Bijan Chitsaz - 5 Reasons Why Serviced Apartments Beat Hotels When visiting a city away from home for an extended period of time, the cost of hotel accommodation can quickly add up. A stay of a few weeks or a month can stretch even the most generous expense account, and those who don't have the luxury of claiming expenses face an even greater cost. Fortunately, if you plan to stay more than a couple of weeks in one place there are other options than hotels. Serviced apartments can offer a much more cost-efficient - and comfortable - solution to your accommodation needs. A serviced apartment is essentially a fully furnished apartment that offers all the comforts of home while you're on the road. What's more, serviced apartments offer several advantages over hotels, such as... 1. More space Hotel rooms around the world are always small, no matter the cost. Hotels are geared towards short stays, and rarely offer amenities beyond a bed and a small living area. Serviced apartments, on the other hand, usually offer much more space for the same price. A luxury serviced apartment could offer multiple bedrooms and a large, comfortable lounge for the same price as a single room in a hotel of a similar standard.
2. Home comforts What's more, serviced apartments usually include such useful features as a full kitchen, allowing you the freedom to cook for yourself rather than forcing you to go out for food every day. When you think about the cost of eating out for every meal, the inclusion of a kitchen can save you an enormous amount of money over the course of a month long trip. It's incredible how much money you can save with a simple fridge, stove and microwave. 3. DIY Laundry Many serviced apartments also offer in-room laundry facilities. While this may not sound like much of an advantage over hotels (which usually offer a laundry service themselves), the cost savings can be enormous. I once stayed in a hotel in Dalian, China that quoted $95 for a load of laundry, whereas a single load in an in-room washing machine would cost only the price of a bag of detergent. As a rule, hotel laundry services are always overpriced.
4. Space for the family While the vast majority of hotel rooms (with the exception of extremely expensive suites) offer limited room for family parties, apartments offer a much wider range of accommodation options for groups travelling together. A serviced apartment can usually be found with several bedrooms and bathrooms connected to a central living space, perfect for families of any size.
5. Hotel-style facilities Finally, many apartment blocks that offer a serviced option also offer many of the facilities you'd find in a good hotel. Fitness centers, swimming pools, conference centers, restaurants and concierge service can all be found attached to serviced apartments, and often for a much lower cost than you'd pay in a hotel.