Furniture must-haves in a Service Apartment!
Imagine you are traveling to a new city for a much-awaited holiday with your friends, whom you have not seen in a long time. You are the first one to arrive at your accommodation as you made the booking and wanted to make sure there is enough space and seating for the rest of the group. As you enter, you discover to your dismay that there is only one bed in the bedroom and only one 3-seater sofa in the living room. There is enough space for only 2 more people. Where are the rest of them going to go?
As someone who has been running a service apartment for many years, instances like this reflect badly on the person who runs the SA. Furnishing can make or break a service apartment’s business strategy. It is a major part of your investment and if done right, will attract more customers. Hence, it is vital to invest in good quality, sturdy, and the newest options when it comes to furnishing. But like in every business, you should know your target audience and cater to their needs.
Leisure:
Many service accommodations that are located in popular holiday destinations usually have services focusing on the needs of seasonal travelers. They usually travel in groups or as couples. So, it would be wise to have an extra futon bed in the living room in case they are expecting more people to visit them. A separate kitchen and living room area is more preferable by these people. Flexibility is a huge requirement for them as there is a desire to be autonomous and so, they would like a kitchen fitted with the latest appliances and with a washer and dryer.
Business:
Corporate workers who travel to different cities for work need short term accommodation that gives services worth their money and provides them with plenty of space. Hotels are notoriously known for not providing either of those, so it is easier to attract business travellers with lesser effort. They appreciate a spacious apartment with enough seating area in case they want to have meetings and a work desk. A kitchen fitted with the latest equipment is also increasingly favourable as many of them follow their diets while travelling as well.
Contractors:
If your accommodation is close to a big architectural project, chances are that they will seek out accommodation. It is easy to cater to them as they prefer low nightly rates but will also settle for low-quality accommodation. All they require are a spacious apartment, and zip and link beds that can be divided into two as they tend to share the house amongst a group of 4 at least to reduce costs.
NHS:
During Covid, we have seen an influx of new types of customers that are doctors, nurses, and other NHS workers who want to self-isolate away from their family or want to stay close to their place of work. This kind of guest requires the most amenities. A work desk and Wi-Fi connection to continue working during isolation, a washer-dryer to wash their own clothes, a fully equipped kitchen that is ready to cook meals, an extra bed in the living room sofa in case they are expecting more colleagues.
Students:
If there is a university or a college nearby, you can expect a lot of students or visiting professors or even parents. Students are not particular about the quality of their accommodation as much as they are about the nightly rates. They are fine staying at a lower quality accommodation so long as they have all the amenities like Wi-Fi, a sofa, and a bed. Most of them don’t cook that much so they won’t be able to appreciate a fully equipped kitchen.
Finding the best furnishing for your apartment can be quite like a work of art. You can get creative with it by following themes or colour schemes. The best-case scenario is when people take notice of your furnishings and appreciate it and the worst-case scenario is when it doesn’t meet your guests’ standards. But we want to start by aiming for the middle ground and provide them with everything they need then move our way up from there.
