If you’re thinking of booking a city break and want a more unique and interesting type of accommodation than your basic chain hotel, you’ll almost always end up asking yourself this question: ‘should I book a serviced apartment or a boutique hotel?’
Truth be told, both types of accommodation come with several compelling advantages, and they share many benefits. However, travellers generally find themselves preferring serviced apartments, and here are just a few reasons why.
Larger Room
Boutique hotels and serviced apartment buildings both tend to be converted from period buildings. However, boutique hotels offer much smaller rooms. You’ll have a bed and a place to put your clothes, and perhaps a small desk and chair, but you won’t enjoy anything approaching the space of a serviced apartment, which really feels more like a home-away-from-home than just another hotel room.
Greater Flexibility
Boutique hotels are run by smaller groups; in fact, many of them are run by families. This all sounds very charming, but it means fitting around someone else’s schedule. Most boutique hotels only serve meals at certain times, and they may even prefer you to be back at certain times. A serviced apartment offers no such restrictions, and access to your own kitchen means you can eat whenever you choose.
Peace and Quiet
One of the main problems with boutique hotels is they don’t generally spend much money on soundproofing. A serviced apartment will be its own little sanctuary, perfect for getting work done or simply kicking back to read a book. Your room in a boutique hotel will be connected to others through rather thin walls, so the chance of being disturbed is appreciably higher.
Improved Amenities
Serviced apartments provide a full complement of amenities. Whether you want an iron and ironing board to get your shirts perfect or a strong Wi-Fi network to stay connected, a serviced apartment should offer everything you need. Boutique hotels seldom fail to compete, especially when it comes to technology.