Long gone are the days when travellers could only choose hotels for their accommodations. Now, there’s so many options such as Airbnb, hostels, vacation rentals, homestays, and more that it can be overwhelming at times. Adding on to this list are serviced apartments and aparthotels, two choices that are becoming increasingly popular among guests who want that home away from home experience. Given how similar the two can be on the surface, it can be difficult to know what sets them apart at a glance.
Read on as we take a closer look at the key aspects that make them unique and why serviced apartments are more often than not the better choice.
Available space
The overall usable space is one of the most significant differences between the two accommodations. Long term serviced apartments in Singapore are typically more generous in this regard by providing guests with separate sleeping, living, and dining spaces which offer greater comfort and sense of freedom, which stays true to their appeal of a stay experience that resembles home.
In contrast, aparthotels are essentially a cross between apartments and hotels. As such, they tend to be smaller and only offer the essential furnishings since there is not much room for the other extras its counterpart provides. Due to this difference, serviced apartments are more suited for long-term stays since they allow guests to truly settle in and continue the daily routines they’ve gotten used to back home.
Kitchen facilities
Both serviced apartments and aparthotels come with kitchen facilities, but the former is almost always guaranteed to have all the supplies and appliances you need to prepare whatever you desire. This includes things like stovetops, ovens, microwaves, dishwashers, toasters, and coffeemakers, for instance, to ensure you can always whip up your favourite foods and drinks at any time.
Such completeness and functionality is rare in aparthotels which prioritise sticking to the basics due limited space availability. of a serviced apartment’s kitchen. Nevertheless, both give guests the ability to cook and dine in the comforts of their private space and experience more independent and personalised meals.
Flexibility and personalisation
Another area where serviced apartments excel at is providing guests with plenty of flexibility and personalisation options. For instance, compared to the usual daily rental rates of hotels, serviced apartments allow for longer stays that can range anywhere between a few weeks to several months. Their independent nature also permits guests to tailor their space just the way they like it, such as allowing them to rearrange their furnishings to better suit their lifestyle and preferences.
Aparthotels also provide the same level of flexibility, but the same cannot be said for their personalisation leeway. Much like hotels, keeping everything standardised is common in aparthotels and there may be policies that prevent you from making big changes to your accommodations.
Amenities
Both serviced apartments and aparthotels usually offer a good range of amenities but these will vary depending on the provider. In general, serviced apartments focus more on providing the amenities that guests will use extensively in their day-to-day life, such as laundry services, kitchen facilities, housekeeping and room services, and so on, with gyms and swimming pools being staple additions on top of all that.
Alternatively, aparthotels often follow in the footsteps of traditional hotels by delivering a lot more variety such as on-site restaurants, spas, entertainment lounges, and much more. Thus, your choice will depend on the nature of your stay and what your priorities are for your travels.
Price
There are several reasons why serviced apartments have a leg up over aparthotels when it comes to cost-effectiveness. For one, having a fully-equipped kitchen allows guests to prepare a wider variety of meals, reducing the desire or need to dine out just to taste something new. Second, their spacious nature allows for groups to stay in one place and split the cost evenly, further reducing the financial burden without sacrificing comfort. Thus, service apartments generally offer more value for money and in many cases are the prudent choice for guests that want the perfect blend of affordability and comfort.
Conclusion
Serviced apartments and aparthotels offer that unique home-like atmosphere that not many accommodations can provide. But while they go about this using the same approach, there are several clear cut differences between them that only become apparent upon taking a closer look. Overall, serviced apartments are the better choice in many cases, but there will be cases where their location does not align with your travel needs or aparthotels are considerably more cost-effective in the area you’re staying in.
