How One Family Turned an Unexpected Extended Stay at Catbird Into One of Their Favorite Summers

When Home Wasn't Ready Yet, Catbird Was

There are plenty of reasons to book an extended stay: a work relocation, a home renovation, or a temporary assignment in a new city. Usually, it's a practical decision - a place to land until life settles back into place. 

But sometimes, the unexpected becomes the part you remember most. When Erica Endorf, Regional Director of Operations for Sage Hospitality Group, relocated her family from South Carolina to Colorado, the timing seemed perfect. Her husband and two daughters were excited to return to the state they had always considered home, and with summer just beginning, they expected to settle into a new house before school started.

Instead, the first home they planned to purchase didn't pass inspection, sending the family back to square one. Moving boxes stayed packed, suitcases came out, and what was meant to be a brief stopover became a two-month stay at Catbird Hotel in Denver's RiNo Art District.

"It was absolutely worth the wait," Erica said. "We found the perfect home for our family."

In many ways, they found one before that.

More Than A Place To Stay

Ask someone to describe an extended stay hotel, and you'll probably hear words like convenient, functional, or practical.

Those qualities certainly matter when you're relocating or searching for temporary housing in Denver. But after a few days, convenience fades into the background. What matters is whether everyday life can continue to feel familiar.

For Erica's family, Catbird quickly became more than a furnished hotel suite between house tours.

"All we needed was enough space to unpack and make ourselves feel at home," Erica said. "But we received so much more."

The apartment-style accommodations gave everyone room to spread out, while the full kitchen meant dinner didn't automatically become takeout. Some mornings, the girls woke early to make French toast, filling the room with the familiar smell of breakfast. As the days settled into a gentle cadence, so did the evenings. The lofted bed became the family's favorite gathering spot, where movie nights on Catbird's 4K Ultra HD, 6 ft × 8 ft drop-down projector and oversized drop-down screen, snacks, and stories from the day's adventures became a cherished nighttime tradition. Those familiar rituals brought a sense of normalcy during a season filled with change, creating a place where everyday life could continue with ease.

The Summer the Girls Still Talk About

Moving is rarely easy, especially when you're twelve years old. Leaving behind close friends, a familiar neighborhood, and the life you've built can make even the most exciting new chapter feel bittersweet.

"When they were first told we were moving, it was not met with enthusiasm," Erica admitted. "But they came around and couldn't be happier."

The girls quickly made Catbird part of their own adventure, filming videos around the design-forward guest room, exploring the lobby, and proudly showing friends back in South Carolina what their temporary home looked like. Rather than counting down the days until they could move into their house, they embraced everything that made the experience unique.

"The girls will be talking about the summer at Catbird for years to come," Erica said.

One memory perfectly captures the spirit of that summer. One of Erica's daughters brought a small bonsai tree from South Carolina and decided it belonged among the plants at Rook, Catbird's rooftop haven with sweeping city skyline views. Every day, she'd head upstairs to check on it, as if it had found a place alongside the family. It's a simple detail, but one that says everything.

Finding a Sense of Home in RiNo

One of the things that makes Catbird special is that the experience doesn't end at the front door. Located in Denver's RiNo Art District, Catbird puts guests within walking distance of murals, locally owned restaurants, breweries, coffee shops, galleries, and neighborhood events. For weekend travelers, that means less time coordinating transportation and more time exploring. For families relocating to Denver, it means everyday errands and spontaneous adventures happen naturally.

Before long, RiNo had become part of the family's everyday story.

Walks to Denver Central Market became a tradition, usually ending with a sweet treat before wandering back through RiNo's vibrant streets. They celebrated the exciting news that their offer on a new home had been accepted over dinner at Carne, discovered neighborhood favorites, and spent afternoons riding bikes through Confluence Park.

"There are so many cute, unassuming hidden gems in the RiNo neighborhood," Erica said. "I'm pretty sure we tried them all." With the RTD Light Rail station just a block and a half away, Erica's commute downtown was only one stop. Most days, the car never left the garage. Instead, the family relied on public transit to explore neighborhoods across Denver while waiting for their permanent home to be ready.

By the end of the summer, Catbird had become much more than a hotel.

It had quietly become the place where their next chapter began.

The Little Things That Made the Biggest Difference

Looking back, Erica remembers the little things.

Laundry on every floor meant life never piled up, even with two growing girls. Sparkling water stations became a daily stop thanks to her daughters' love for bubbly water, and every time Katie's Pet Portraits hosted a lobby pop-up, the family stopped to chat while dreaming about the dog they hoped to welcome once they settled into their new home.

Some of their favorite mornings didn't require leaving the hotel. They'd order breakfast from Catbird Kitchen, spread out a puzzle in the lobby, and ease into the day together. Evenings often ended upstairs at Rook, where board games, grilled cheese dinners, and picturesque golden hour views became some of the family's favorite memories.

"I can't think of a better way to end the evening than enjoying a beautiful sunset on the roof playing games with my family," Erica said.

When she later asked her daughters what they remembered most about the summer, their answers made her laugh.

"The people, breakfast, art, and bar," they told her—quickly clarifying that by "bar," they meant the people and games at Rook, not the cocktails.

For kids who were supposed to be staying in a hotel, they weren't talking about a hotel at all. They were talking about memories.

Hospitality, Through a Different Lens

As Sage Hospitality Group's Regional Director of Operations, Erica understands hospitality from a perspective most guests never see. Living at Catbird gave her the opportunity to experience it from the other side.

When asked what makes Catbird such a strong option for extended stays, she didn't list amenities. Instead, she described how thoughtfully the guest experience had been designed.

"Everything has been thought of," she said, pointing to the compact kitchens, laundry rooms on every floor, water stations, ready-to-heat meals in the lobby, games throughout the property, and thoughtful storage that kept everyday life organized.

Then she shared what mattered most.

"But most importantly, the team. They were our extended family."

That sentiment surfaced throughout nearly every answer she gave: conversations in the lobby, recommendations for places to explore, genuine interest in the family's home search, and team members who celebrated milestones alongside them.

For Erica, those small moments were what made the experience unforgettable.

More Than an Extended Stay

Relocating comes with uncertainty, whether it's waiting on paperwork, a delayed closing, or a home renovation that takes longer than expected. During those in-between seasons, there's comfort in finding a place where life doesn't have to pause.

For Erica and her family, Catbird became exactly that: not just temporary housing in Denver, but a place where dinners were cooked, movie nights became tradition, friendships were formed, and an unexpected detour became one of the family's favorite summers.

Looking back, Erica summed it up best:

"Catbird is perfect. It's fully furnished with all the conveniences you think you need and more that you didn't realize you needed. The neighborhood is continuing to grow and has so many great shops and restaurants within walking distance."

Whether you're relocating to Denver, planning an extended stay, or traveling for work, the best accommodations leave you with more than a comfortable stay. They leave you with memories that stay with you long after checkout. If your next chapter brings you to the Mile High City, we'd love to welcome you to Catbird. Explore our extended stay offers and start planning your stay.