UK is full of commuters and business travellers. In the past, most of these people preferred to book a hotel room because it was widely available and easy to book.  However, recent trends show that commuters choose to stay at serviced accommodation such as guest houses and short let flats. In fact, many of them happily confirm that staying at serviced accommodation is a lot better than in a hotel room. Well, we aren’t really surprised, but here are the reasons why.

Privacy

The top priority for people who travel on business is privacy and comfort. While there are great hotels where comfort is not an issue, privacy certainly is. Why not have both at a serviced apartment or a house somewhere in the countryside? In  Oxfordshire, for example, you could find beautiful holiday lets that have everything you need and are very close to nature.

Size of the rooms and feeling of home

As we know, most hotels provide small or medium sized rooms with tiny ensuite bathrooms. It is true that you aren’t on a vacation and won’t spend too much time in the room, but does it mean you have to feel like you are in a box? Of course not!  Serviced accommodation properties provide commuters with more space, a separate bathroom and a kitchen! The price difference is usually insignificant compared to the extra benefits you get with short let apartments and houses. The feeling of being at home is much more real in this type of accommodation.

Room service issue

Not all hotels would have 24-hour room service and even if they do, it is very expensive and the food doesn’t taste great. Imagine coming back from a late meeting and being really hungry. At any serviced accommodation you will have a kitchen and a few provisions for you to cook something quick, done to your own taste.

The housekeeping service

We’ve heard many stories about hotel maids who are intrusive and disturb the hotel guests. With serviced accommodation this risk is eliminated. The housekeeping service is very discrete and flexible. They will come when it is convenient for you and will do impeccable job.

Free parking space

If you are a commuter between cities, you probably use your own car. Not all hotels will offer free parking and even if they do, on busy days and weekends, you may not find a good enough space. If you are staying at a short let apartment or a house, chances are you will have at least one space to park and not pay extra.

These are just a few of the reasons why commuters prefer serviced accommodation to hotel rooms. We are sure there are more. If you can think of something important we have missed, let us know. We’d love to hear your take on this.

You’ve made the decision that this time you are going to ditch the boring hotels and get a nice, cosy, private short let accommodation for your stay away from home. Great job! However, if you haven’t done before or didn’t have the best experience last time, you should really know what to consider when booking a short let. We are going to outline some of the essentials in this article.

The Location

No doubt, the location would one of the first things you will consider when booking a short let. If you are on a business trip, it is important the place to be located close to your meeting point or place of work.

The Transport Links

If the short let accommodation isn’t that close to where you would be spending most of your time during the day, then at least, it must have good transport links, whether through public transport or by driving. Transport is also important if you are on holiday and you want to make the most of the area you are staying in, exploring different sites and attractions.

The Surroundings

Make sure you check what’s around your short let. Are there any shops and amenities nearby? Is it in a remote green area? Can you get some quiet and peaceful time? Are there any neighbours? Those are all questions you need to ask yourself or the holiday let owner before you make your booking.

The Facilities

Your comfort and security are very important during your stay away from home. Find out what is available in the property. You should be looking for things like air conditioning and heating, telephone line, wifi, TV, fridge and cooking facilities. Some short lets offer a lot more extras, which you can enjoy.

The Services

Apart from the facilities that you can use in the short let accommodation, you need to know what services will be made available to you, for example, housekeeping, laundry and ironing. You can ask your host for the arrangements that have been put in place in regards to this and you can also request to have a housekeeper coming in at a time and frequency that suits you.

The Terms and Conditions

It is essential that you check the terms and conditions for renting the holiday let before you make a booking. Read carefully and don’t just skip the details. They are important because usually, people oversee the little things that they deem insignificant but end up paying a lot more than the initial booking in penalty fees and charges.

We hope this article gave you some valuable information and guidance on what to consider when booking a short let. If you have any questions or you wish to book one of our properties for your stay away from home, please contact us and we will be delighted to assist.

Meta Title: What to Consider When Booking a Short Let | Short Lets Oxford

Meta Description: You should really know what to consider when booking a short let when staying away from home. Grab the essentials in this article.

Have you planned a trip to Oxfordshire any time soon? Or perhaps you are going there for business? Either way, you’d probably find yourself with some free time on your hands during your stay. Instead of staying at your hotel room or holiday let, you should explore Oxford and the nearby areas. No worries if you don’t know what you can do, we offer you 7 fun things to do in Oxford, no matter what kind of activities you prefer.

Cotswold Wildlife Park

If you love nature or you came to the trip with children, we recommend a visit to the Cotswold Wildlife Park. It’s located in Burford, which is less than 40 minutes drive to Oxford. In the park you can see a wide selection of wild animals, such as rhinos, giraffes and lemurs. There are also different activities and events in which you can take part during your visit. It is, no doubt one of the most fun places to see in Oxfordshire.

