Yes, you can use the Hold status to keep the listing entry in the MLS but suspend the days on market counter while your clients travel, or are entertaining guests, or are refinishing their basement like you told them to earlier. While on Hold you can still discuss the listing with your fellow agents, but the listing entry will not be included in our IDX feeds, nor will it accrue days on market. When you are ready to make it active, simply edit the status to Active and it will pick up where it left off.
If your client is going to want to suspend marketing for more than 30 days, you should discuss other options that may serve them better with your broker.