Plan b - Serviced Apartments

[Pondlife]

I certainly qualify on the old and grumpy front, in fact I've been thinking of running masterclass courses in grumpy old bastard modes as a plan D.

There's no money to be made as it's a life skill you learn on the job.

[DimPrawn]

That being said the house shares I've had I've almost never come into anything other than fleeting contact with the others.

That sounds interesting if there's a lingerie photoshoot going on somewhere and you happen to pick the right house share....

[sasguru]

That sounds interesting if there's a lingerie photoshoot going on somewhere and you happen to pick the right house share....

Maybe that's why you're not rich - from business idea to porn fantasy in a few minutes.
Show some resolution man.

[d000hg]

I look at whatever a reasonable hotel chain would cost (in that city) for 9 nights and use that as a monthly budget estimate when looking for an all-in flat.

When I've looked at these, they typically cost about the same per night as a hotel but maybe I am looking at the nicer ones. For instance Serviced Apartments, Apart Hotels in Leeds, Manchester & Newcastle - or is this not quite what is being discussed?

[Ticktock]

I reckon the above - clean and basic, would put you in a sweet price-point between scummy B&B/shared house and a pricey hotel.

I've used them before a fair bit (paid for by clients / employers). I prefer them to a hotel if I'm away for anything over a couple of weeks. In general the price has been comparable to a hotel, maybe a little less, but not by much. Some have been in hotels - they have normal rooms on some floors, then a couple of floors of apartments.

I agree, clean and basic.
My wishlist runs to a kitchen, washing machine (a dryer is good), maybe a dishwasher so I can be lazy (but not required), a desk, half-decent wireless, a TV and a cleaner.

[sasguru]

I've used them before a fair bit (paid for by clients / employers). I prefer them to a hotel if I'm away for anything over a couple of weeks. In general the price has been comparable to a hotel, maybe a little less, but not by much. Some have been in hotels - they have normal rooms on some floors, then a couple of floors of apartments.

I agree, clean and basic.
My wishlist runs to a kitchen, washing machine (a dryer is good), maybe a dishwasher so I can be lazy (but not required), a desk, half-decent wireless, a TV and a cleaner.

Ah but I'm not talking about a serviced apartment, those are too expensive for most contractors, unless the client is paying.
I'm really talking self-contained bedsit here. Not sure there's a network of those.

[vetran]

Most people who stay in those types of apartments don't want someone to do their cooking and washing. Otherwise they would stay in a hotel.

I would suggest it is a chargeable extra.

The cooking would be Tuesday = 'low fat home cooked Shepherds /Vegetable Pie" order by 9am in the morning.It provides a healthy option and a quick meal at the £3-4 mark. Something a few posters have mentioned. Again can be outsourced to local pub/restaurant. Delivered to Fridge during day or at 8pm for extra.

The washing / Ironing is a standard service many middle class people I know pay for anyway. The cleaner doesn't have to do it, just organise & collect it. Leave washing in bag in room and it will be back in 2 days washed, ironed and hung in your wardrobe. We charge £2 per load to organise.

ironing service in newport : Pick Up and Press

I would pay £10 -£20 a week for that and charge it against expenses if I could.

Its basically a maid / restaurant service but at a lower cost.

It also ups the Ante, its not a house share its a hotel without the fuss.

[Pondlife]

When I've looked at these, they typically cost about the same per night as a hotel but maybe I am looking at the nicer ones. For instance Serviced Apartments, Apart Hotels in Leeds, Manchester & Newcastle - or is this not quite what is being discussed?

If the local Raddisson/Hilton is £150 a night then I don't think £1200-£1500 for a serviced apartment is too extreme. As I mentioned, 9 x hotel per night seems to work.

[SueEllen]

I would suggest it is a chargeable extra.

The cooking would be Tuesday = 'low fat home cooked Shepherds /Vegetable Pie" order by 9am in the morning.It provides a healthy option and a quick meal at the £3-4 mark. Something a few posters have mentioned. Again can be outsourced to local pub/restaurant. Delivered to Fridge during day or at 8pm for extra.

The washing / Ironing is a standard service many middle class people I know pay for anyway. The cleaner doesn't have to do it, just organise & collect it. Leave washing in bag in room and it will be back in 2 days washed, ironed and hung in your wardrobe. We charge £2 per load to organise.

ironing service in newport : Pick Up and Press

I would pay £10 -£20 a week for that and charge it against expenses if I could.

Its basically a maid / restaurant service but at a lower cost.

It also ups the Ante, its not a house share its a hotel without the fuss.

It's more likely to cost £8-10 a day for an evening meal rather than a week as otherwise it won't be cost effective. Remember restaurants and pubs need to charge VAT on the meal.

[darmstadt]

Quite a few hotel chains have apart-hotels which I've used extensively in the past. One down in the Schwarwald I was in for 2 years, it had a kitcheonette (cooker, microwave, dishwasher, etc.) and a cleaner twice a week. For that one I used to pay monthly but go home most weekends and occasionally stay for the weekend there. I've used others such as the Westfield Suites in Stratford and some Novotel Suites as well and they all offer various packages. One of the best was Courtyard by Marriott in Poughkeepsie (and not just because IBM were paying) but the rooms were excellent and they provided a heck of a lot of amenities and extras (chilli evenings, etc.) I have also rented fully furnished apartments as well but that was just too much hassle...