Ekocity layout August-1

LEISURE & HOSPITALITY
LEISURE & HOSPITALITY
Serviced Apartments!
An emerging new trend
in Lagos!
ADEYINKA OLOYEDE
CEO/FOUNDER,
REAL HABITATS APARTMENTS.
Nigerians are gradually gravitating towards serviced apartments
which are a cheaper alternative to hotels as they have more amenities,
are easier to maintain and also provide guests looking for
temporary accommodation that absolute comfort which makes
life easier as problems of power disruptions, security and so on are
managed efficiently by the facility management on ground. Guests
also enjoy the fact that there are no extra bills for housekeeping and
security as the apartments mostly come with all-inclusive packages
and the top notch ones actually have Chefs and nannies to take care
of families and meals.
A long list of advantages over hotels include more space, as serviced
apartments generally have a separate living and dining area
(and even more living spaces if you choose an Luxury or Premium
apartment so you’re not just confined to a small bedroom. It provides
room to unwind and relax after a long day at work. It also
gives a convenient configuration for family or group travel as you
can often find apartments with several bedrooms and bathrooms
branching off from one central living area, and this can work well for
couples traveling with children or with another couple – everyone
has their privacy/space but can still hang out together in the shared
lounge room.
Apartments are serviced like hotels and still have all the trimmings you’ll find in a standard hotel building, such as a
pool, gym, conference center, restaurants and concierge – so you don’t have to sacrifice any amenities and yet serviced
apartments will often work out cheaper than an equivalent hotel, and while some will require you to book for a month
or a week to get a good deal, others still offer great rates for a stay of just a few nights. The fact that you can also cook
your own meals can help you save even more money and the longer you and your colleagues stay, the cheaper it becomes
– perfect for business travel which can require lengthy stays. Lengthy stays in hotel rooms can cripple company
financial budgets, not to mention that hotels aren’t always in good locations business-wise, which can upsurge travel
costs. As an extra incentive, you can also save money with the in-room washer and dryer and by cooking meals in the
serviced apartment’s kitchen.
There are several hundreds of serviced apartments in Lagos in areas like Old Ikoyi, Banana Island, Lekki, Parkview,
Ikeja Government reservation area (GRA), Maryland, Yaba, Surulere, Festac Town and the trend is definitely here to stay.
A
serviced
apartment,
also known as an
extended stay apartment
is a fully furnished
apartment available
for short-term or long-term
stay, providing hotel-like
amenities to clients like corporate
organizations, who
frequently use serviced apartments to host professionals who may
be on local or international work assignments. Although serviced
apartments are mostly for temporary accommodation and primarily
occupied by business executives, they are also available to the general
public such as families, couples or friends looking to get away in
a home away from home environment.
These apartments offer facilities much
like a traditional hotel but provide more
space, convenience and privacy. They
have private cooking facilities, sometimes
a kitchenette or most times a
full-size kitchen with dishwasher and
washing machine, living and sleeping
areas that are larger than most standard
rooms, and often having access to
gyms, restaurants, meeting space, concierges
and other hotel-like services.
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