Oxford Castle and Prison

If you are a fan of historical sights you should certainly take a trip to Oxford Castle and Prison. There are over 1,000 years of history locked in that place. You could have a tour with professional guides, dressed in various age specific costumes, who will make you totally immerse in the fascinating stories and facts about the people who lived there and the stories the castle and the prison keep for centuries.

Broughton Castle

Fancy tea in a real castle from the Middle ages? You should go to Broughton Castle. It’s 45 minutes drive from Oxford, but the trip is totally worth it. The place is particularly beautiful during the spring and summer with large gardens and unique architecture.

Blenheim Palace

While we are on the castle and palace tours, it would be a serious error if we forget to mention the Blenheim Palace. It’s one of the official UNESCO World Heritage sites spreading over 2,000 acres of land. This is the birthplace of one of the greatest Britons, sir Winston Churchill. The palace and its gardens are huge. It will be impossible to see everything in just a day, so perhaps you’d like to plan a weekend for it.

Punting Down the River Cherwell

If you want to truly rest and reconnect with the beauty оf nature you should go for punting down the River Cherwell. Punting is an old British tradition and it is could turn into a romantic date for you and your loved one or just recharging and reflective journey if you take it on your own.

Shopping at Oxfordshire

The whole Oxfordshire area is popular for its many shopping attractions from local markets to luxury shopping villages. Must visit shopping sites are the Westgate Shopping Market, where 18th century architecture meets modern brands and the Bicester Village. The latter is a unique shopping village, accommodating more than 160 world-known brands with 60% discounts on all retail prices all year round. If that’s not the heaven for shoppers, we don’t know what it would be.

The Oxford University

We were saving this one for lasts. Oxford University is the oldest university in the entire English speaking world. It comprises of 38 independent colleges spread over the city. It is a popular tourist attraction for people all over the world, so it will truly be a shame to come to Oxford and not take a tour at Oxford University.

Are you one of these people who travel a lot for business? Maybe you just like taking trips with your family to the countryside or exploring new cities. If that sounds like you, then you are probably well familiar with the accommodation options you have when away from home. However, for many inexperienced travellers or commuters booking a hotel room or renting a short let accommodation is a dilemma they spend a lot of time and thought on. That’s why we decided to present some of the pros and cons of each options and maybe see who wins the Hotel vs Short Let battle.

Booking a Hotel Room

The Pros

Most good hotels are well equipped with a variety of facilities, from room service to a leisure centre. During your stay you don’t need to lift a finger because the housekeeping teams are usually good and do everything for you. Your bed is made daily, your towels and toiletries are replenished, your rooms is cleaned and tidied. In some cases even your food throughout the day is included. You get to meet new people and enjoy a variety of activities by yourself or as part of an entertainment programme.

The Cons

Paying for a hotel room for a longer period of time can be very expensive. And in some hotels, even a short stay is quite costly. But that’s not the biggest disadvantage. The feeling of cosiness is often absent. Despite the fact that you can lock yourself in your room, privacy in hotels is also questionable. It’s no secret that, unfortunately, in a lot of hotels food isn’t great and even if it is included in the price you paid, you may end up paying extra to get something else from outside. Probably, the most significant negative for many people is the fact that they just won’t feel at home, especially if they need to stay for longer than a week.

Short Lets

 The Pros

What you cannot have in a hotel, you can certainly have in a serviced apartment or a short let accomodation. These are properties rented out to private tenants for a short period of time ranging for a couple of night to 3 months. It’s ideal for an extended business trip (over a week or two) or a summer family holiday. The privacy and comfort are guaranteed because there is no one else in the property except for you and your friends if they came along. At the same time, a team of specially trained housekeepers visit your short let every day or as frequently as you have requested at a time that is most convenient for you. It could be during the day when you are out and about or at night when you’ve gone out partying if that’s your cup of tea. We wouldn’t say that short let properties are cheap, but they may come cheaper compared to hotels, especially if rented for a longer period of time.

The Cons

Well, of course nothing is perfect. Short lets have their disadvantages as well, but honestly, we can’t think of too many of them. It would be fair to mention that you may miss the social factor when renting a short let accommodation, especially if it is in a remote area in the countryside. But perhaps solitude is exactly what you were looking for. If not, then maybe you should consider bringing in your friends. Another disadvantage would be the fact that you would have to cook for yourself. Yes, the housework will be taken care of by the housekeeping team, but they won’t be making your breakfast, lunch and dinner. For some people, though, this is more of a positive than a negative, especially knowing that there are shops and restaurants around the property. Also, some short lets are stocked with food and drinks you could use on your first day/night of your stay.

What do you think, what is the better option to take when travelling? Would you consider booking a hotel room or a short let and what are the reasons that will outweigh either option?