vanessaqhc

Hey Guys, this is my first post...

Was wondering for Road Warriors what is a period of time spent at a destination that would you guys go for a service apartment? Or would you all still book a hotel as lodging?

Also what is a favorite chain of service apartments (in regions) if you guys frequent stays at a variety of brands before do share your experience?

Let's get the ball rolling! Would love to hear any opinions good or bad....

Tchiowa

More than a couple of weeks, I'd get a serviced apartment. You get tired of eating hotel food.

I stay at Marriott Executive Apartments. I've had over 2,000 nights at MEA.

gmmiller

We often stay at Marriott Executive Apartments in China. Front desk always has English speakers and understands western expectations. Points accrual is a huge benefit but you don't accrue at the same rate as you would at a Marriott hotel. I believe it's about 1/3 the rate.

mikew99

Ever since my Hyatt Diamond status expired early last year, I've taken to just purchasing the level of accommodations that I used to rely on getting upgraded to.

I've tried both independent and chain serviced apartments, and one chain that I've taken a liking to is the Ascott chain. They have serviced apartments at various levels (named Ascott, Somerset, and Citadines) in many regions of the world (mostly Europe and Asia).

I have found that serviced apartments don't cost any more than an equivalent hotel room, so it's worth it for even one-night stays. My last stay at a serviced apartment was a 4-night stay at the Ascott serviced apartments in Jakarta that cost (in dollar terms) considerably less than the nearby Hyatt hotel where I used to stay.

For an upcoming 5-night stay in Panama, I looked closely at the Marriott Executive Apartments there. The cost was about the same as the Marriott hotel nearby, but it was 50% higher than a regular hotel room that I had booked, so I couldn't justify the extra for this particular stay.

Badenoch

Anything longer than a week. I once spent 6 weeks in a hotel room and was bordering on certifiable by the end of the project.

My longest stretch in a service apartment was 3 months and it was a much more pleasant experience.

I would take a mid-range service apartment over a 5 star hotel room anytime.

pinniped

+1 to the apartment.

I spent several years with Execustay. I loved being able to select apartments in "regular" condo/apartment buildings and actually have something that resembled a normal life in the city.

I'm sure I sacrificed hundreds of thousands of Marriott points over those years by not staying in full-service hotels. But it was 100% worth it...better quality of life, plus I still have friends I still keep in touch with from most of those cities that I never would have made if I'd just done the hotel thing.

My Execustay years were prior to the ability to earn EQN, even at the fraction you earn now. Now with that in place, it's an even easier call: you'll be Platinum as long as you're a resident. When I stayed, our contract rep comped us Marriott Gold and gave us fixed-point bonuses each quarter, but I got no nudge towards Plat or Lifetime counters for those 1500+ nights.

My stays also predated the MEA concept, which appears from the website to be where the whole building (or large part thereof) is Marriott units. My hunch just from reading the website is that MEA is probably a consistent, fairly upscale feel with some hotel-like amenities...whereas Execustay is a much wider range.

Of my 6 different Execustay units over the years, 2 were upscale high-rise condos, 2 were fairly upscale urban apartments (similar in quality to the condos, but where all units were rentals), and 2 were midrange suburban apartments.

prncess674

I would have to be on a project for several months. I had a corporate apartment in NYC for about 18 months. Even though I went home most weekends it was nice to have a place to store my stuff. I had duplicates of all my toiletries and I left a good chunk of my work wardrobe in the apartment so when I left to go home I traveled with just a small tote.

The only problem with corporate apartments that you live in for several months is you tend to accumulate a lot of stuff. When I finally left that NYC unit I ended up having to ship 5 boxes of stuff home. Oops!

MSPeconomist

My threshold is probably about a month. I've stayed up to about two months in regular hotels and much longer in fully furnished apartments (without maid service but with complete linens and kitchen equipment provided). Extended stay hotels are similar to serviced apartments but with perhaps more frequent housekeeping services and no meals provided.

