Serviced Apartments vs Hotels - Which Is Better?

Wondering where to stay for your next business stay or longer-term trip?

Wondering where to stay for your next business stay or longer-term trip? The ease of a hotel, combined with personal touches and home-from-home experience, is leading to serviced apartments becoming an increasingly popular option across the UK.

Let's explore the top seven reasons why staying in a serviced apartment might be the better choice for your next stay:

1. A Fully Equipped Kitchen

Unlike a hotel room, where you are limited at most to a minibar and tea and coffee making facilities, our serviced apartments come complete with a fully equipped kitchen in an open-plan living area, leaving you free to cater for yourself as and when you want to.

While in a hotel you are often forced to eat out or rely on room service, our serviced apartments allow you to relax in your own private space in a real home-from-home experience. This means you can prepare your favourite meals, maintain dietary requirements with ease, and even entertain guests if you wish. For longer stays, the ability to cook for yourself can also result in significant cost savings compared to dining out for every meal.

2. Increased Privacy and Security

An advantage of serviced apartments compared to a hotel is that you have the entire apartment to yourself, giving you complete privacy to come and go as you please without encountering other guests in corridors or communal areas.

Many of our apartments also feature allocated on-site parking (upon request) as well as a video intercom entry system in a secure gated development, ensuring that you feel safe and secure staying with us. Unlike hotels with hundreds of rooms and constant staff presence, our apartments offer a more discreet living environment where you can truly relax and unwind without interruptions.

3. Weekly Housekeeping

Just because you aren't staying in a hotel, doesn't mean you have to compromise on service. Our serviced apartments come with complimentary weekly housekeeping included, to change bed linen and provide fresh towels, as well as a full clean of your apartment, leaving you to concentrate on enjoying your time away, while we take care of keeping everything clean.

The weekly rather than daily cleaning schedule also means fewer interruptions to your day, allowing you to establish your own routine without worrying about housekeeping staff arriving at inconvenient times. For those who prefer more frequent service, additional cleaning can typically be arranged at a reasonable supplementary cost.

4. A High-Level of Service

During your stay, you will benefit from having a guest services manager on hand throughout. Regardless of arrival time, you will be personally met and shown around your new space, as well as offered assistance throughout your stay.

We make every effort to provide a personalised service to each and every guest, from leaving a unique welcome pack in their apartment upon arrival, to getting to know each of our guests and their preferences. In a large hotel, this level of personalised service would not be possible due to the sheer number of guests. Our team takes pride in remembering returning guests and their specific requirements, creating a truly bespoke experience.

5. Find the Right Apartment for Your Needs and Know Exactly What You Are Getting

Often when staying in a hotel, you can’t be sure of exactly what sort of room you are going to get, with photos on booking sites showing general rooms, rather than the specifics of each individual room.

We match each of our guests to their apartment, providing exact images, videos and even a tour where possible, to ensure the apartment suits their requirements and taste. This ensures that our guests feel completely at home in their apartment from the moment they arrive, with no unwelcome surprises or disappointments. Each apartment has its own unique character and layout, allowing you to choose the perfect space for your specific needs.

6. Cost-Effective for Longer Stays

Beyond the nightly rate, the additional savings come from various sources: the ability to self-cater rather than eating out, free Wi-Fi without hidden charges, no expensive mini-bar or room service costs, and typically no additional fees for services like laundry thanks to in-apartment washing machines. For business travellers or those relocating, these savings can add up substantially over the course of a stay, making serviced apartments the financially savvy choice for longer-term accommodation needs.

7. More Space to Live and Work

Perhaps one of the best advantages of serviced apartments is the sheer amount of living space they offer compared to standard hotel rooms. With separate areas for sleeping, living, dining and cooking, serviced apartments provide approximately 30% more space than an equivalent hotel room.

This additional space is particularly valuable for business travellers who need to work remotely or host small meetings, families who need room for children to play, or anyone staying for an extended period who simply wants to avoid feeling cramped. The ability to properly separate work and relaxation spaces contributes significantly to well-being during longer stays, allowing you to maintain a healthy work-life balance even when away from home.

Book Your Stay Today

There are many advantages to staying in a serviced apartment rather than a hotel, and these points are just a few of the many benefits. Why not give our serviced apartments in Reading a go for your next trip? You might find that once you've experienced the space, freedom and personalised service of a serviced apartment, you'll never want to go back to traditional hotel accommodation.

Click here to reserve your home-from-home sanctuary for a stay in the heart of Reading and immerse yourself in the ultimate dog-friendly getaway in Reading.