Accommodation options for business travel and international assignments are vast. But the traditional hotel room is facing a new challenge- the serviced apartment. Derag Livinghotels offers traditional hotel rooms for short stays as well as serviced apartments for extended stays across 8 European cities. Here, the Munich-based company explains why they think serviced apartments are a more attractive alternative to hotel rooms. 

Recently, the serviced apartment industry has grown at an impressive pace and is on its way to outperform the traditional hotel accommodation sector in the coming years. 

The Australian market, for example, is forcasting total returns ranging between 13% and 15% per annum in the apartment sector and 10% to 11% in the hotel sector within the next two years.

Business travellers are now beginning to view serviced apartments as a more comfortable alternative to hotels.

Also, more and more families are starting to discover the advantages of serviced accomodations.

Apart from lower prices and more flexible booking options, families of three and more people can enjoy more spacious rooms that often come with separate living and sleeping areas as well as connecting doors.

Privacy is on offer for everyone and considering the stress induced when staying with teenagers in a hotel, this is fairly uncomplicated.

A fully equipped kitchen or kitchenette enable residents to cook for themselves, friends or other visitors. Additionally, the cooking facilities allow for children to feel more comfortable than in restaurant and enable parents to provide their children with the healthier foods.

Serviced accommodation shares some of the same features as hotels, such as housekeeping, shopping and laundry services. But most serviced accomodations will also provide washing mashines in the buildings.

The serviced apartment sector remains a fragmented one and  so there is a wide range of family owned, individually furnished serviced accomodations.

Yet for those intrested in more standardised options, there are chain providers, such as Derag Livinghotels, offering flexible serviced apartments on a hotel service level.