Briefing: Cost and convenience drive serviced apartment bookings

The latest Global Serviced Apartments Industry Report found that overall the price is the primary factor behind the decision to book a serviced apartment or a hotel.

There are variations in offerings across the serviced apartment/ extended stay/ aparthotel sector, but the main drivers for staying in these properties are clear. The report states that the ability to cook their own meals or entertain (71.6%), privacy (66.6%), and the apartment environment (58.3%) are influencing travellers to use serviced apartments.

In this briefing industry experts discuss serviced apartments and their customers:

GSAIR was put together by The Apartment Service, which states that serviced apartments are cheaper by about 15% – 30% than equivalent standard hotel rooms. This price difference makes it the winning option for many travellers. The report also states that 81.48% of travellers who have stayed in a serviced apartment prefer them to hotels.

According to the association of serviced apartment providers there is on average 30% more space in a serviced apartment, although guests forfeit the restaurants and extra communal areas in a hotel. The space allows people to have visitors and the kitchen facilities allow people to cook their own food, which can both save money and make the apartment feel more homely. This is especially appealing to people who need an extended stay and also to families with children who need the room and the convenience of a more home-like space and the ability to dictate the menu and meal times themselves.

Apartments are also popular with business travellers and are often used by companies in travel policies as a cost efficient option for employees’ business travel. According to Business Travel Insights 2015 nearly 75 percent of travel policies include serviced apartments as an approved option. One in every eight of corporate travel buyers surveyed for the Business Travel Show’s annual survey booked more serviced apartment accommodation in 2014 than 2013.

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Video clips produced by yBC for the Hospitality Channel, including interview from industry conferences such as the IHIF conference as well as specific Hospitality Channel shoots.

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