Air BNB or Serviced Apartments and Why?

With the new trend of shared economy, budget airline and internet, the travel industry has been shaken up and evolved tremendously in the last decade.

In the past, the natural choice of accommodation were motels or hotels, often booked through travel agencies or direct international calls. Bed and Breakfast (B and B) was an option too. However, BnB was expensive and limited in number. Serviced apartments were unheard of then.

Who would have known that the Bed & Breakfast and serviced apartments would be the stay of choice now?

Serviced apartments are favoured by large families and long-stay corporate clients or expats. Airbnb, the simplified Bed and Breakfast (often comes with no breakfast in contrary to its name), is the favourite choice among independent holiday travellers, budget and shoe-string travellers. Combined, both are higher demanded than hotel bookings!

What are the key considerations to decide between the two then? There are 3 factors to consider:

Consistency and Standardisation of services

Most serviced apartments are corporatized and managed by experienced hospitality professionals. Formal Standard Operational Procedures are in place that define the layout, furnishing and services provided. If you are one that feels disorientated with different housing style each time you travel overseas or you irk at the housekeeping standard of home-run Bed and Breakfast (did they bleach the toilet bowl?), you will feel more confident in staying with the serviced apartment over Air BnB, where quality control and reputation are paramount to the former.

Customer Service

Serviced apartments specialise in serving business professionals. Due to this nature of business, the customer service standard is typically extremely high. Services usually include concierge, guest services and extended hours support. With Airbnb, you will not be able to know what to expect. Will you be received by the homeowner himself, or would it be a key drop arrangement? Is he staying in the same house with you, providing ‘local advices and directions’ or is he running the facility as an additional income and staying in a separate home? If you have an issue with your stay, where could you file a complaint? If you aren’t happy, can you change the room? The answer is ‘No’. The only recourse is that you leave a bad review on Airbnb portal to warn other travelers against it.

With serviced stays, on the other hand, you will have customer service and quality control staff who will dedicate their services to ensure that your stay is delightful. The professionals will find ways to remediate your unhappiness, such as a change of rooms or eradicating the source of discomfort.

Costs & Fees

With Air BNB, there are hidden fees, such as booking and cleaning fees. Usage of internet, phone, and laundry are often not included. If you do not read the fine-print, you can end up paying more than what you have bargained for. However, with the serviced route, the apartment price is usually all-inclusive of whatever you need during your stay, including utilities, WIFI, laundry services and even soap detergent.

In conclusion, Air BNB is the obvious sub-par option to travelling. In terms of comfort, flexibility, cost, quality and consistency, the serviced apartment route is the natural winner. There are no surprises, no hidden cost. Hence, for your next business trip or extended stay, consider these factors and choose the serviced apartment stay. After all, you should settle down quickly and enjoy the experience of your stay without having to be upset over unnecessary distractions and discomfort that should be a given.