RV Park vs. Extended Stay Hotel for Turnaround Workers

If you're heading to the Texas Gulf Coast for a refinery turnaround at Marathon, Valero, LyondellBasell, or one of the other major plants in Texas City, Baytown, or Freeport, you've got a housing decision to make. The two most common options for workers on extended assignments are extended stay hotels and RV parks.

Both have their place. But the cost difference — and the quality-of-life difference — is bigger than most people realize until they've done both.

Let's run a realistic comparison for a 6-week (42-night) assignment.

Extended stay hotels near Texas City and La Marque typically run:

• Budget options: $65–$85/night
• Mid-range options: $90–$120/night

At $80/night for 42 nights: $3,360 total

That's just the room. Add:

• Eating out for most meals (limited kitchen, no grill): $40–$60/day → $1,680–$2,520
• Laundry at the hotel or laundromat: $80–$120
• Total estimated cost: $5,120–$6,000

At Little Thicket RV Resort, our monthly rates are:

• 50-amp full hook-up: $590/month
• 30-amp full hook-up: $570/month

For a 6-week stay, that's roughly 1.5 months: $855–$885

Add:

• Groceries and cooking your own meals: $50–$70/week → $300–$420
• Laundry on-site (included in amenities): $0–$40
• Total estimated cost: $1,155–$1,345

RV park vs. extended stay hotel: $3,800–$4,700 in savings over 6 weeks.

That's not a rounding error. That's a significant portion of your take-home pay staying in your pocket.

The numbers favor the RV park heavily, but it's worth being honest about the trade-offs.

• You need an RV. If you don't own one, you'll need to rent or borrow. RV rentals in the area run $100–$200/night for short-term, but monthly rental rates are much more reasonable. Factor this in if it applies to you.
• Setup time. Hooking up water, power, and sewer takes 20–30 minutes when you arrive. It's not hard, but it's a step hotels don't require.
• Less square footage. Most RVs are 200–400 square feet. If you're used to a hotel room with a separate living area, it's an adjustment.

• Your own kitchen. Cook your own meals, save hundreds of dollars, eat better.
• Your own bathroom. No shared facilities, no waiting.
• More privacy. Your own space, your own schedule, no neighbors in the next room.
• Outdoor space. A chair outside your door, fresh air, room to decompress after a long shift.
• Laundry on-site. Most full hook-up parks have laundry facilities.
• Community. Other workers in similar situations. It's surprisingly easy to find people who know the same job sites, the same foremen, the same schedules.
• Pets welcome. Most extended stay hotels charge significant pet fees or don't allow pets at all. RV parks are generally pet-friendly.

• You own or can rent an RV
• You're on assignment for 3+ weeks
• You want to maximize take-home pay
• You prefer cooking your own meals
• You have a pet
• You value privacy and your own space

• You don't have access to an RV
• Your assignment is 2 weeks or less
• Your per diem covers the cost and you're not paying out of pocket
• You prefer not to deal with RV setup and maintenance

Many contract workers receive a per diem allowance for housing and meals. If your per diem covers your actual costs, the comparison changes — you're not paying out of pocket either way.

But if your per diem is fixed and you can pocket the difference between your allowance and your actual costs, an RV park lets you keep significantly more. A $100/day per diem against a $20/day RV park cost means $80/day in your pocket — $3,360 over a 6-week job.

Not all RV parks are set up for extended work stays. When evaluating options, look for:

• Full hook-ups (water, electric, sewer) — essential for long stays
• Monthly rates — significantly cheaper than nightly or weekly
• Laundry facilities on-site
• Good cell signal — you need reliable connectivity for work apps and communication
• Security — a gated or well-managed park is worth it for peace of mind
• Proximity to the job site — every mile of commute adds up over a long assignment

Little Thicket RV Resort checks all of these boxes, and we're located in La Marque — centrally positioned between the Texas City, Baytown, and Freeport plant clusters.

If you're planning a Gulf Coast turnaround and want to know about availability, contact us or view our rates. We work with contract workers regularly and can help you figure out the best setup for your assignment length and rig.