An aparthotel, also written apart-hotel or apart hotel, is a hospitality property that combines the features of an apartment with the services of a hotel. The name comes straight from the English: apartment plus hotel.
In practical terms, guests stay in complete living units, fitted with a kitchen or kitchenette, a living area, a bedroom and a private bathroom, while also receiving hotel-style services such as room cleaning, linen changes, reception and, in many cases, breakfast.
The Italian regulatory definition classifies the aparthotel as a residenza turistico-alberghiera (tourist-hotel residence): a hotel-type hospitality property that provides accommodation and ancillary services exclusively or mainly in living units, rather than individual rooms. As a hotel-type property in every respect, an aparthotel requires an SCIA filed with the local SUAP, needs to comply with habitability, fire safety and hygiene regulations, and needs to be registered with the Register of Companies.
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Aparthotel, hotel and residence: the differences
| Traditional hotel | Aparthotel | Residence | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation unit | Room (single, double, suite) | Complete apartment | Apartment |
| Kitchen | No (or just a minibar) | Yes, private and equipped | Yes |
| Hotel services | Full | Present (periodic cleaning, reception) | Absent or very limited |
| Price | Per person, per night | Per unit, per night | Per unit, per week/month |
| Minimum stay | 1 night | 2 to 7 nights (often) | Weekly or monthly |
| Main target | Tourists, business travellers | Families, bleisure travellers | Workers, digital nomads |
How an aparthotel works: the operational structure
The living units
An aparthotel typically offers three accommodation configurations.
The studio is a single open-plan space with a sleeping area, kitchenette and bathroom. It’s ideal for solo travellers or couples on business trips. The one-bedroom unit has a separate bedroom, living room and equipped kitchen: it’s designed for couples on holiday or professionals on medium-length assignments. The two-bedroom unit or larger offers two distinct bedrooms, a spacious living room and a full kitchen, and is the preferred option for families or small groups.
As standard, every unit has a kitchen with a fridge, a washing machine or access to a shared laundry, TV, Wi-Fi and all the comforts of a home. Unlike a rented flat, though, it arrives fully furnished, equipped and ready to live in from day one.
The hotel services included
Compared with a private flat, an aparthotel guarantees: reception (often open 24 hours, or with self-service check-in outside staffed hours), unit cleaning (usually once or twice a week, not daily as in a hotel), regular linen and towel changes, optional or included breakfast depending on the property, and additional services such as a gym, pool, co-working spaces and a play area.
Check-in and check-out
Aparthotels tend to have more flexible arrival and departure times than traditional hotels. Check-in is usually available between 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm, check-out by noon. A professionally run property ensures these processes are handled to the same standards as a hotel, including the daily notification of guests to the local police authority, which is a legal requirement.
The price
The cost of a stay in an aparthotel is calculated per unit, not per person. A family of four pays the same amount as a couple for the same unit. This makes it particularly good value for groups and families, who save further by being able to cook for themselves instead of always eating out.
Who chooses an aparthotel, and why
Three categories of guest make up the main target for aparthotels.
Families on holiday find the ideal compromise in an aparthotel: they have a kitchen to manage their children’s meals independently, more space to spend time together without feeling confined to one room, and breakfast available when they don’t want to cook. They pay less per unit than for two hotel double rooms, while getting more space.
Bleisure travellers, professionals combining work trips with leisure time, look for the functionality of a hotel (reception, professional Wi-Fi, a desk, laundry) alongside the comfort of returning to a home-like space rather than a plain room. A well-furnished apartment with a separate work area is their ideal accommodation for stays of 3 to 14 days.
Long-assignment workers and digital nomads choose aparthotels for stays ranging from a week to several months: they need a proper kitchen, space to work and the professionalism of hotel-style management, without a rental contract and without having to deal with a landlord. Major international brands such as Marriott and Hyatt have expanded their extended-stay portfolios by over 50% in the last decade specifically to capture this demand.
How to open an aparthotel in Italy: the requirements
Opening an aparthotel in Italy follows the same process as hotel-type hospitality properties and involves these fundamental steps.
The structural requirements demand that the building complies with habitability, fire safety and hygiene regulations, and that the living units meet the regional minimum requirements for tourist-hotel residences (each region has its own standards). The SCIA filed with the SUAP is the certified start-of-activity notification submitted to the relevant municipality’s one-stop shop for business activities. You then need a VAT number and registration with the Register of Companies, since an aparthotel is a business activity in every sense, and INPS and INAIL registrations if you take on staff.
Since November 2024, the CIN (National Identification Code) has also been mandatory for all hospitality properties: it needs to be displayed outside the building and stated in every listing. Finally, a business plan is an essential tool both for financial management and for accessing any regional grants.
