Improving Your Serviced Accommodation Unit

I made a last minute decision to stay in this one specific Serviced Accommodation Unit in Phoenix, due to a business event I go to every year. I believe it's really important to put yourself around like-minded, successful people.

I had originally booked an amazing hotel, we came a few days early but the hotel was fully booked. We then stayed in another hotel in Phoenix which had a central location and great length pool, one of the best features for me.

When we reached the hotel, we were told the pool was temporarily closed. Unfortunately this wasn’t the only thing, we went down to dinner later on in the evening and the restaurant wasn’t available either. They had food at the bar but it wasn’t an extensive menu, especially for my wife who is vegan.

We came to the conclusion that this hotel really wasn’t suitable and booked ourselves into this last minute Serviced Accommodation. I picked it because of its location again, and it actually had a pool that I could use. Above all else, we were able to get this accommodation at a discounted rate.

The first thing I liked about this apartment was that they had instructions on how to find the building. This was a big complex of probably a couple hundred apartments, so being given really clear directions was a good touch.

Sometimes in a serviced accommodation people actually meet you there. They check you have everything, but this is very much the kind of 'check in yourself' style.

We were told there was a lockbox on the door. This is one of the features I really like. The main door also had an electronic pad, which is better than having to scan your phone as it may have run out of battery. You can simply type in the code, and the code they decided to use was the last four digits of my phone number. This is really convenient for your guests because you are less likely to forget the codes.

I also noticed that there was a doorbell camera, meaning the owner who runs the AirBnb can keep an eye on who enters the property. Something that happens often with AirBnb’s is that people book them to have parties, so this is very useful for you as a SA Property owner.

Right by the front door, we had a little key fob which got us into the pool area and actual complex. The pool is protected by two gates, so only people who are part of the accommodation community can get in. This is pretty good.

The main living room was nice and clean, expected of every accommodation you pay to stay at. The room has a good sized TV, alongside Netflix on it. Netflix is especially beneficial to include in your services, even if you have the free view channels already. I was expecting to log into my personal Netflix but it was already logged in. I'm not sure if that's the owner of the property or maybe just the last guest who forgot to log out

A couple of things about the kitchen, it was fairly well equipped. It had a good size oven with 5 hobs. There were lots of knives, coffee maker, toaster and kettle. Very often you only get a coffee maker but having a kettle is thoughtful, it’s hard to make tea in a coffee maker.

Serviced Accommodation is all about the service elements. There was nothing else in here. I think it would be really nice if there was a bottle of water in the fridge. Even if there were some tea bags, sugar, honey, herbal tea bags or some instant coffee so people can make themselves a drink. There should also be a tiny carton of milk in the fridge as good practice, so your guests don’t have to go to the shops straightaway.

There was an ice maker, but unfortunately they've not put any water in the ice maker, so there's no ice available. Little details like this would actually make it a lot better.

Lastly, The owners of this property didn’t think to put a lot of cutlery in the drawers. I had to open the dishwasher and take them out myself which is a shame. I would suggest always making these little changes to your accommodation, as they make your guests feel looked after.

I now want to talk about the bathroom and bedroom of this Serviced Accommodation unit. Small towels were used, and I think you should definitely have bigger towers for the bathroom. They left toiletries for us to use which is great and plenty of extra toilet roll, which is important.

The bedroom had a big storage cupboard which is appreciated by your guests. In terms of our bed, you would normally expect a duvet cover, but here we had to experience sleeping in several sheets. Some people might not be keen on sleeping on sheets that don’t entirely cover your duvet, so definitely think about this.

Overall it was an interesting experience being in this AirBnb. I’d say it was a last minute booking. But I hope you were able to gain some hints and tips on what you should consider if you are investing in your own SA.

Some AirBnb’s have an information pack prepared which lists the local restaurants and supermarkets. This is something this unit didn’t do, but one tip I think is very helpful for anyone staying at your property.