It’s so much easier to have friends or family visit from out of town when they’re not staying at your house. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had many houseguests sleep on my couch, and spending an entire weekend with them has been buckets of fun. However, their staying at your house the whole time necessitates that you feed and entertain them for the duration of their stay, which, depending on the circumstances, could be days, weeks, or even months. When out-of-town guests stay at a hotel or an AirBNB, they have a nice warm bed in a clean, boring room, complimentary breakfast, and a solid amount of time away from you so that they really enjoy the quality time you spend together. Even when you have a guest room and a bathroom available, sometimes paying for your in-law’s hotel room is worth maintaining both of your sanities when they visit.