Archive for July, 2009
Serviced apartments and playing happy families
Friday, July 31st, 2009Since I moved away to Manchester University around ten years ago, I’ve been living in a different city to my parents and grandparents.
I still go home to Nottingham to visit, but if my family want to come to Manchester the sleeping arrangements can pose a few issues. Unfortunately, I haven’t got the means - at this stage in my career at least - to afford a four-bedroom house to accommodate them en masse. So, we’ve had to find other solutions. Generally we all club together in the money department to put them up in hotels, B&Bs – and, more recently, serviced apartments. The latter have certainly proved the most successful.
Harmonious family living in serviced apartments
Serviced apartments have enabled me to enjoy the extra quality time with my folks, rather than having to head back to my own digs after drinks or dinner. As serviced apartments charge per apartment, rather than per person, it doesn’t cost a penny more for me to stay with them. And while it’s true that spending too much time with my parents and grandparents can be a recipe for disaster, we all get to enjoy our own space in serviced apartments.
When Mum’s fussing and Dad’s grumblings about the economy all become too much, rather than watching steam coming out of his ears, I can retreat politely to my own bedroom and close the door. In many of the serviced apartments we’ve experienced in Manchester there have even been plasma TVs in the bedrooms. So when Grandad is intent on watching re-runs of Norman Wisdom, and Dad’s insisting on Grand Designs, there’s no cause for contention.
Serviced apartments - reaching for the stars
Tuesday, July 28th, 2009Hotels have followed an international grading system for many years. Official ratings – from 1 star up to five stars – provide a very measured indication of the quality and amenities which are offered in a hotel. For those desiring the likes of lavish bedrooms, health spas and Bollinger by the bottle, it makes sense to research four and five star accommodation as lower ratings simply won’t cut the mustard.
Serviced apartments – an accurate indication of quality
Fortunately, for business and leisure travellers, many serviced apartments have now adopted the same ratings system. When you search for serviced apartments on line, many websites now clearly grade the apartment with a star rating. As serviced apartments, by their very nature, are designed to provide a high level of amenities, most fall into the four and five-star category.
Five-star flair in serviced apartments
Serviced apartments really go to town when it comes to gaining an edge over the competition. Some of the facilities which may bump a four-star up into the ultimate five-star category include:
- In-apartment beauty treatments
- Personal trainers
- Personal shopping service
- Free hand-made spa products and toiletries
- Food delivery facilities from local restaurants
- On-site gym and pool
Serviced apartments and architectural diversity
Saturday, July 25th, 2009As the UK’s second city, Manchester is compelling to tourists and business people. With that in mind, property tycoons and developers have been quick to seize the market for serviced apartments.
Lofty living spaces
Architecturally, serviced apartments take many forms. Old, silent warehouses – a mere shadow of the city’s industrial past - have proved ideal for this type of accommodation, and developers have successfully transformed such derelict buildings into lofty living spaces. These often boast large, open-plan kitchens and roof-space bedrooms with elegant 18th century beamed ceilings.
Five-star finesse with serviced apartments
In contrast, smart new-builds with warm terracotta finishes have also been constructed solely for the purpose of serviced apartments. These can be found across the city. As 21st century buildings these are generally luxurious and cater exceptionally well for the temporary business traveller or tourist who desires five-star finesse away from home.
Church restoration and serviced apartments
In more unique cases, beautiful churches which lay abandoned in the city have been sandblasted and lifted back to their former glory. These apartments, naturally, are highly sought after.
Within these various architectural moulds in Manchester, there are many outstanding serviced apartments which have formed clear, successful models for neighbouring cities such as Leeds, Liverpool and Newcastle to emulate. Areas of Manchester where serviced apartments have been particularly successful include:-
- Castlefield
- The Northern Quarter
- Salford Quays
- Deansgate
If you’re planning to visit Manchester for a temporary break, or a business rendezvous, serviced apartments provide the perfect opportunity to enjoy a comfortable stay whilst being at one with the city’s impressive architecture.
Serviced apartments and the health spa experience
Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009In order to meet the growing demands of guests seeking accommodation with wow-factor, many serviced apartments are now working in conjunction with local businesses. These often include gyms and health spas. Serviced apartments in Manchester seem to have got their act together when it comes to the benefits of joint enterprises.
