What is a split stay: the plain English guide

A simple explanation of split stays, why travellers use them, and where to start with London-first examples and practical next steps.

Editorial Summary

URL: https://hotel-splitter.com/guides/split-stays
Category/Topic: Split stays (the concept), how they work, and where to start
Who this is for: Anyone who wants to understand the “split stay” approach before choosing dates or cities
Why we wrote this: Because split stays are often misunderstood as “moving constantly”, when the best version is usually one simple switch
What’s inside: A clean definition, the two reasons people do it (value and experience), and the best guides to go deeper
Maintained by: Hotel Splitter Editorial

Split stays: the plain-English definition

A split stay is when you divide one trip across more than one hotel. The most practical version is a one-change week: two hotel segments, one mid-trip switch.

Why travellers use split stays

More value: when prices spike on certain nights, switching once can keep the overall total lower.
More choice: if one hotel can’t cover every night (or only some nights are good value), a split stay can make the dates work.
More of the city: two nearby bases let you experience two different areas in one trip — with just one simple switch.

Start with the full guide

What Are Split Stays? The Ultimate Guide

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Last updated: Jan 2026.