One form of accommodation that’s growing in popularity is the serviced apartment. The surge in its popularity can be attributed to certain advantages it has over a hotel.

Photo by Julo for Best of European Union

Here’s a comparison of hotels and serviced apartments based on certain factors:

Cost

Serviced apartments are generally cheaper than a stay at a hotel. There are many factors why hotels charge a higher rate than other forms of accommodations, but one of them is that you pay for the established name of the hotel. This is especially true for hotel chains, which bank on its prestigious brand to pull in customers. The amenities and additional services also play into the total cost of a hotel stay.

Serviced apartments are cheaper because you don’t pay for these extras. What you pay for is the cost of renting the apartment plus a few amenities. This keeps costs down. Additionally, you can haggle for lower rates if you are planning to stay for more than just a few days. Most serviced apartments offer weekly or monthly rates that offer huge savings for the traveler.

Amenities

Hotels have an obvious advantage over serviced apartments in terms of amenities since they have bigger facilities. Additional services like room service and daily turndown are also something that most serviced apartments do not offer.

On the other hand, serviced apartments do come equipped with a full kitchen, which would allow travelers to cook their own meals. This is a big benefit especially if you’re traveling on a budget. Although there are hotel rooms that have kitchens, these are usually suites and are extremely expensive.

Space

Serviced apartments are tops when it comes to offering a lot of space. The most affordable hotel rooms are nothing more than a small box with a bed and a bathroom. Serviced apartments are real apartments so there is typically a living room, dining room, kitchen, and a bedroom. There are apartments that offer more than one bedroom, which again translates to savings if a group of travelers will rent one serviced apartment.

Derek Gallimore has been operating Boutique London Lets, a company that rents out luxury apartments in London.

The post The Pros and Cons of Serviced Apartments and Hotels appeared first on Best of European Union.