Where your executives stay when working away from home makes all the difference, not only to their comfort, but also to the success of their business trip. And these days, there are so many options. Do they prefer the facilities and familiarity of a traditional hotel, or are they starting to favour apartments, with their more relaxed ambience? Each has its place in the travel organiser's armoury, as long as you understand their relative strengths.

The most obvious distinction between a hotel and a serviced apartment is the different proportions of private and public space at your disposal. An apartment has at least one bedroom, a bathroom, sitting room and kitchen with a dining area in one of the latter. An en-suite hotel bedroom is augmented by the hotel’s restaurant plus rooms off public areas available for hire. A serviced apartment is often marketed as offering the space, comfort and independence of a home from home, and is certainly a good ‘half-way house’ between staying in a hotel or renting a house or flat.

The emphasis on serviced domesticity means that small events work well in a serviced apartment, but large ones need the facilities of a hotel. Holding a small business meeting or hosting an intimate business dinner is easy in an apartment. Papers can be spread out in comfort, a chef can be hired for the evening if the occupant doesn’t wish or have the time to cook, and privacy is assured.

Larger events such as conferences, conventions, meetings between several collaborating partners, etc, are impossible in a serviced apartment. A hotel, with its meeting rooms, adjustable seating arrangements and extensive catering facilities is much more flexible.

Technology on tap
Both serviced apartments and hotels tend to have business equipment available for visitors to use, but the technology available reflects the different types of events hotels and apartments expect to serve. As well as a TV, VCR and sound system, serviced apartments frequently include broadband internet access, direct dial telephones both for outgoing and incoming calls, voicemail, additional phone lines if required for extra computing or fax facilities plus conference phones and secretarial services by arrangement.

More and more hotels are installing wireless application systems such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, but have such facilities available in public areas rather than guest rooms. Hotels also have more equipment such as overhead projectors, photocopiers, intelligent whiteboards, video conferencing facilities, etc, which is designed and available for larger meetings, presentations and lectures.

In fact, hotels tend do most things on a much larger scale than is possible for serviced apartments. Hotels have more parking and are often near good roads, mainline stations and airports and so are more accessible. They have more staff to deal with any problems. Many hotels are surrounded by their own grounds and so are ideal for teambuilding events.

There are also simply more of them. There is a plethora of high-quality serviced apartments in major cities such as London, New York, Manchester, Edinburgh, and so on, but very few in smaller towns and virtually none in rural areas which may nevertheless have a choice of hotels with local businesses needing their services.

Cost comparisons
Perhaps surprisingly the costs of a serviced apartment and a hotel room of a similar quality are often very much the same, although different restrictions apply. A serviced apartment is usually subject to a minimum length of stay, while hotels often offer facilities such as a gym, swimming pool, hair-dressing salon and sauna which are reflected in the tariff. Corporate rates are usually available for both, and discounts can be negotiated either for frequent stays at hotels or for long-term use in the case of serviced apartments.

Although some overlap is inevitable, serviced apartments and hotels generally complement the facilities each offers. You can invite a late-working colleague to stay over in a serviced apartment but not in a hotel bedroom. You can host an international meeting with simultaneous translation in hotel but not in a serviced apartment. Anything you can do at home, you can do in a serviced apartment, including working ‘from home’. But there are some things you can’t do at home – and that’s where hotels come into their own.

TIPS FOR DISCOUNTS - get the best accomodation deal! • Ask! Only 10% of people staying in hotels pay the quoted price • Learn the tariff and then offer less stating that your budget doesn’t stretch that far • Know the area’s busy season. Out-of-season stays should be cheaper • Shop around – and let the hotels know it. Competition reduces the price • Hotel restaurants are often half empty. Ask for dinner discounts • Frequent users are often given discounts; request details • If you’re not a frequent user suggest that you might become one! • Check for promotions, deals and offers • If you’re booking a lot of rooms ask for party rates • Get the agreed discount confirmed in writing; it saves hassle when paying!