Easily one of the most sought-after destinations for business and leisure, London is not lacking in a steady throng of visitors. The UK recorded 39.2million inbound visits in 2017 according to a 2019 UK government tourism briefing paper. The paper further disclosed that London got 51% of that visitor traffic. Evidently, the other side of the coin for this high percentage would be accommodation and hotels have been the dominant option for the most part. However, this traditional model has been disrupted and may continue to experience further changes with the rising prominence of the short-let apartments.

Findings from a 2017 survey conducted by the UK Residential Landlords’ Association reveal that Airbnb rentals in London have recorded a whopping 187% increment since 2015. Evidently, business is booming for short-let rentals but that is only because tourists’ interest is also on the uptick. Even with this surge in short-let serviced apartments, some tourists are yet to understand the inherent advantages offered. Here are just a few:

Domestic Ambience

Having a mind conditioned to navigate a home environment, tourists struggle to acclimatise to the confines of a hotel room. As opposed to a single room, however, serviced apartments offer standard luxury comforts typically found in homes such as tastefully furnished lounge areas, well-equipped kitchen, separate rooms and ensuite bathroom(in some cases). In addition to these, serviced apartments typically have excellent home entertainment systems installed for guest enjoyment. These include TVs, DVDs, Stereo systems, WiFi and telephone systems.

Concierge Services

Booking a serviced apartment even affords guests the luxury of being served right off the plane. One prominent perk of renting a short-let apartment is the tailored service rendered including but not limited to arranged cab from the airport to the apartment. Ensuring that guests have the right information and logistical support to ease their itinerary is another area covered when renting a serviced apartment.

Cost-effectiveness

Essentially, serviced apartment rentals are charged per room thus making it a cheaper option to hotel accommodation which charges per person. Taking into consideration the availability of excellent facilities, guests pay less overall for serviced apartments.

Privacy

The stream of visitors in a hotel would hardly permit privacy for someone really desirous of having complete privacy. Serviced apartments, however, offer this distinct advantage especially for businessmen on private trips. Typically located in upscale environs that suit the tastes of guests, serviced apartments are probably the best option for rental privacy.

Hosting

Of course, if guests are visiting family in London, they may also wish to entertain guests in return. Serviced apartments offer the best environments as the lounge areas are well suited for this purpose. No noisy hotel bar or open-air area where other guests are meeting. The homely ambience makes hosting easy, convenient and comfortable.

Security & Convenience

Given the environs in which they are typically located, serviced apartments are well-secured and enjoy the provision of security gadgetry including CCTV and security personnel working round the clock.

As the tourism season starts again, the UK capital will begin to see a steady stream of visitors. Expectedly, in London, short stays will certainly be a key accommodation option for tourists. According to the Travel Market Report, the top European destination for 2018 was London and the trend might just continue this year.

• https://www.trekksoft.com/en/blog/65-travel-tourism-statistics-for-2019
• https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-42633271
• https://www.verdict.co.uk/new-london-tourism-statistics/