Posts Tagged ‘family accommodation’
Serviced apartments - it’s all in the amenities
Monday, August 3rd, 2009With the credit crunch stinging us in all directions, hotels and serviced apartments are not going unscathed. And, as with many businesses, from shoe shops to supermarkets, beating the competition is crucial. For the likes of serviced apartments and hotels this means providing an impeccable service and gaining the edge over competitors. One way this can be achieved – for both hotels and serviced apartments – is through enhanced amenities.
Serviced apartments have the means to bump up the level of facilities pretty easily – and many are doing so in these testing times. Serviced apartments seem to have recognised there’s certain temptations that will appeal to various different clientele. Take a stereotypical family of four looking for a serviced apartment for instance…
- Mum
White fluffy robes, thick bath sheets (warmed on a heated towel rail), a dishwasher and posh bathroom (plus fancy products) are generally among the perks which could ‘sell’ serviced apartments to the Mum of the family more effectively. Not forgetting nearby shopping facilities. - Dad
Serviced apartment owners seem to be thinking technical facilities and sophistication for the gent of the family in 2009. A safe place to park the family 4×4 (ideally undercover), a huge bath, dedicated office area, sizeable plasma screen in the lounge or bedroom (preferably both), and a comfortable chair/sofa are all selling points for Dad. - Teenage son
Aren’t most lads of this age driven by beer, food, TV and computers? With that in mind, a nice big fridge/freezer doesn’t go amiss for the male teen of the family in serviced apartments, along with DVD player, high-speed internet and a large bedroom with private TV. Whether parents decide to take their teenager’s lavish requirements into consideration is, of course, another matter. - Teenage daughter
For young ladies in the family, leisure activities can be the most appealing factor. From a personal point of view, I know that a 24-hour health club, swimming pool and a decent Jacuzzi were the overriding dream ‘terms-and-conditions’ for booking hotels or serviced apartments in my late teens. Come to think of it, they still are.
If you’re booking serviced apartments remember there’s plenty of competition out there. Shop around, request the special extra touches, and squeeze all you can out of the booking agent.
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.