What is a serviced apartment?
Serviced apartments are fully furnished accommodation units, which always have a fully equipped kitchen or kitchenette and at least a functionally separate living and sleeping area. The possibility of self-catering provides a high degree of independence. This is exactly what makes serviced apartments so attractive for long-term stays! The focus is on living. And this clearly distinguishes serviced apartments from hotels, which focus on overnight stays.
Serviced apartment operators offer additional hotel-like services, such as apartment cleaning and linen change, in addition to pure overnight accommodation. Depending on the type of operation, the scope of services offered and the facilities of the property vary. In apartments with service, the level of service is reduced and there are fewer facilities than in an aparthotel, where more extensive service offerings and in-house facilities can be found.
Specifics of serviced apartments
The following specifications distuingish serviced apartments:
- are oriented towards private flats in terms of furnishings
- kitchen or kitchenette has at least a refrigerator, two hotplates and a sink
- fully equipped with dishes, pots, cutlery and kitchen utensils
- private letterbox
- doorbell (with intercom)
- the focus is on living
- designated living area with seating, where guests can also find space, e. g. sofa and/or armchair and TV - independent of the bed
- individual decoration (accessories, pillows, etc.) spread a cozy ambience and a feeling of being at home
- designed in particular for longer stays
- often more spacious than hotel rooms of a similar category
- enough shelves and storage space
- primarily located in an urban environment
- shopping facilities, gastronomy, entertainment etc. nearby
- good connections to public transport
- Complementing services with hotel-like services (reception, cleaning), e. g.
- apartment cleaning
- linen change
- shopping service
- room service
- ironing service
- concierge services
- bicycle rental
- varying level of service depending on the concept of the operation: from a very limited offer (e. g. reception staffed only by the hour, weekly apartment cleaning) to full service (reception staffed 24/7, daily housekeeping, restaurant, wellness, fitness)
- services can be added flexibly according to the modular principle
- degressive rate development depending on the length of stay
- Aufenthalte ab einem Monat sind bis zu 50 % günstiger als Hotelzimmer einer vergleichbaren Kategorie
- Preis für Aufenthalte ab drei Monate teilweise noch einmal reduziert
- stays of one month or more are up to 50 % cheaper than hotel rooms of a comparable category
- rates for stays of three months or more sometimes reduced again
Advantages of serviced apartments
The special features of serviced apartments offer numerous advantages for frequent and long-term travellers compared to staying in a hotel. Thus, apartments are inexorably penetrating the consciousness of business travellers, travel managers and also leisure travellers.
- Independence and flexibility due to the possibility of self-catering
- Comfortable ambience through designated living area with seating, couch and TV
- Feel-good atmosphere through individual accessories
- If desired, generosity and spaciousness through one or more separate bedrooms => ideal for families or colleagues sharing a serviced apartment
- Autonomy through washing machine and drying facilities in the building
- Privacy and freedom, e. g. receive visitors whenever you want, no daily apartment cleaning for longer stays
- Cost savings due to degressive price scale
The following overview provides information on how serviced apartments differ from hotel rooms, privately rented apartments rentals and rental flats.
Correct terms and spellings
A striking feature of temporary living is the wide variety of terms used, which makes it considerably more difficult to find one's way around the market segment. Internationally, the term "serviced apartment" has become established. When searching for a temporary home, however, one still comes across the most diverse spellings of the word "apartment," but there are only two correct ones:
the English version "apartment" and
the French variant "appartement",
whereby the English form is increasingly gaining acceptance in German.
Principally, all units in an apartment building or aparthotel are referred to as serviced apartments, regardless of whether they have one, two or more rooms. In German, all rooms are counted; in English, the exact designation of the apartment category is derived from the number of bedrooms:
English | German |
studio | 1-Zimmer-Apartment |
1-bedroom apartment | 2-Zimmer-Apartment |
2-bedroom apartment | 3-Zimmer-Apartment |
3-bedroom apartment | 4-Zimmer-Apartment |
Serviced apartments - For whom? For everyone!
Just as diverse as the serviced apartment market are the target groups for which this segment was developed:
- alle, die dieses besondere Wohnkonzept einmal ausprobieren möchten
- project participants who need to work at different places for an extended period of time
- international assignees who are working at another company location for a few weeks or several months in the context of a job rotation
- expatriates who are relocating (back) to Germany and need a temporary housing solution until they can move permanently into their own home
- project consultants who always need to be where the client calls for them
- trainees who are taking their first steps into their professional life and have a temporary employment contract
- "hotel-weary" business travellers who are away from home and family for more than a few days and do not want to relinquish their personal freedom and own cooking facilities
- private individuals
- everyone who would like to test this special living concept