The demand for serviced apartments has grown in recent years, driven by more business trips, longer stays, and the rise of remote work. As a result, serviced apartments are becoming a popular choice for people who want a mix of comfort, privacy, and convenience when traveling.
With their combination of space, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness, serviced apartments are a smart alternative to traditional hotels, especially for longer visits.
What are Serviced Apartments?
Serviced apartments are fully furnished spaces that combine the comforts of home with hotel-like services. They usually come with kitchenettes or full kitchens, living rooms, and separate bedrooms. This makes them a great choice for people who want more space and flexibility than a traditional hotel room offers.
These apartments are popular with all kinds of travelers, including business people, tourists, and families. They’re especially useful for long stays, as they allow guests to cook their meals and live more comfortably. For business travelers, serviced apartments are often preferred because they feel more like home and can be cheaper than staying in a hotel for an extended period.
Why Are Serviced Apartments Preferred?
Service apartments are preferred because of following reasons:
1. More Space
Serviced apartments offer more room than hotel rooms, with separate living, dining, and sleeping areas. This extra space provides a more comfortable and homely environment, especially for longer stays.
2. Cost-Effective for Long Stays
They can be more affordable for long-term stays, as they often offer lower nightly rates and discounts for extended bookings. Additionally, having a kitchen allows guests to cook meals and save on dining out.
3. Home-Like Amenities
Serviced apartments come with fully equipped kitchens, washing machines, and other home comforts. These amenities make it easier for guests to maintain their routine and enjoy a homely feel during their stay.
4. More Privacy and Flexibility
Guests in serviced apartments enjoy greater privacy, as they can come and go without needing to interact with hotel staff. They also have more control over cleaning schedules and other services, offering greater flexibility.
5. Ideal for Business Travelers
Business travelers appreciate the extra space and amenities like workspaces and Wi-Fi, which help them balance work and relaxation. They can also enjoy more independence than they would in a hotel setting.
Read also: How do you get more corporate guests in your hotel?
6. Better for Families
Serviced apartments are perfect for families, as they offer more space for everyone and the option to prepare meals. This is especially helpful for families traveling for extended periods or in need of more room.
7. Better Value for Money
When staying for a longer time, serviced apartments typically provide better value for money than hotels. They offer the convenience of hotel-like services while providing more amenities and space for the price.
How to market a serviced apartment?
To market a serviced apartment, you would need the following:
Create A Good Website
Many serviced apartment companies have websites, but they often don't fully leverage them. A strong website is more than just an ad—it’s a key tool for reaching more potential customers. Ensure the site is updated regularly, with high-quality photos that clearly show what guests can expect.
The website should also be mobile-friendly, as most users now browse on phones or tablets. Make sure it’s easy to navigate and looks great on all devices.
Starting a blog can also boost traffic. Sites with blogs tend to rank better in search engines and attract more visitors. Quality blog posts that people want to share on social media can improve SEO and increase engagement.
Advertise On Social Media
All companies, whether large, small or independent, should be on social media. Social media outreach marketing ideas for apartments which work well with major platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and even Twitter. Offer photos, information as well as contact details and links to your site on your social media handles. Marketing on social media can be fruitful, and the best part, it’s free, all you need are creative marketing ideas.
You will also want to consider using social media ads. These ads get your content in front of the right people who are looking to stay in serviced apartments. With everyone spending so much time on social media, it is the perfect place to find prospective guests through thoughtful apartment social media marketing.
Build Relationships With Other Businesses
When considering how to increase apartment occupancy, you might want to consider getting to know local businesses. You will be able to spread the word about your brand and ensure that more people are aware of the property. When business owners and employees get to know you, they are more likely to provide referrals to the property and tell more people about you.
There are different types of businesses to which you could reach out. You might want to reach out to banks, corporations in the area, moving companies, furniture stores, real estate agents, gyms, and storage companies, to name a few. Make a list of all the places that people would go to when they are new to an area for either an extended business stay or as a permanent resident. It is a good option for outreach marketing ideas for apartments.
Host Community Gatherings Regularly
Organizing events at the property is another great way to increase the community not only for those who are staying long-term but also for those who are staying short-term. Hosting events frequently makes people feel like they are connected, and it can really help to boost the quantity of referrals that you receive from those living there. It also builds loyalty and trust. The events that are organized should be fun and should create an informal atmosphere where people can connect.
Create Attractive and Informative Brochures
Brochures still have the potential to be very helpful when it comes to marketing apartments. However, many apartment brochures are not well-designed. They do nothing to stand out from the competition and usually contain poor quality photographs, or unrealistic stock photographs. Brochures have a lot of potential as a quality marketing opportunity, but it’s one that so many dismiss.
Brochures used for your serviced apartments should contain high-quality photos of the actual apartments. Make sure that the photos are up to date. They should contain all necessary information about the apartments.
Expand and Upgrade Your Listings
The same types of problems that plague brochures are also present with online listings. Poor quality photos, uninspiring text and descriptions and the like, are not going to get the traction that you want. Often, people opt for the free versions of these sites which may not provide the necessary features to make your listings stand out. However, when you upgrade, you are often able to expand your listings. In fact, it is also possible to make your apartment a featured listing, which will get more views.
How Hotel PMS Can Benefit Operators of Serviced Apartments
While serviced apartments might not be hotels, that does not mean that you can’t manage these units with the same attention to detail. Using quality a hotel property management system like Hotelogix helps hotel service apartment management in numerous ways. Not only will it be possible to easily manage all the properties from a single dashboard, but there are features that make it possible to handle the housekeeping management, revenue management, rate management, accounting, and much more.
You can use this type of hotel apartment management software for an apartment reservation system, as well. The serviced apartment booking system is easy to use and can help ensure easier reservations for the guests. Consider the benefits that hotel and apartment manager software can provide in your efforts to keep your units full.