Serviced apartment
Serviced apartment is the generic term for units in apartments with service and aparthotels. Serviced apartments are fully furnished accommodation units that always! have a fully equipped kitchen or kitchenette and, as a minimum, a functionally separate living and sleeping area. The focus is on living. The possibility of self-catering provides a high degree of independence. This is exactly what makes serviced apartments so attractive for extended stays. And this also clearly distinguishes serviced apartments from hotel rooms, which focus on overnight stays.
In addition, operators of serviced apartments offer hotel-like services, e.g. a cleaning service. Depending on the type of accommodation, the level of service offered and the in-house facilities vary. In apartments with service, the service level is reduced and there are fewer facilities than in an aparthotel, where more extensive service offers and in-house facilities can be found. Put simply, a serviced apartment is the sum of a hotel room and a kitchen:
hotel room + kitchen = serviced apartment
- Specifics of serviced apartments
- Advantages of serviced apartments
- Correct terms and spellings
Serviced apartments occupy a "sandwich position" between the housing market and the classic hotel industry and combine the best of both worlds.
- designed in particular for extended stays
- oriented towards private apartments in terms of furnishings
- units with at least functionally separate living and sleeping areas, the focus is on living
- apartments always have a kitchen or kitchenette, i.e. at least a refrigerator, two hotplates and a sink
- complementary hotel-like services (reception, cleaning)
- depending on the concept of the accommodation, the level of service varies: from a very low level (e.g. weekly cleaning, reception staffed only by the hour) to full service (reception staffed 24/7, restaurant, wellness, fitness)
- services can be added flexibly according to the modular principle
- degressive price development depending on length of stay
- primarily located in an urban environment
Due to the many advantages for frequent and long-term business travellers, serviced apartments are inexorably entering the consciousness of travel managers, HR managers and business travellers.
- homely atmosphere due to designated living area with seating, couch and TV
- high degree of self-sufficiency due to fully equipped kitchen or kitchenette
- partly one or more separate bedrooms => ideal for families or colleagues sharing an apartment
- feel-good atmosphere due to individual accessories
- generous storage space
- more independence through personal space and privacy
- often washing machine and drying facilities in the property
- price savings of up to 50 % compared to hotel rooms of a similar category
The German market for temporary housing is characterised by an enormous variety of terms, which makes orientation within the segment considerably more difficult. Internationally, the term "serviced apartment" has become established. However, when searching for a temporary home, 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 former form is increasingly gaining acceptance in Germany.
Basically, all units in apartments with service or aparthotels are called serviced apartments, regardless of whether they have one, two or more rooms.
Here are the correct international terms:
- 1-room apartment => studio
- 2-room apartment => 1-bedroom apartment
- 3-room apartment => 2-bedroom apartment
In addition, the following terms are still widely used in Germany:
business apartment or business room
residences
city suites
intermediate rent
rooms for fitters
The term boardinghouse which refers to apartments with service, has become obsolete. Read more about it here.
Advantages of a serviced apartments towards
Serviced apartments - For whom? For everyone!
Just as diverse as the serviced apartment market are the target groups for which this segment was developed:
- 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
- private individuals in an emergency situation who cannot use their own home temporarily (e.g. damage, separation)
- "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
- everyone who would like to test this special living concept