a tiny living room.

The Dupins took advantage of the things they had never owned: two king-sized beds and TVs occupying each room. The excitement wore off when the Dupin family noticed some issues with their room. “Since we were there all the time, we started to notice the little things, like the carpet was frayed near our front door, or the tub had an odd caulk line. In one room, the heating system never worked properly,” said Dupin.

Majority of the hotel staff quickly became acquainted and friendly with the Dupin family during their time at Residence Inn Hotel. “The service was still great. The front desk knew our names and always said hi to us as we came and went. Housekeeping worked around our daughter’s nap schedule, and maintenance was prompt. They even let us use the hotel’s address to register our cars with the DMV, and we started getting our mail there,” said Dupin.

The Dupin family were not the only ones living long-term at the Residence Inn Hotel. Some were there for medical reasons, others for business, and some were just homeless.

Diane Bond, 34, is a single mother of two who stayed at the Dayton Residence Inn for eight months--recounting her homeless situation, and became acquainted with the Dupin family. “The Dupins were really nice people. The best time we had was at the indoor swimming pool and at the lounging area where we sometimes played board games,” Bond said.

A month and a half had passed, and the hotel’s room floor was shrinking with more of the Dupin’s belongings. Stuff for their new home occupied most of the space. “We had to buy new furniture and every single thing for our new home, our room was holding everything,” Dupin said.

Toys multiplied overnight, leaving less floor space in such a small space. After tidying up their room, the Dupin family decided to treat themselves at a restaurant not far from the hotel. “We all wanted to get out and not look at all our stuff or the hotel room for a while,” said Eduardo Dupin.

Relaxing in the restaurant’s booth, Eduardo had to rethink of his family future while living in a small hotel. “We had to open a new bank account, and we needed to update our driver’s license to prove our Ohio residency. I was working all day and all night, and it was up to me to help build my family’s future,” said Eduardo Dupin.

In the spring of 2017, the Dupin family moved into a four bed-room house in Poland, Ohio, where they continue to build their future. “Coming off the heels of jetlag, cultural shock, reclamation, and going from extreme summers to the dead of winter was overwhelming. I am very thankful and lucky we landed where we did,” said Dupin.

This article can be found in my latest design magazine the Elbow Room!