Why it’s good for business
Serviced apartments have sprung up in Britain’s big cities such as Birmingham,
Manchester and Liverpool in recent years, fuelled by the buy-to-let boom and
the handy availability of industrial quarters with plenty of character
looking for a new lease of life.
In the past, serviced apartments have been all about long-term rentals but a
competitive market has meant that many have now reduced their minim stay to
a single night, pitting them squarely against the hotel sector in the fight
for custom.
The appeal of serviced apartments for some business travellers is that they
tend to get more space for their money and a more homely feel – a nice touch
if you are constantly on the road. The downside is that you have to make
your own food and do your own cleaning and bed-making.
Blue Rainbow Apartments fits this template precisely. It is an apartment block
in a former industrial area, just off Manchester’s Deansgate and is aimed at
both business travellers who want the comforts of home (or better) when they
are on the road.
The location makes it a good choice if you are going to a conference or
exhibition at Manchester Central (the former G-MEX and Convention Centre),
just a short walk away or for the Deansgate and Castlefield areas of the
city.
Serviced apartments like these are particularly good if you are staying for a
long time and don’t want the formality of a hotel. You get the stainless
steel kitchen, washing machine and dryer that make you feel like you are
actually living at home and not out of a suitcase.
The apartment
The apartments come in two varieties – standard and premium. Both are the same
size but the premium apartments have a higher spec. In the premium
apartments, the furniture is made from more expensive wenge rather than
walnut while in the bathroom, the toiletries come from Salvatore Ferragamo
rather than the White Company.
The company says the apartments offer “the luxury of exclusive five-star
boutique hotels but with more space, privacy and freedom”. There is
certainly plenty of space and once the door to the lobby is closed, you can
certainly get up to whatever you want.
As for the luxury, it is good but not quite exclusive five-star in my opinion.
There is much to like – the contemporary designer floral wallpaper, the huge
red crushed velvet throne cum chaise longue, the cow hide on the living room
floor and the very sleek bathrooms, for example. Yet the wooden laminate
floors, the self-closing doors and the clinical white of the walls makes it
feel less than warm. Fake flowers would never cut it in a five-star boutique
hotel.
A place to meet
