How Aparthotels are Replacing Airbnbs as the Smart Travellers Choice
There was once a time when checking into an Airbnb was one of the best hacks for travellers who wanted value for money. The rates were lower, and the rooms were quirkier. These days, however, smart money is on aparthotels.
Having gotten out in front of the trend, The Capital Hotels and Apartments has used its innovative business model to give its clients suave, reliable and convenient accommodation options at rates that rival many Airbnbs. The result is that the group has become the fastest-growing hotel group in the country and until recently, the only one that was still raising new buildings.
Jurie Bezuidenhout, MD from The Capital Hotels and Apartments says, “The travel and accommodation space has changed over the past 15 years with the number of options mushrooming when Airbnb arrived and then falling flat when the pandemic hit. During that time, we’ve consistently been able to pivot and discerning travellers a whole lot more than just a roof over their heads.”
The Beauty of Reliability:
Recently, rumours have swirled that the loadshedding worst-case scenario could reach as high as level 16. Most Airbnbs are ill-equipped to deal with loadshedding as it currently stands. Many aparthotels, on the other hand, have the resources to run for days without interruptions to their power or water supply meaning a guest’s stay isn’t interrupted by your local state-owned entity’s troubles. T
he same applies for Wi-Fi. The quality of a Wi-Fi connection is often dependent on the Airbnb itself. This means sometimes the line speed can be painfully slow or not work at all. These are problems you’ll rarely face at an aparthotel. What’s more, because they tend to have higher occupancy rates and can house more people, aparthotels can make themselves ‘loadshedding proof’ with overburdening the consumer with the cost.
You Always Know What You Are Getting:
If you have been to enough Airbnbs, then there is a good chance you have fallen victim to accommodating catfishing. This is where you fall in love with the pictures only unlock the door and find that your place does not match up. Experienced Airbnb users will also know the annoyance of having to memorise a whole host of complicated check-in and key collection procedures. The beauty of aparthotels is that it does not matter which one you visit or when, everything is consistently sophisticated.
You get exactly what you are looking for and when you check in, all you have to do is walk up to the receptionist, give them your name and then bask in the convenience of receiving a key and having a porter walk you up to your room.
Safety Always Comes First:
When travelling safety is paramount. No one wants to run into an incident while on holiday. Unfortunately, the safety of Airbnbs is often dependant on a variety of factors including location, time of day and price point. Aparthotels are required to take security seriously. That is why they always have 24-hour security, CCTV surveillance and secure parking. Some will even go as far as to have has measures in place to ensure guest safety should incidents of civil unrest occur.
Location + Vibe = Your Chance to Live It Up
Have you ever gotten to your Airbnb, finished your day’s work and then realised that there was nothing fun to do nearby? Or that it was far from a central location where you could have meetings? Often, securing cheaper rates at an Airbnb may mean having to find one that is further out and less centrally located.
With properties in key city and business hubs, most aparthotels provide their guests with an enticing range of entertainment, dining, meeting options and the option of being able to take the party to their rooms should they need to. There may have been a time when urbane and discerning travellers could have set their sights on a nice Airbnb property and know that they were getting the best deal but like the fax machine, those days are gone.
