Holiday Apartments vs Hotels: Which Offers Better Value?

The travel and leisure industry is evolving at a faster pace than ever before, owing to the expansion of individual qualities that we are now looking for when it comes to choosing the ideal holiday stay. No longer is the hotel king of accommodation, not when alternatives such as apartments and home shares are proving to be more compatible with the modern consumer. But when it comes down to it, three factors will always prove to be the criteria by which the suitability of an accommodation type is judged, those being: size and space; quality of amenities; and level of comfort.

Location and cost also play a huge part but because they operate on such a broad spectrum and are subjective depending on a traveller’s circumstances, it’s fair to leave them out of the equation in this scenario.

To that end, we have embarked upon a short assessment of the three factors mentioned above for both holiday apartments and hotels in order to deliver practical advice on which accommodation type is most suitable for your next trip.

Room Size and Space

In Australia apartments tend to be equal to hotels in the variety of services they offer and the level of quality of features, although generally they edge it when it comes to the amount of personal space they have. This is often a decisive factor as to why a customer and their travel companions may opt for a serviced apartment over a hotel. For the sake of the luxury of personal space - even if it is simply a spare corner for luggage storage or the inclusion of a wardrobe for keeping clothes fresh - a few extra square metres of an apartment will make a difference. Families who travel together, or groups of more than two for that matter, are likely to benefit more from booking a holiday apartment if they want to share rooms or living space. Family rooms are seldom available from major hotel chains at value for money prices.

Quality of Amenities

A serviced apartment can be preferential when traveling mainly because it recreates the space that many people like to call home. Its main differentiator to a standard hotel room is the abundance of everyday equipment that are necessary for the cooking, cleaning and general enjoyment of a short break away. All down to the fine details, such as knives and forks, and kitchen utensils, the serviced apartment puts a premium on the interests of the customer whereas the hotel experience caters to the convenience of a short term stay assuming such luxuries may not be missed. Hotel chains wising up to the change in holiday trends are including a higher standard of amenities although costs will always be shaved to drive revenue and this agenda is not always in line with the desires of the holidaymaker who plans to enjoy their stay for more than the odd night or two.

Comfort Level

There’s no arguing that a hotel can offer a great night’s rest. However, generally speaking, the bigger the bed the higher the cost the hotel stay will be. Prices also fluctuate depending upon how many people are staying per bed and per room. So comfort is often determined by the cost. Good deals are always surfacing on price comparison websites, however the right ones are sometimes hard to pinpoint. Because an apartment is built for longer term stays the living and sleeping areas are given more thought as to how they generate greater comfort for the user. A balcony view or garden area may even be included as part of the package.