frequently asked questions - about our serviced apartments

what is a serviced apartment?
A serviced apartment is an alternative to a hotel. It is a cost-effective, flexible and comfortable option, offering you privacy and a place in which to relax in a homely environment for a few days, weeks or more. All of esa's apartments offer the comforts of your own home combined with the luxury and services of you would expect at a hotel.

why shouldn’t I just choose to stay in a hotel?
Apartments provide a new standard of accommodation for business travellers tired of hotel living. They can expect the comfort, luxury and privacy of home, together with extra space, flexibility and independence that the apartments provide.

what types of accommodation are available?
esa offer a wide range of one to five bedroom properties to suit every requirement from business travel to relocation, in locations across the South of England including the Thames Valley and South Coast. All are modern properties, recently built or refurbished, equipped to our high standard, with contemporary furnishings and fittings.

how do I reserve an apartment?
To reserve an apartment you may contact us by telephone, email or fax with your request. Alternatively fill in the enquiry form on our website. Once we have received the booking request we will respond to you within 2 working hours.

how far in advance do we have to book?
You can book an esa serviced apartment or house up to the day of arrival and we will try our best to accommodate your request, depending on availability. Please note that some special requests may not be available for last minute bookings.

how much does an esa apartment cost?
All of our prices are quoted by the week, and we will adjust this to a price per night if your stay is shorter than this. All prices quoted for accommodation or any extras are subject to VAT at 20%. For accommodation the rate of VAT is reduced to 4% after 28 days. For full details of prices, special offers and availability please contact our client relations team.

when is my booking confirmed?
If you do not have an account with us we require a 50% deposit to confirm the booking, with the balance payable prior to check in.

if I want to extend my stay, can I do this?
Yes, subject to availability. Please contact our client relations team at least 14 days prior to your original departure date. We will try to accommodate extension requests with less notice than this but if there is any availability it will be limited.

how much notice do I need to provide if I wish to cancel?
We require 14 days notice of any cancellation or shortening of stay. A cancellation charge will be liable outside of these terms.

is there a special rate for longer stays?
Our prices vary according to the length of booking and the serviced apartment selected. Please talk to our client relationship team to discuss your requirements.

what is included in the price?

what additional costs might be incurred?

what sort of facilities can we expect?
All esa serviced apartments and houses are fully furnished and offer guests every convenience. Guests have their own living space, bedroom, kitchen and bathroom. All properties are supplied with fresh linen, towels and luxury toiletries. Kitchens are equipped with refrigerator, cooker and hob, microwave, saucepans, cutlery and crockery, and washing machine. Living areas have a cd / dvd player, flat screen tv, Sky box. Hairdryer, iron and ironing board are also provided; see apartment features for a full list.

do serviced apartments have double or single beds?
All the serviced apartments have double beds in the master and main bedrooms. Some of the larger properties may have single beds in the smaller additional bedrooms. Full details of each property can be obtained from our client relations team prior to making a booking.

can we smoke in the apartment?
We operate a strict no smoking policy. If an apartment is found to have been smoked in, the guest may be asked to leave and additional apartment cleaning and redecoration charges will be incurred.

are cots available?
We can arrange for a cot to be provided, subject to availability. Please contact us in advance to book this.

is there a lift in the building?
Yes, in certain properties. Please talk to our client relations team in advance to discuss any special access requirements.

how many people can sleep in one apartment?
The number of people permitted to occupy each serviced apartment is limited to the number of beds. The number of people occupying the apartment must be agreed at the time of booking. However guests are welcome to have the occasional guest to stay depending on the number of spare beds available in the apartment or house.

is the accommodation located near the town centre?
All of esa’s properties are carefully selected for their closeness to the town centre and access to main transport links and local facilities.

is parking available?
Secure parking is available at the majority of our properties for one car per serviced apartment. Please request parking when you place your booking to ensure you are allocated accommodation with parking and we give you the correct keys or access codes for the parking area on check in.

are pets allowed in the apartment?
We are sorry but pets are not allowed.

how and where can I collect my keys?
One of esa’s guest relations team will personally meet and greet all guests - no matter what time you arrive. You will be issued with one set of keys per guest.

what if I lose the key?
If you lose the key to your serviced apartment or house we have a 24 hour call out service who will be able to give you access to the property and provide a new key. If this is between the hours of 10pm and 8am a call out charge may be incurred. A charge of £150 will be made if a replacement key or locksmith is required.

what time can we check in?
Standard check in time is from 4pm, unless previously arranged with our client relations team.

what time is check out?
We request that guests check out by 11.00am. You may stay later, for a charge of £40, if arranged with our guest relations team more than 24 hours in advance of the standard check out, if the property is available.

what happens if I have a problem on arrival?
Every guest is met in person and a 24 hour emergency on call team is on hand should you have a problem on arrival.

what happens if there is a problem with something in the apartment?
Our in-house maintenance team provide 24 hour emergency call out service to deal with every eventuality.

how often is housekeeping service provided?
All apartments and houses are serviced once a week by our housekeeping team. This standard service is included within the apartment rate, additional service is available on request, at an additional charge.

how often is the linen changed?
Fresh clean bed linen and towels are provided once a week as part of our regular housekeeping service.

are the apartments safe?
The safety of our guests is our top priority. Our serviced apartment buildings are fitted with telephone entry systems, double locking doors and some have burglar alarms. We provide a 24 hour emergency support line to assist should the need arise.

guest services & business services
We offer a wide range of additional services to enable you to work and live during your stay with us. Further details can be found by looking at our website under guest services and business services. An additional charge may be made for these services.

can you arrange a collection service?
We can arrange to collect you from your place of work, if local, or from the local train station for check in.

If you are arriving from overseas we can also organise a pick up from the airport by one of our approved and trusted suppliers. Please arrange this at time of booking. An extra charge will be incurred for airport collections.

what is in the grocery welcome pack?
Our grocery welcome pack is complimentary and will be installed in your apartment ready for your arrival. The grocery welcome pack is designed to ensure that you are comfortable when you arrive at your esa apartment, the contents of your pack will depend on the intended length of your stay. For example, our full grocery pack (standard for stays of 30 nights or more) is sufficient to last you for a few days without you needing to visit the supermarket. The full grocery pack contains the following items:

However, should you wish to replace any of these items with an alternative, please let us know upon booking.