Business
There’s more to life than Hotels
Engi Bally PR & Marketing Manager SilverDoor, www.silverdoor.co.uk
For years, hotels have been the easy and consistent choice for business travellers and its understandable why; they’re convenient and provide many amenities. However, for frequent and long staying business travellers, hotels fall short on giving guests the many comforts of a home. Space is tight and paying for all the amenities on offer can get expensive, fast. That is why serviced apartments have become the more appealing choice. The space, privacy and facilities provided by serviced apartment enable corporate travellers to feel at home. They’re also generally cheaper than equivalent hotel rooms. Here are some of the benefits they offer:
1- Comfort and Space
Comfort and space are of paramount importance to any traveller away from home and booking a serviced apartment gives far more space and comfort than a hotel can. It’s not just that serviced apartments are on average 30% larger than hotel rooms, their inherent flexibility means that guests do not have to compromise on any level.All serviced apartments include separate living, dining and kitchen areas featuring either one, two or three bedrooms. Essentially they provide separate areas for cooking, sleeping and unwinding – just like home. This allows business travellers the freedom to hold a business meeting, enjoy a comfortable working area or invite guests over when they please. Business travellers who are on long term business assignments or are in the process of relocating can certainly benefit from the extra space and home like qualities of a serviced apartment. These travellers are likely to be carrying more belongings, requiring more storage space and laundry accommodation than business travellers who are travelling for a shorter period of time. Many loyal serviced apartment users say their love of apartments is down to one thing, the ability to cook and eat what they want when they want without relying on expensive room service or hotel restaurants. For the reluctant cooks, selected serviced apartments feature room service or an on-site restaurant. Ultimately, business travellers have the freedom to order room service, go to a restaurant, or make exactly what they’d like and eat it feet up on the sofa in front of the TV.
2- Privacy
Serviced apartments offer greater flexibility and independence than a regular hotel.Most have once weekly maid service – enough to make sure the apartment stays clean, but few enough to mean that a guests’ peace and quiet isn’t interrupted on a regular basis.
3- Savings
Perhaps the most important point is the money saved by booking a serviced apartment instead of a hotel. For those on a tight budget it is worth noting that booking a serviced apartment could potentially save you up to 30 %.Serviced apartments also offer better value for money because rates generally decrease the longer the length of stay is. This means:
• For a stay of 7-30 nights, the saving can be as high as 13.33%
• For stays of 30 nights or more, saving can reach 27%
• For stays 90 nights or more up to a whopping 40% can be saved
Many business travellers who conduct frequent but short term business trips assume serviced apartments aren’t cost effective. However, additional savings occur because extras like broadband are often free and because you can be self-sufficient there are no expensive room service bills to pay as washing, ironing and cooking can all be done within the apartment.
An increasing number of companies have recently turned to serviced apartments. The advantages of serviced apartments are well documented but essentially boil down to six main points: they are more spacious, offer more privacy, include fully equipped kitchens with laundry facilities, are regularly cleaned, are more cost effective and have an all-inclusive nightly rate.
But how do you find the right serviced apartment for you? Do you go for an “extended stay” apart hotel which along with the individual apartments, provide hotel-style services such as in-room dining, concierge, or on-site restaurant? Alternatively there are serviced apartments in purpose-built residential-style buildings or individual private serviced apartments. Your budget, length of stay, location, and personal preferences will all be factors in helping you decide which style suits you best.
A search on the internet for “corporate serviced apartments” throws up over 62 million results, but of course these can be reduced by including other search words such as the city name or standard required. Many of the results will be from individual companies offering their own apartments, but it is very time consuming comparing different apartments, their facilities, Ts and Cs and rates, and then even more inconvenient when you’ve made 20 calls only to find that none of them are available.
The solution is to use an independent serviced apartment agency. A good agency will answer your call quickly and deal with your enquiry efficiently, offering you a selection of apartment options and providing full written quotes within two hours. They can also make arrangements with the different apartment providers to show you around as many apartments as you like, with no obligation. Agencies also deal with all of the accompanying paperwork for your booking, check terms and conditions, simplify cancellation policies, negotiate rates and provide finance options.
Good agents make a point of visiting the apartments they represent, meaning that they offer the client first hand advice on your business accommodation; a woman staying alone may ask for an apartment with a video entry system, or a man working away from his young family may require an apartment that can provide cots or high hairs for when they come to visit.A serviced apartment agency like SilverDoor represents thousands of apartments suitable for business accommodation in cities all over the world.
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