Hotel Focus

Beautiful Boltholes

Apartments and aparthotels are making a booming post-recession comeback, with occupancy rocketing to 88% in London alone during the first half of last year.

And with stays now ranging from two weeks to 41 nights, according to The Apartment Service, guests will be craving a home-away-from home. Here’s our pick of the most snuggly nests in town.

Best Western Maitrise Suites aparthotel, Ealing, London

Located in Ealing Broadway, less than thirty minutes from Heathrow airport and with excellent transport links to Oxford Circus, The City and Westminster, Best Western’s Maitrise suites are seriously special.

Offering a bespoke range of suites, equipped with flat-screen TV, home cinema system and free WiFi, the suites are more like a London residence in terms of style and comfort.

Nuanced with stylish dark wood and muted tones, the suites also come with a fully equipped kitchen and orthopaedic beds with luxury Egyptian cotton, for when your working day calls for a comfy conclusion. As an extra touch, some of the suites also have a roof terrace.

24-hour reception, business services, dry cleaning and room services are available to all guests.

Dolphin House apartments, Westminster, London

Dolphin House offers a range of stunning serviced apartments in a quiet residential area. Located in the prestigious Dolphin Square, the apartments are set in around three and a half acres of idyllic gardens along the River Thames, just a short distance from Central London.

Each room offers comfort and sophistication with contemporary furnishings, including a super king size bed, duck and goose down duvets.

Warm and sophisticated, Dolphin apartments feature chairs and sofas upholstered in fabrics created by leading interior designers Fox Linton and cushions covered in bespoke fabrics designed by William Yeoward. A dining table and chairs are included, with a desk providing workspace for those who require it.

On the ground floor of Dolphin Square, the Dolphin Bar & Grill offers a convenient option for dinner, and on-site shops in the Dolphin Shopping Arcade provide an opportunity for residents to stock their kitchen without having to venture into town.

Stay Apartments – Liverpool, Dublin, Birmingham, Manchester

If you’re staying for the long haul, stay apartments, located in key business cities nationwide, make the ideal bolthole. Set up as fully-furnished luxury flats, they are cosy, homely, and ideal for hosting family and friends when you’re far away from home. Plus, they’re always bang in the city centre.

The Lever Court apartments in Liverpool, for example, are based in the up and coming Ropewalks development next to the famous Albert Docks and Echo Arena. Available as duplexes or penthouses, the apartments can sleep from two to seven people and are finished to high spec with laminate floors, fully-equipped kitchens complete with washer-dryer, oven with hob and fridge freezer.

A lounge and dining area allows you to play the perfect host while cots and high chairs are also available if you’re combining business with pleasure.

Apartments in Dublin, Birmingham and Manchester are built to a similar impressive standard and come with central locations.

Millennium and Copthorne suites at Chelsea FC, London

Millennium and Copthorne Hotels at Chelsea Football club have invested in stylish news suites, providing an elegant and spacious option for long-term stays. Located on the sixth floor of the Millennium Hotel, the suites feature a master bedroom, lounge and meeting area. Guests will also have full access to the exclusive club lounge.

Suites come with the latest mod-cons including large, flat-screen plasma television, kitchenette, 24-hour reception and concierge, a filled fridge and daily maid service. Not too shabby!

Coming soon … Staybridge Suites, Stratford, London

Get right in the thick of the Olympics without breaking a sweat at the Staybridge Suites London Stratford City.

Built right next to the gigantic Westfield ‘mega mall’, part of the extensive east London renovation, the extended stay hotel is purpose-built for guests staying from a week to a few months. 

The biggest boon is that the 162 suite hotel overlooks the Olympic Park which gives privileged insight into the 2012 legacy. But there are countless other benefits: a 24-hour convenience store, daily housekeeping and close proximity to the 130,000 square foot Stratford Place, the first office development to be built in the area.

The hotel is accessible via tube, rail and car and is just minutes away from the newly refurbished Stratford Regional Station, which has underground links into the centre of London, Canary Wharf and City Airport.

Suites are stylish, come with a cooked breakfast if desired, and host ‘get to know your neighbours’ events three times a week.

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