Are travel and lodging costs tax deductible?

[Tom Albares]

We own a rental home out of state and our tenant decided not to renew his lease. We would like to remodel the home to become a short term rental. We have received a bid from a reputable contractor, but we now see that we will be required to do a good deal of the demo work to stay within our budget. Are the costs of travel and lodging at a hotel tax deductible during the renovation work? Or does it count only as one of the two annual trips to inspect your property? Any help would be appreciated.