Something to consider is whether the serviced apartments are located in a big dedicated building with concierge service and staff 24/7 (similar to an extended stay hotel) versus being simply a few fully furnished rental apartments in a building or even an odd condo unit here and there. The latter version is more residential but provides fewer services of interest to short term visitors.

The serviced apartment option can mean more hassle with contracts, deposits, etc. or they might simply take a credit card guarantee and allow on line bookings like a hotel.

Don't forget to consider rooms/suites in hotels with club lounge access, short term lease sublets, B&B suites with kitchens, "efficiency" suites in hotels (and motels), individuals who rent small fully furnished apartments in their homes (such as unused "inlaw" apartments that are part of the home and might not have a separate entrance), and AirBnB type arrangements.

I guess I'm saying that IMO there's somewhat of a continuum here. The choice isn't simply between furnished apartment versus regular hotel. I think the location also matters a lot, even beyond availability of different types of accommodation and pricing. For instance, in some cities, I want to explore restaurants almost every evening. Depending on the situation--for instance, whether I'll ahve access to a good and conveniently located office during my stay--I might plan to spend little or much time in my hotel room or apartment. Whether I do tourist stuff or travel elsewhere for weekends also matters.

vanessaqhc

Ah yes AirBnB so have you booked anything through AirBnB? Was thinking too if the service apartments model would die off with AirBnB now expanding and gaining more exposure to travellers...

Thanks guys! Marriott seems to be popular... I might give it a shot!

For those who get sick of hotel food - I feel your pain. In the end the meals included is going to waste once you are sick of the daily menu...

Tchiowa

Many AirBnB sites limit the stay to 30 days max. Reason is that in some cities ifyou stay more than 30 days in a non-commercial room (i.e. not a hotel) you suddenly have tenant rights in which case you can't be evicted unless you set fire to the landlord's dog. So they are reluctant to allow you to stay that long.

MSPeconomist

The Marriott setup seems to be that they "own" a number of scattered fully furnished apartments in various rental and condo buidlings throughout major urban areas. The service part is done by a cleaning team in a van and I'm not sure what, if anything, they do during a stay; I think the tenant is responsible for stuff like buying replacement toilet paper. The quality and facilities can vary, although they'll consistently meet a set minimum standard. Don't expect a building full of serviced apartments or hotel-type staff and services.

Extended stay properties like Residence Inn and element (Starwood) make a point of varying their breakfast and (weekday, 3-4 nights per week) evening food offerings.

I've never done AirBnB, couch surfing, etc. My attitude is that I would want to spend so much time checking out the place and the owner that it wouldn't be worthwhile. I'm also nervous about arrangements that violate local ordinances; if things go wrong, you may have no recourse.

MSPeconomist

Many B&Bs have the same 30 day limit for the same reason. In fact, in some areas, staying over 30 days even can put you into rent control type property rights.

OTOH, extended stay hotels typically have the ability to ahve you sign a sort of lease and avoid state and local hotel taxes if you stay for more than a month. You should also get at least a discounted long term rate if you can't negotiate something better than that.

Tchiowa

I can't speak for all Marriott Executive Apartments, but the few I've stayed in don't meet your description.

Typically they are a complete building, not individual units within another building. The entire building is considered MEA. Full service as far as daily room cleaning, cable TV, etc. Kitchen. En suite laundry. Staff supplies water, tp, etc. For the most part just like a hotel but you have the kitchen (stove, fridge, microwave) and laundry in most rooms, they are usually roomier than a hotel but not as luxurious as a 5 star JWM (but better than a courtyard). They discourage short stays by charging regular hotel rates if you stay less than a week. For long term stays they usually charge significantly less than a hotel. For example I pay about $120/night for a 2 bedroom, 2 bath suite where I am staying now while the JWM about 15 minutes away is a bit over $200 for a single room.