Serviced apartments – just £5 for a day of poolside pampering
I recently visited a serviced apartment in the city which offered the use of an award-winning gym, just a few minutes’ walk from the health spa. Guests could order as many day passes as they required, at a cost of just £5 each. Whilst one could argue that swimming pools in hotels can be used free of charge, the serviced apartment room rate was just £60 a night so this seemed pretty good value for money. Some of the superb facilities on offer at the health club included:-
- Luxurious swimming pool with spa
- Gym
- Sauna
- Crystal steam room
- Exercise classes including pilates
- Treatments including massages, manicures and grooming
The gym was also state of the art, as you’d expect from an award-winning health club. While I prefer to be pampered rather than break into a swet, there were impressive machines available for use which included cardiovascular equipment, resistance machines and free weights. If you want to choose a serviced apartment with a pool, look out for these kind of joint enterprises with local health clubs. They’re great value for money.
From fresh flowers to massage - serviced apartments up the ante
Sunday, July 19th, 2009As hotel and serviced apartments up the ante in a bid to encourage guests to book, I thought I’d do a little bit of my own research. And it would seem nothing is too much trouble for many serviced apartments these days – particularly in major cities such as Leeds and Nottingham.
In particular, there seems to be a real push to welcome business people and families with lots of perks and ‘little extras’. In one particular serviced apartment block, not too far from the pretty suburb of Headingly in Leeds, it took an entire page to list the amenities. Here’s a snapshot of the high-end facilities the serviced apartments were offering:-
- Massage and spa facilities
- Supervised childcare and babysitting service
- Fresh flower service
- 24-hour guest service
- Free landline phone calls
- In-room DVD and games console
- Newspaper delivery
- Laundry/ dry cleaning pick-up and delivery
- Private storage facilities
From toddlers to teenagers – everyone’s included with serviced apartments
As you can appreciate, the serviced apartments have managed to appeal to a wide range of people, from a Mum with troublesome toddlers to a businessman with a high-powered lifestyle. There’s even enough entertainment to keep a teenager quiet. It’s this all-encompassing approach to temporary accommodation which is helping serviced apartments to stay ahead of the game in the current climate. And with prices from £60 a night for an apartment similar to the one described above it’s no wonder serviced apartments are a genuine rival to hotels.
Serviced apartments - the fabulous four
Thursday, July 16th, 2009In my experience serviced apartments pay particular attention to the following four areas, regardless of whether they’re a waterfront retreat or a stylish high-rise pad . . .
Techy
Having access to good, reliable technology is demanded by most guests these days. With that in mind, serviced apartments must live up to expectations – and ideally, surpass them. Guests in many apartments, not just the top spec ones, can generally enjoy a large (up to 42”) LCD TV, free Wi-Fi, DVD player, CD player, games consoles and free landline calls. Many also have TVs in the bedrooms, and often in the bathroom. Telephone entry systems are nearly always included in serviced apartments.
Arty
Sophisticated design is often seen in serviced apartments. Many developers employ talented, often well-known, designers to stamp their artistic mark on the building. Contemporary artwork is often commissioned to add colour to white-washed walls. Soft furnishings such as cushions and rugs may also be designed by local artists.
Comfy
There’s always the risk that when you’re in temporary accommodation you’ll have to sleep on a hard mattress or a bed with broken springs. However, serviced apartments generally place great importance on the quality of your sleep. Often serviced apartment literature describes the brand of mattress or the type – such as ‘medium firm’. Non-allergic duvet bedding and pillows are usually provided, to care for guests who may suffer with conditions such as asthma.
Luxury
For a ‘home from home’ experience serviced apartments must maintain a luxury feel throughout. Very often spa products, and toiletries from specialist brands such as the White Company or Molten Brown, are complementary to guests. White fluffy towels, bath robes and pampering products such as face packs also help create the relaxing experience that most guests desire.
And just in case the serviced apartments you’re thinking of staying in don’t meet the above expectations,
Serviced apartments - helping you do business
Monday, July 13th, 2009Serviced apartments can be more conducive to business than an average hotel room. And in the central business districts of cities such as Leeds and Manchester, more of an emphasis is placed on serviced apartments for this purpose. Business people in a variety of industries, from investment banking to PR, may require a serviced apartment for the following purposes:-
- Holding small meetings
- Conducting interviews
- Private work
- Entertaining clients
To facilitate business requirements and keep executive types sweet, serviced apartments for business often choose to provide the following basic services:-
- Wireless Internet access
- Office space
- Dedicated phone lines for fax/modem access
Serviced apartments which tend to be occupied by business executives, also play on the comfort factor and the sense of relaxation which a good living environment brings. Such apartments are likely to promote the likes of large living rooms, leather sofas, huge plasma TV screens (up to 42”) and king-size beds with luxurious mattresses.
