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# Serviced accommodation in London: what the term means

Serviced accommodation is furnished accommodation supplied with services during the booking, usually including housekeeping and guest support. In a London apartment search, the term can cover a hotel-style building or a managed flat in an ordinary residential street.

## Three formats you will encounter

**A managed apartment building.** Calico House has 47 apartments at 42 Bow Lane, with a front office open around the clock. Studios and one- and two-bedroom homes are let on terms normally starting at three months.

**A small collection of homes.** Marylebone Mews has seven named apartments at 34 Weymouth Mews. Housekeeping is recorded three times a week, with a 24-hour guest contact. That arrangement gives domestic space without replicating every hotel service.

**A residence with hotel services.** Amberley at Mayfair Park Residences uses services from 45 Park Lane. The six-month minimum puts it in a different booking market from a nightly hotel room, despite the hotel connection.

## How the names differ

An [aparthotel](https://londonresidency.com/what-is-an-aparthotel/) usually sells self-contained units within a building run on a hotel model. A [residential rental](https://londonresidency.com/long-term-rentals-london/) is offered on its own rental agreement, with rent and responsibilities set out there. Furnished homes may be offered with or without cleaning and reception services.

Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com are booking platforms. A professional apartment operator can use a platform, so the website name alone does not tell you who runs the home. Our [booking-route comparison](https://londonresidency.com/booking-direct-vs-booking-sites/) explains how the payment and support arrangements differ.

## Stay length is a building-level fact

Darley House takes 90 nights; Hill Street’s recorded minimum is three months; Amberley takes six months. Other residences accept shorter stays.

For a search, give the team exact dates and the rooms you need. For a booking, retain the apartment specification, cleaning schedule, full price, cancellation terms and arrival instructions. Those documents describe what you are buying more precisely than the marketing label.

## More guides

- [London serviced apartment costs by area](https://londonresidency.com/serviced-apartments-london-cost/)

- [How serviced apartment bookings work in London](https://londonresidency.com/how-do-serviced-apartments-work/)

- [What a London serviced apartment includes](https://londonresidency.com/what-is-included-in-a-serviced-apartment/)

- [Aparthotels and serviced apartments: the differences](https://londonresidency.com/what-is-an-aparthotel/)