This has certainly been the summer of travel. Whether for work or fun or some combination of the two, I have visited the beach, New York, Washington, and Los Angeles in the past two months.

I traveled to the last destination just last week for a conference, which luckily included a bunch of free time in the evenings. That helped me remember one important thing about travel.

I love hotel living.

The trip put me in L.A. for four nights. I had a pretty nice room with a decent view – not the Hollywood sign, but not too shabby.

But the view didn’t really matter to me. After all, I had a room all to myself with someone to come in and clean up to me. Who cares about the view when you have that kind of life?

I didn’t stay in my room the whole time and veg out, but when I did, I made sure to enjoy all the luxury I could.

To start off, my room had its own digital thermostat. My wife and I often have very different opinions about the temperature inside the house, so this was like Christmas in August.

If I got a little warm, I could bump it down a little bit. When I got cold, I could push up the temperature a degree. Or even half a degree. Now that’s the life.

Hotel living also makes me do something I never do at home – wear a bathrobe. I never feel comfortable in one at home, but as soon as I see that fluffy white robe hanging in a hotel closet, I can’t wait to put it on and put my feet up.

Every time I do this, I say that I will think about getting a bathrobe for home, and then I get back to town and go back to my lounging routine of gym shorts in the warmer months and sweat pants when it’s chilly.

I’m glad I got a chance to get out and see some sights after sessions of the conference because the hotels make it all too easy for you to never leave your room.

Not only can you control the temperature was you walk around in a bathrobe like some sort of millionaire (or bum), they now give you your own coffee maker and, at places like the one where I stayed last week, your own refrigerator.

So I didn’t have to go get coffee to start the day, and I could buy a few beers to make sure I could end the day with a refreshing beverage in the comfort of my own room. Add in the possibility of room service, and you have a lazy man’s paradise.

Like all things, however, it gets old after a while. It’s nice to have housekeeping clean up after you, but you miss your family. The bathrobe just doesn’t have the same feel as the shorts you have had for several years. And the novelty wears off fighting over the temperature with yourself.

At least I got a free pen out of the whole deal. The fringe benefits never seem to end.