A couple of days ago an assistant telephoned me in absolute desperation. She was anxiously trying to find accommodation in manchester for many VIPs from abroad. She happened onto this site, not necessarily being aware of what the service involved. I believe the language ‘free service’, ‘apartments’ just helped her to determine that Quality London Apartments had something related to accommodation. Apologies in my lengthy opening, but it’s an excellent illustration of how little vacationers within the United kingdom and Europe know of the serviced apartment industry. After explaining the idea of short stay serviced apartments and helping her locate an apartment, I realized which i required to share this understanding further afield. Thus, this information is my contribution to spread out up this elusive industry and provide ideas to vacationers.
Exactly what is a serviced apartment?
A serviced apartment is really a flat inside a block, with a separate bed room, sitting areaOrliving room, fully outfitted kitchen, one’s own secrets of own door. Short stay serviced apartments could be by means of a studio flat (all-in-one room having a kitchen area), one, 2 or 3 bedrooms.
All apartments enjoy house cleaning service, utilities along with a management team to assist….as being a hotel. Visitors pay only for any nightly rate and may reside in a flat with everything else they’d have in their own individual home.
Pros: Serviced London Apartment versus Hotels
More good value and cheaper. Inside a hotel, whichever star rating, you have to pay every night for just one room which have a TV, bathroom, sofa along with a bed. This is comparable to a studio apartment! Within an apartment there’s another bed room, kitchen, sitting area, bathroom and dining room table (exception is studio)
Pay per apartment and never per person. A good example could be having to pay £250 every night for any two bed room apartment, that could accommodate as much as 4 people, that actually works out at £62.50 per person.
Freedom and privacy. A condo is much like being in your house and there’s lots of space. You’ve your personal secrets of your personal door.
Booking is simple, much like hotels. Nearly all apartments need a charge card to ensure, pre-payment before you decide to arrive and that is it. No deposits, no tenants’ contracts.
Cons: Serviced London Apartment versus Hotels
Apartments lacks the excitement and services of the hotel for example restaurants and Room Service. Although some apartments belong to hotels and provide you using their restaurants along with other services.
No 24-hour service night and day. The apartments are ran with a small team who work Monday to Friday 9:00am – 6:00pm, so you are well on your personal throughout the weekend. You will find emergency figures to if you suffer an electrical cut, but no 24-hrs hotel Duty Manager to operate for your room.
No pool, massages, saunas like hotels
What to look for when booking a serviced London apartment?
1. Excellence of the apartment – make certain you discover if they’re clean, well furnished and well-maintained. How? Look into the photos, and get if you’re able to book a scheduled appointment to see the apartment. This will be relevant if you’re remaining more than a lengthy time period.
2. Have they got an amiable and efficient management team? If you want enhanced comfort of the welcoming face to invite you in on arrival, then request a condo having a reception. Some apartments provide key boxes, so that you can arrive whenever, but there’s no-someone to setup a meeting. An amiable and small team can provide you with a very personal touch.
3. Opening duration of the apartments office – does not seem important? Well for the reason that nearly all apartments’ operations team open Monday to Friday 9:00am to six:00pm. Should you get to your apartment during office open hrs, then fine, but every other some time and weekends means that you’ll want to get the keys from the different location.
4. Key delivery by vehicle in the airport terminal? – If you’re flying from abroad to London, and don’t fancy traipsing throughout London during the night to get keys, nearly all apartments will employ a taxi to provide your secrets of the airport terminal upon your arrival. Convenient for their fee.
5. Payment procedure and cancellation policy – every apartment vary within their guest conditions and terms. All need a charge card like a guarantee of reservation, many will request 100% pre-payment a minimum of seven days just before arrival and cancellation can vary from 12:00pm at the time of arrival to twenty-eight days. So, before you decide to read the reservation, be very obvious concerning the conditions and terms. Ask your apartment agents to describe the process for you and browse the conditions and terms in your confirmation emails. You will save a lot of trouble and headache later.
6. Apartments will always be allotted on arrival. This insurance policy is equivalent to any hotel, so unless of course you’re a regular guest to some specific apartment, apartments take presctiption allocations. Within the same breath, some apartments have only a small amount of flats, so if you’re reserving the only real 3 bedrooms penthouse within their collection, then you’re guaranteed that exact apartment.
7. Rates be competitive the more you remain. Within this, we mean you’ve more bargaining power if you’re remaining for just one month or longer. This is where your apartment agent can certainly help you by negotiating with a number of apartments to help you get the best offer.
8. Utilizing an apartment agent may also help you save time searching, but many importantly they are effective together with your budget and negotiate a good deal for you personally. Obviously, you should be realistic about what you could book, pricier to invest £80 every night for any luxury apartment. For instance, our clients had £300 budget every night for any two bed room apartment and that he wanted something luxury. For individuals readers who know London well, also realizes that this finances are really really small. Despite the fact that, we booked him and three buddies in to the Victoria Park Plaza luxury apartment (£150 every night under the typical cost) for £300 every night with free breakfast, gym and accessibility executive lounge. Any apartment agent worth their salt will move mountain tops that will help you.
Let’s say I do not such as the apartment after i make it happen?
In case you really feel you have been hard made by, tell the apartment management team and get to become gone to live in another apartment. All the apartments that people use are extremely customer focussed and then try to help visitors enjoy their stay. If this doesn’t work, speak to your apartment agent, if that’s the way you booked. Most sage advice though, would be to ask all of the right questions before you decide to book a condo.
Your appetite for apartments has become whetted – how can you find London apartments?
1. As already described, you may choose a totally free search and book service of the apartment agent or go direct to some specific apartment you know. Each method are absolutely fine, dependent of the understanding based in london apartments. Utilizing an agent means that they’ll search far across their portfolio and supply a number of choices…all within 10-fifteen minutes. Agents are impartial and can only (good agents anyway) recommend the standard apartments for your requirements.
2. You should use engines like google, Yahoo and MSN to locate apartments. Key in keywords like ‘London serviced apartments’ or ‘quality London apartments’ and so forth.
3. Stating the apparent but, request a recommendation from buddies and acquaintances.
4. Check up on Tripadvisor.com along with other customer review websites.
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