There’s also the assurance of peace and quiet. It goes without saying that an apartment with good sound proofing and bedrooms away from the roadside, is likely to offer a good night’s sleep and a productive day at work. So if you’re away from home on business, it makes sense to keep these factors in mind when choosing a serviced apartment.
Serviced apartments and echoes of avant-garde
Friday, July 10th, 2009As serviced apartments have soared in popularity, there are now many conveniently dotted around cities such as Leeds and Manchester.
I recently stayed in a serviced apartment in Leeds which was fabulous - around twice the size of the average hotel room. The colour scheme was a striking red and black – trendy without trying too hard.
The lounge for instance featured black leather sofas and plump red cushions to snuggle and snooze in. I stayed in an avant-garde hotel in Barcelona a couple of years ago and the design of the serviced apartment, by pure coincidence, had strong echoes of that.
Playing on light and dark in serviced apartments
The designers had clearly paid a lot of attention to the lighting and ambience in this particular serviced apartment. Floor-to-ceiling windows allowed natural sunlight to flood in, while the bedroom played more on light and dark, with up-lighters and down-lighters providing soft illumination.
Some of the most impressive features of the serviced apartment which contributed to what can only be described as a luxurious experience, included:
- Intelligent locks on the doors (this gave us greater privacy and security)
- High-pressure walk-in shower
- 42-inch LCD television
- Complementary wireless Internet throughout
- Private gymnasium on site
The location of the apartment was also very convenient. A modern bar and grill was situated below the serviced apartments, and there was also a mini supermarket, newsagent and a takeaway. Being in the centre of Leeds, the apartment was also very close to all major transport links. As serviced apartments go, this was most certainly top spec.
Serviced apartments - for the man who has everything
Tuesday, July 7th, 2009My Dad is fortunate, or unfortunate depending how you look at it, to have a birthday and Father’s Day in the same week. Attempting to find two presents for the man who has everything is a difficult task. His requirements for electric drills, hacksaws and slippers have been well and truly met and surpassed, so this year my brother and I decided to opt for the ‘experience’, rather than a gift that will gather dust.
We booked theatre tickets, plus a night in plush serviced accommodation for the four of us (Mum came too). As Dad enjoys five-star everything, we went to town to find the crème de la crème of serviced apartments in Manchester.
Situated by the waterfront in Castlefield, some of the beautiful attributes of the serviced apartment included:-
- 42-inch plasma TV
- Free Wi-Fi and Sky TV
- On-demand music and movies
- Egyptian cotton towels – 900 thread count
- Pocket-sprung beds with memory foam
- Goose-down duvets
- Secure underground parking
From organic breakfasts to herbal teas in serviced apartments
Food is also very important to my Dad. In this particular serviced apartment a welcome basket was waiting for us which included organic bread and milk, freshly-squeezed orange juice, cereals, jams, chocolate biscuits and butter. As a big tea drinker, Dad was quick to exploit the extensive range of herbal and fruit teas which were complementary in the serviced apartment. Free-range and organic breakfasts were also available to order. As restaurant and food facilities are not always included in serviced apartments these little extras helped to take the rating up to five-star.
Serviced apartments - every excuse to stay in
Saturday, July 4th, 2009Like many individuals struggling with the recession, my friends are not exactly flushed with money. In fact, our Saturday night’s out in Manchester have slowly tapered off into evenings at home with a bottle of Rose and a bowl of nachos. And our current financial situation makes trying to book a summer holiday even more difficult.
However, we’ve come to a financially-shrewd decision this year that serviced apartments in a different city such as Newcastle or Leeds are the solution to keep us all comfortably out of the red – and allow us a change of scenery. All four of us have experienced this type of accommodation before and loved it. We also know that if we pick our serviced apartments carefully, we’ll want to spend time in the apartment and savour the luxury, rather than splashing out on expensive cocktails in the city.
Some of the facilities we’re expecting from our serviced apartments include:
- An Apple computer
- Flat screen TV with Sky
- iPod dock
- Free Wi-Fi
- DVD player
- King-size beds
- Fully-equipped kitchen
- Fluffy robes and aromatherapy products
We’re also keen to ensure our serviced apartments look out over the city-scape so we can enjoy night-time views. With all these lovely luxurious facilities to enjoy in our serviced apartments we’re confident we can create our own fun this summer without the help of extortionate bars and over-priced restaurants.