Having to work away from home goes with the territory when you're involved in business. Sometimes it can be just a quick overnight stay on a couple of occasions a year...or perhaps it's a project or regular event where you need to keep in touch with one of your clients and find it works best when you have a faceto-face meeting.
For some of you reading this, being on the road is a large chunk of what you do. A surprising amount of business people will leave home early on a Monday morning and not be back in their own bed until Friday.
And isn’t it amazing how, after a while, all hotels seem to be the same? They can be impersonal, have a repetitive menu, noisy, busy and…well…it’s not like being in your own place.
Which is precisely the reason why Week2Week Serviced Apartments in Newcastle have been so successful. As you can see from the photos, their properties really are a home from home. You have your own space, you can do your own catering, and you can stamp your own identity on the place for short and extended stays.
Some of you reading this may be responsible for finding somewhere for a client or worker to stay. Rather than sticking them in a faceless and probably expensive hotel, why not provide them with a serviced apartment in a prime location.
“We’re seeing really high demand for our apartments,” said Director, Claire Parry. “Following Covid, people are now more aware of having their own space where they can be private and don’t have to mingle with a crowd of people. A lot of travel companies are offering apartments as an alternative to hotel accommodation. People are planning ahead and rather shuttling backwards and forwards, they’re staying longer in one place and combining several meetings to avoid excessive travelling.
We’re also fortunate in that we have a high level of repeat business. During Covid we had to keep accommodation going for the simple reason that essential workers like engineers, construction personnel and health workers, all had to find somewhere to stay. They were very wary of being in one of the few hotels which stayed open, so having their own apartment was the perfect solution. They were comforted by the information we provided them with and the reassurance that every property was thoroughly cleaned and hygienic before they moved in. We also saw a lot of workers relocating to the North East.”
It’s been a difficult time for Claire and the guys at Week2Week because their founder and inspiration, Janet Jackson, who is also Claire’s mum, died of cancer in November. It was a challenging time for the business.
“My mum always used to say that people needed to be able to trust Week2Week,” adds Claire. “We’ve been in the business for 23 years and our reputation speaks volumes. We have credibility. We’re not like a lot of other property platforms because we meet guests who book into any of our properties. You don’t have to scramble around to find the keys in a security box. We look after them while they’re saying with us…we can help with any tourist ideas for families who’re enjoying a holiday in the region…we can sort onward travel… and we also ensure that properties meet our strict safety guidelines.
“And don’t forget that unlike a lot of other accommodation providers, Week2Week are audited and accredited every year. They are members of IPRAC (a global verification and accreditation platform that certifies professional short-term rental agencies and property owners); ASAP (Association of Serviced Apartment Providers) and QIT (Quality in Tourism) of which Week2Week has achieved gold standard.
All of their properties are in prime locations. You’ll find them on the Newcastle and Gateshead Quayside, in Newcastle city centre, as well as Jesmond, Gosforth and on the coast in North Shields, Tynemouth and South Shields.
If you’d like to see the properties available at Week2Week, the best idea is to go onto their website www.week2week.co.uk. You should also speak to Claire if you have a property that you’d like to make available for rent. The financial returns are extremely attractive and are generally much more favourable than renting to private tenants.
Week2Week…serviced apartments…safe and secure…your hotel alternative.