Booking an apartment for your boss? Check these first

It's 11pm, the executive has just landed, and the night porter has no record of them because the apartment was booked in the assistant's name. That is the commonest way a corporate stay goes wrong, and one of the easiest to prevent. When you book for someone else, you're settling the details they won't think about until they're standing in the lobby.

Names, keys and arrival times

Put the booking in the traveller's name, spelled exactly as it is on their passport, and add yourself as the booking contact. Ask the residence to record both: their mobile for arrival messages, yours for anything about payment or changes. If two people are sharing, give both names, because some buildings won't hand keys to anyone who isn't listed, which is the right policy even if it feels maddening at midnight.

A hotel always has someone on the desk, but a serviced apartment building might not. Only about half the residences we list mention a reception, and staffed hours vary even among those, so find out who hands over keys after 10pm, whether there's a key safe or door code, and whether anyone answers the phone overnight if the code fails.

Heathrow Express gets you from the airport to Paddington in about a quarter of an hour, but a long-haul passenger still has to clear passport control and wait for bags. Give the residence the flight number rather than a guessed time and they can track any delay themselves. After a night flight an early room matters more than an upgrade, so ask whether early check-in is possible.

Payment, invoices and cancellation

Requests sent through London Residency go straight to the residence, and you book and pay the residence direct, so the payment conversation is between you and its reservations team. If the traveller isn't the cardholder, ask whether they'll take a card authorisation form for a company card and whether the card has to be shown at check-in. Some residences put a pre-authorisation on a card for incidentals when the guest arrives, and it's worth warning the executive so a hold on a personal card doesn't come as a surprise.

For expenses, ask for an invoice in the company's name with your PO or cost-centre reference on it, sent to you rather than the traveller. It is much easier to set up at booking than to chase afterwards.

Executive diaries move, and the stay you book three weeks out is rarely the one that happens. Before paying, find out whether the rate is flexible or non-refundable and exactly when free cancellation ends. If the deadline is something like 48 hours before arrival, check whether that's counted from midnight or from check-in time, and in UK time, because that detail can decide whether a Friday-evening change costs a night. Ask about moving dates as well as cancelling, since a residence may well prefer shifting a booking by a week to losing it.

Match the size to the trip. A studio is fine for one person staying a few nights with meetings elsewhere. If the executive will be on calls from the apartment or hosting a working breakfast, a one-bedroom with a separate sitting room is the minimum, and a two-bedroom gives them a door to close. For the budget line, the typical starting price is around £270 a night, but that's for the smallest unit, so ask for the rate on the size you actually want. Book near the meeting rather than near the sights, because three days in the City plus a Kensington address means a daily taxi across town for nothing.

The checklist

Paste this into the booking notes and tick it off as the residence replies, then attach the email thread to the itinerary you send the traveller.

• Traveller's full name as on their passport, plus their mobile number
• Flight number and arrival airport
• Check-in and check-out times, and whether early or late is possible
• Key collection after hours, and an overnight phone number
• Bed set-up in each room (one double or two singles)
• A desk, a proper chair and the Wi-Fi arrangement if they'll work from the apartment
• Card authorisation, deposit or pre-authorisation on arrival
• Company name, address and PO reference for the invoice
• Cancellation deadline, and whether dates can be moved
• Groceries or dietary requests, if the residence offers a shop before arrival