FRESH OUTLOOK
21 reasons to stay in a serviced apartment, plus new openings
1 THERE IS ROOM TO SWING A CAT
Rather than just being somewhere to lay your head, serviced apartments give you the room to sleep, work, cook and relax – so no need to perch on the end of your hotel bed with a dinner tray.
2 THEY’RE GOOD VALUE
Serviced apartment prices are typically 20 per cent less than hotel rates of the same standard – their running costs are lower, as they don’t need to operate a kitchen 24/7 to provide room service, or fund a team of cleaners to offer daily housekeeping.
3 YOU CAN COOK FOR YOURSELF
Sitting at a table for one, night after night, becomes a drag. And queuing for the expensive breakfast buffet seems silly when all you fancy is some peanut butter on toast. Being able to cook in your own kitchen is cost-effective, convenient and handy for keeping your calorie intake in check.
4 YOUR FAMILY CAN JOIN YOU
The extra space makes it easier and cheaper for you to have several loved ones join you. Simon Morrison, managing director of Select Apartments, says: “If you want your family to stay with you at the weekend, there’s no extra charge, and most apartments have sofa beds, whereas a hotel wouldn’t take kindly to you smuggling additional people in to your room.”
5 WIFI IS FREE
Unlike many hotel brands, the vast majority of serviced apartment companies have offered free wifi from the start. Business Traveller was unable to find a provider that charged for it.
6 YOU CAN SKIP THE SMALL TALK
If you’re not one for fawning treatment from hotel staff, or over-zealous housekeeping, apartments allow you to bypass the formalities. You often don’t even have to talk to anyone – simply let yourself in and make yourself at home.
7 FACILITIES CAN RIVAL HOTELS
Gyms, pools, restaurants, bars, concierges – if any of these are an important part of your business travel routine, aparthotels and some serviced properties now offer many of these.
8 YOU CAN WASH YOUR CLOTHES
Having the option to do your own laundry – rather than paying for the privilege of having hotel staff do it for you – is cost-saving and convenient. At the very least, serviced apartments have communal laundry rooms, but many have washers and dryers in their kitchens.
9 THEY HAVE SPACE TO MEET
Time and money can be saved by hosting small meetings around the dining table of your flat. Alternatively, providers such as Marlin Apartments can book external meeting space for you, while some, such as Fraser Suites Edinburgh, have on-site boardrooms.
10 BOOKING IS EASY
The traditional system of booking an apartment – making an enquiry with a provider and waiting to hear back once they’ve checked availability – has largely changed. Many are now available on the likes of booking.com, and most providers offer online reservations for short stays. For longer periods, where enquiries are still necessary, the turnaround time has improved.“We’ll respond in one hour with a detailed proposal – web links, the rates, cancellation details and policies,” Select Apartments’ Morrison says. “Then the client sends us an email about which apartment they’re interested in, and we’ll book it.”
11 NO MINIBAR TEMPTATION
Many serviced apartment properties offer bespoke hampers or shopping services, where you pre-select groceries that you actually need, rather than reaching impulsively for the US$10 M&Ms when you get hungry.
YOU SAVE ON
12 LONGER STAYS
Apartments are a good option for those working away from home on a long-term project – the general rule is that after seven nights, the nightly rate starts to fall (unlike hotel rates, which remain static). Joyce Cawthorpe, marketing and media manager for the Association of Serviced Apartment Providers (ASAP), says: “The VAT reduces to 4 per cent after 28 nights. And these days, instead of having to book an apartment for ten weeks solid, many providers allow companies to book from Monday to Friday for a ten-week block.”
13 THEY’RE REGULATED
Tried Airbnb? Loved it? Great, but if you’re on a company travel policy, you can’t always ensure that its properties meet the necessary safety and quality requirements. Each ASAP member is assessed to ensure they meet the association’s standards, so you won’t arrive and find they’re different from the website, or that they don’t exist at all…
14 THEY’RE UNASSUMING
FROM THE OUTSIDE
Serviced apartments tend to operate under the radar. Many are housed in converted buildings around the city, which can not only create that “live like a local” experience but can boost their security rating when you don’t want to stay somewhere that screams “tourist”.
15 THEY’RE NOT ALL BORING
Don’t dismiss serviced apartments as boxy, bland spaces with cookiecutter décor. Check out the luxury interiors of London’s Cheval Three Quays, with its Thames views; the exposed 15th-century walls of Old Town Chambers in Edinburgh; the swinging Sixties vibe at Staying Cool at the Rotunda Birmingham; and the plush, masculine interiors with bright accents at Grosvenor House Apartments by Jumeirah Living – to name a few.
16 YOU CAN HAVE PEOPLE OVER
After a long day at a conference, joining colleagues on a bar crawl can be the last thing you want to do. Opting for an apartment means you have the space to invite people over for some actual downtime – sofa space, company, a couple of beers and a well-priced takeaway. Feeling antisocial? You can relax in your living room and watch TV.
From top:
Capri by Fraser Frankfurt; Fraser Suites Geneva
17 THEY’RE EVERYWHERE
An additional 112,500 apartments are to be added in the UK by the end of 2018. And as the market is maturing, properties are opening up in new destinations, with brands making ambitious growth plans (see overleaf).
18 MANY REWARD LOYALTY
Being part of Accorhotels, Adagio Aparthotels’ guests can collect Le Club points, while those who stay at Fraser Suites properties can take part in the Fraser World scheme. Apple Apartments’ Apple 21 Club offers a 21 per cent discount on stays for its members.
19 THEY’RE WELL LOCATED
Struggling to find a hotel near a particular business park? See if there’s a serviced apartment there instead. “A lot of our members started because certain companies had lots of travellers coming overseas and the nearest hotel was quite far away. Phoenix Apartments in Newbury, for example, was set up close to Vodafone,” says ASAP’s Cawthorpe. You’ll also find them dotted around city centres, near stations and financial districts.
20 EVERYBODY NEEDS GOOD
NEIGHBOURS
Opting for a serviced apartment means it’s highly unlikely you’ll be sharing a building with noisy families and large tour groups – during the week, the clientele will be like-minded business travellers with a need for peace and quiet.
21 THEY’RE MORE LIKE HOME
Staying in the four walls of a hotel room for an extended period can become a bit miserable. A homefrom-home experience can give you a mental boost if you’re spending a long time away.