A hotel apartment (aparthotel in French) is the trade name generally used for tourist residences, especially when they are located in town.
WHAT IS A HOTEL APARTMENT ?
A hotel apartment is a temporary residence (for vacation or not).
The rental price is calculated per night, week or month of temporary rental. Long-term rental is also possible under certain conditions.
The tenant enjoys the apartment independently as if it were their own home. However, they cannot take up residence there.
Several different spellings exist in French : aparthotel, aparthotel / aparthotel, or even apart hotel. “Aparthotel” is a term that is used commercially, (unlike the designation “furnished tourist accommodation”, which is linked to specific regulations).
A hotel apartment can be found in hotel residences in a single building, several buildings or single apartments located in a city or region, or even a single apartment rented by a private owner. The accommodations can be managed by a private owner of by a company (by an agency, for example).
Which are the differences between a hotel apartment and a hotel room ?
Unlike hotel rooms, self-catering hotel apartments have the advantage of being perfectly suited to the activities of daily life: you can cook there, wash your dishes, your laundry … For this reason, hotel apartments may be preferred for long-term stays or monthly rental. They also offer an economical alternative to hotels, which is appreciated by families, professionals on business trips, expatriates or people looking for a primary residence to rent / buy, and even French and international tourists.
A hotel apartment is fully furnished and equipped, managed by a single operator. Usually, additional services will be offered along the the rental.
These services may be included in the rental price or they may be optional. They may include: the provision of sheets and linens, regular cleaning services, meals… Some hotel apartments even offer taxi or restaurant booking services, booking of tickets for shows, all kinds of cultural or leisure events …
A hotel apartment must have an equipped kitchen / kitchenette, a shower room or bathroom and one or more bedrooms (or a sleeping area). Also, a hotel apartment must be suitably furnished and include essential equipment (crockery, refrigerator, lamps, etc.).
Hotel apartments can obtain a star rating according to the tourism code, by an approved organization. This rating will give a reliable idea of the comfort of the apartment, the quality of its furnishings and the completeness of the equipment. In municipalities requiring the payment of a tourist tax, the star rating of the apartment may influence the overnight amount of the tourist tax. For example, in Lyon, the tourist tax for accommodation classified as 3 stars is 1.65 Euros per night and per person. In order to limit the amount of the applied tourist tax, it is therefore not uncommon for some owners to decide to have their luxury accommodation rated as 3 stars, although the apartment meets the criteria for a 4-star rating.
What types of rentals are possible for a hotel apartment?
Seasonal rental, which is limited to a period of 90 nights, is particularly suitable for vacations and other short-term stays. To be able to offer their hotel apartment for seasonal rental, the owner must declare it to the town hall as a furnished tourist accommodation.
While hotel apartments are often considered a tourist residence, they are also often rented for other types of stays, such as business stays or personal stays (eg relocation). Thus, companies may rent a hotel apartment for their employees, for a mid-term or long-term stay (missions, transfers, training, teleworking, etc.).
Apart from short-term stays, hotel apartments are very convenient for medium and long stays. By renting a hotel apartment with a mobility lease, the stay can last from 1 to 10 months. In this case, the rental must be justified by a professional reason. Thus, a hotel apartment can be rented for a longer period than a seasonal rental.
What are the special features of Urban Sejour Apart-hotels?
Urban Sejour’s services include, among other things, a personalized welcome in the apartment and the supply of linens, as well as a weekly or monthly cleaning service for long-term stays or yearly rentals.
Also, Urban Sejour and the owner of the flat remain at the disposal of the tenants throughout the stay.
Urban Sejour’s apartments provide optimal comfort, in particular through their modern furnishings and complete equipment (including unlimited Wi-Fi, washing machine, TV, etc.). Most of Urban Sejour’s accommodations are rated 3 stars according to the standards of the Ministry of Tourism.