Home for the Holidays

There's a fireplace with a flat-panel television above it, soft couches and tables spread with colorful foods. It's warm, and people are chatting, some laughing, others smiling quietly.

Among them are a group of eBay employees from India, families in between homes, traveling professionals, those displaced by fire, and all of them have one thing in common—this is their home-away-from-home for Thanksgiving.

, an extended-stay cluster of 95 suites off East Campbell Avenue where all these groups are staying, made the eve of Thanksgiving a little more like home.

"We are literally their home right now," says Sarah Camarda, TownePlace Suites accounts manager. "It's just our goal to make them feel like this is their home."

The average stay here is a month but the longest stay for a guest was 400 days.

"We want these people to connect with the area, connect with Campbell," Camarda says.

And TownePlace Suites tries to make it easy for them.

Warm Indian food, sandwiches, sweets and dips alongside drinks and good company made the scene this holiday.

"It's a great idea, especially coming up on a holiday," Edna Poche says. "It makes things nice for us."

Poche, a benefits counselor here on business from Florida, says that although she's traveled for her job for many years, this is the first time she's been away on a holiday.

She's staying at the TownePlace for a month and says that small get-togethers over food, such as the one Wednesday, make it easier for many of the families and individuals here alone.

"This really is like a home away from home," says Laura Holloway.

Holloway and her family have stayed at the TownePlace for the last five weeks. They sold their home in Campbell and are waiting for some remodeling work to be finished at their new home.

"This is nice, because it lets us take the time to say hi and meet other people," Holloway says.

A group of about 10 eBay employees from India are here on business. They come in, quiet at first, and then smile and even giggle as they see the Indian dishes laid out.

For Sandeep Sabat and Anup George, the chance to take in the local customs was a pleasant surprise.

Both men traveled from Chennai, India, to do some work at eBay. Sabat is a product manager and George a designer for eBay's India bureau.

"This is great," Sabat says. "When you're staying away, it's sometimes very difficult."

This is Sabat's second time in the country on business. For George, it is his first.

"It was wonderful," George says. " We get to know more of the customs first hand."