I stayed for 10 nights in one location and popped away for just one night somewhere else. Checking out would've meant packing up everything after I'd moved into the room. If it'd be a hassle for me to check out of that, I can't even imagine the hassle from the poster who mentioned an 8 month stay. So yes, sometimes checking out and asking the hotel to keep most of the luggage would really be such a hassle.