Furnishing an aparthotel: the specific challenges compared with a hotel
This is where the substantial difference between furnishing a traditional hotel and furnishing an aparthotel comes in. The spaces are more complex and more heavily lived in.
In a standard hotel room, the guest sleeps and, at most, does a bit of work at the desk. In an aparthotel, the guest cooks, eats, works, relaxes on the sofa, does the laundry, entertains colleagues. The furniture needs to withstand a use that’s very close to domestic use, but with hundreds of different guests passing through each year.
The sleeping area
The bed remains the star, exactly as in a hotel. It needs to be high quality, with a headboard that withstands intensive use, a certified base and mattress, and functional bedside tables. For an aparthotel hosting families, a pull-down bed or a professional-quality sofa bed in the living area lets you increase the unit’s capacity without sacrificing daytime space.
The kitchen area
The kitchen or kitchenette needs to feel like a real kitchen, not an accessory. Wall units, worktops and base cabinets need to be built with materials resistant to humidity, odours and the daily use of people who actually cook. The finishes need to be easy to clean and sanitise between guests.
The living area
The sofa is the most heavily used piece of furniture in the whole unit. It needs to be professional grade: a technical fabric or regenerated leather covering resistant to stains, a sturdy frame, padding that doesn’t sag after a few months. A dining table with chairs that withstand intensive use completes the space.
The work area
Often overlooked, this is decisive for capturing the business segment. A desk of adequate size, with good dedicated lighting and accessible sockets and USB ports, isn’t a luxury but a requirement for any guest working remotely.
The materials that make the difference
An aparthotel needs furniture that withstands intensive use without wearing out too quickly. But it can’t ignore the need to create a homely, welcoming atmosphere either, or it loses its competitive edge over a traditional hotel.
The solution is bespoke contract furniture: designed specifically for hospitality use, with scratch-resistant finishes, reinforced hinges, fire-retardant materials (a legal requirement), but with the look and attention to detail of quality furnishing. Fine woods, technical fabrics, moisture-resistant veneers: it isn’t a compromise between beauty and durability, it’s the synthesis of the two.
Why aparthotels are growing in Italy
The aparthotel sector has seen significant acceleration in recent years, driven by a few structural trends: the growth of family tourism and medium-length stays, the rise of remote work and the resulting demand for comfortable temporary bases in cities, the growing demand from bleisure travellers, and the saturation of the Airbnb apartment market, which has pushed many travellers to prefer properties with the professionalism of hotel-style management.
International brands such as Marriott (with the Residence Inn brand), Hyatt (Hyatt House) and IHG (Staybridge Suites) have invested billions in the extended-stay segment specifically to meet this demand. In Italy the market is still developing, which represents a real opportunity for hoteliers wanting to stand out from the competition.
Frequently asked questions about aparthotels
Is an aparthotel classified as a hotel?
Yes. In Italy, the tourist-hotel residence (of which the aparthotel is the most common form) is classified as a hotel-type hospitality property, subject to the same regulatory obligations as a traditional hotel.
What’s the difference between an aparthotel and a residence?
A residence is often located within a holiday village and offers shared services (pool, gym) included in the rate. An aparthotel keeps services typically private to each unit and has professional hotel-style management. The main practical difference is that you book an aparthotel like a hotel, even for a single night, whereas a residence often requires longer contracts.
How much does it cost to stay in an aparthotel?
Prices vary widely depending on the city, the size of the unit and the services included. Generally speaking, an aparthotel is better value than a comparable traditional hotel for anyone travelling in a group or staying more than 3 to 4 days.
What furniture does an aparthotel need to have?
Every unit needs to be fully furnished: a double bed or single beds, bedside tables, a wardrobe, a desk, a sofa, a dining table with chairs, an equipped kitchen with a hob, fridge and oven or microwave, and bathroom furniture. All furniture needs to comply with the fire safety regulations in force for hospitality properties.
How Arredamento Hotel supports anyone opening or renovating an aparthotel
Furnishing an aparthotel is different from furnishing a traditional hotel: the spaces are more varied, there are more zones, and the furnishing needs to balance a homely look with professional-grade durability.
We’ve been producing contract furniture for hospitality properties through our supply chain of Italian workshops for over fifty years: every piece is designed to the property’s actual dimensions, produced through our supply chain with a single point of contact, and delivered and installed worldwide.
For an aparthotel, this means being able to design the sleeping area, the kitchen area, the living area and the bathroom as one coherent system, with consistent materials, a coordinated style, and the technical assurance of furniture built to withstand hundreds of guests.
